Automotive News Canada - October 2023 - 16

16
* OCTOBER 2023
Best Dealerships To Work For
Nevermind work-life balance; chemistry is king
By PETER BURKE
PRESIDENT, WORKFORCE RESEARCH GROUP
MANY OF US HAVE BEEN SEEKING THE ELUSIVE
healthy balance between the work we are paid to do and
the personal life we want to live, commonly known as
work-life balance. But if you break it down, these are separate
things.
KEYNOTE
ADDRESS
Employees who are highly engaged
don't necessarily see work and life as
two separate places to be or definitive
ways to spend their time. The expression
" If you find a job you love, you'll
never work a day in your life " implies
that there is no distinction between work and the rest of
life. Highly engaged employees love what they do and will
go above and beyond for the good of the company. Their
personal values align with the core values of the company.
Engaged employees will
go above and beyond, and
great employers know those
employees will not be around
long if their passion and
commitment is taken advantage
of, said Peter Burke, president of
Workforce Research Group.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
They might even read and respond to emails in off hours.
Engaged employees will do what needs to be done,
regardless of when it needs to be done, but great employers
understand that they won't have those employees for
long if they take advantage of their passion and commitment.
Both of those forces working together make for a
great work environment where the work-life chemistry is in
line with what each of those engaged employees needs.
The 2023 Best Dealerships To Work For have employees
who love what they do but also have that work-life chemistry.
When employees love going to work, the benefits to
the employer and customers have been well-documented:
lower voluntary turnover, higher productivity, increased customer
satisfaction levels, etc.
Many times, what gets overlooked is the impact of
what loving your job has in other areas of your life. I think
many would agree that when you are engaged and have a
healthy work-life mixture, you tend to be a better spouse,
better parent, better friend and better neighbour. The benefits
go far beyond a good work environment strategy. These
winners understand that.
Our firm, Workforce Research Group, is the
workplace research partner for the 2023 Best
Dealerships To Work For. We conducted the
two-part workplace assessment for all who
applied. Part one was the employer survey,
which represented 20 per cent of the evaluation.
We wanted to know about all the
benefits offered and fun things the applicants
were doing. The other 80 per cent
of the evaluation came from the employee
feedback survey. We used an 80-question
survey to really understand the employee
experience in each organization.
Employee engagement, or what we call
Burke: The
core values
of highly
engaged
staff align
with the core
values of the
company.
These
employees
don't
necessarily
see work
and life as
two separate
places to be.
SUPPLIED
PHOTO
the core employee experience, was 96
per cent for this group of winners. That's
amazing, since the Canadian average is
about 35 per cent.
Whether an organization made the
list, all participants have the opportunity
to purchase access to the Employee
Feedback Data Dashboard. This is our
reporting portal that allows each organization
to understand its workforce better.
Employee responses were anonymous,
but the aggregated data, the open-ended
comments and the program benchmark
reports all provide insights to help the
organizations get better.
As you read this section, please keep
in mind that the winning dealerships
aren't winners by accident. They have
been intentional and committed to their
efforts to create great places to work.
These winners have had a huge impact
on their employees, their employees' families,
their customers and the communities they serve.
Congratulations to all of the 2023 Best Dealerships To
Work For. - ANC
WHAT MAKES THEM BEST DEALERSHIPS TO WORK FOR?
A WINNING CAREER PATH
With an eye for talent,
dealerships stress
hard work, staff
training, planning and
promoting across
their groups
By DAVID KENNEDY
T ORONTO BUREAU CHIEF
AT A TIME WHEN BUILDING
a long career at one organization
is more the exception than the
norm, many of Automotive News
Canada's Best Dealerships To
Work For are finding ways to provide
employees a clear sense of
purpose while being free to enjoy
what they do.
There's no silver bullet for
employee retention, winning dealers
say, but providing ample and
regular advancement opportunities
are integral parts of the formula.
At
winning dealerships, an
average of 94 per cent of employees
have no plans to leave for the " foreseeable
future. " At nonwinners, 85
per cent of staff have no intention
of exploring other options.
Reliable communication, confidence
in a dealership's leadership
and a strong corporate culture
are several factors that separate
winning dealerships from nonwinners,
according to Workforce
Research Group, which implemented
and managed the 2023 Best
Dealerships program.
Survey results indicate an average
of 95 per cent of employees at
winning dealerships said their
company enables their professional
development. This compares
with 80 per cent for nonwinners.
We've got nine
other dealerships,
so if you want to
work your butt off
and work your way
up, you don't have
to wait for the
45-year-old to
retire. "
Brittany Oliver
General manager,
Bruce Hyundai
Similarly, an average of 97 per cent
of those at winning dealerships
said they made " daily progress "
at work, versus 88 per cent among
nonwinners.
At Bruce Hyundai in New
Minas, N.S., one of the 10 new-vehicle
stores across Nova Scotia
that make up Bruce Auto Group,
work on employee retention and
advancement starts from day one.
New hires, said General
Manager Brittany Oliver, are
immediately asked their near- and
long-term goals.
" It's not just an empty question
of 'Where do you want to be?' It's
where do you want to be and 'OK,
how do we get you there?' "
This is followed up by regular
one-on-one meetings to plot progression
or course corrections,
Oliver said.
IDENTIFYING TALENT
Kia Victoria in British
Columbia is similarly handson
with its new hires, who don't
always come equipped with the
requisite skills to climb through
the ranks without significant
training.
" We're not afraid to hire the
right person and train them up
to be the right professional, " said
Brad Ostermann, Kia Victoria's
managing partner.
The family-owned dealership
goes out of its way to expose staff
to a range of departments,
both to broaden their skill
sets and show them what's
available, Ostermann said.
" Then we make a point
of promoting from within
whenever possible. This
makes for solid, confident
staff by sending the message
that there's a clear
fulfilling career path forward
for everyone. "
As employees progress,
Kia Victoria also regularly
reaches into its own
pocket to pay for additional
courses for employees
looking to supplement
their on-the-job experience.
At
Lexus Sainte-Julie,
Lexus Sainte-Julie and 16 other
franchised dealerships.
Sylvain also cited the group's
annual succession management
program that identifies and
grooms future leaders.
" We offer an individual development
plan to employees who
are considered high-potential. ...
For example, a sales representative
that will become a sales manager
in a few years. The development
plan is completed with the
employee to develop their skills
with a view to obtaining a future
position. "
SCALE HAS ITS ADVANTAGES
A strong track record speaks
for itself.
Sylvain:
Groupe Park
Avenue
launched
an annual
program to
identify and
groom future
leaders.
SUPPLIED
PHOTO
about 30 kilometres northeast of
Montreal, a combination of " oneon-one
career development sessions
with managers " and perks
such as the annual lunch and
dinner for employees has helped
retain staff, said Jessica Sylvain,
human resources partner at
Groupe Park Avenue, which owns
Having a roster of
current staff who have
advanced through the
ranks shows new employees
the growth potential
at the company, said
Adam Lally, president of
Lally Auto Group, which
owns nine franchised
dealerships in southwestern
Ontario, two of which
made the list of Best
Dealerships To Work For.
Scale also has its
advantages, Lally said.
" We're not looking to
grow an empire ... but
with every store, there
comes more opportunities. "
He
pointed to two
recent sales hires as examples.
Both employees previously
worked as entry-level lot attendants
at Lally Chevrolet in
Tilbury, 60 kilometres east of
Windsor. After an interlude for
post-secondary schooling, both
returned looking for sales positions.
Although none were availLally:
The size of his
dealership group brings with
it " more opportunities " for
staff to advance. FILE PHOTO
able at the Tilbury store, postings
were up for grabs within the
wider group.
" Neither of those guys would
have found a home if we still had
one store like we did when they
left, " Lally said.
It's the same story at Bruce
Auto Group in Nova Scotia.
" We see it quite a bit where
people start at one store and then
work their way through, gain
some experience and then maybe
end up as a manager at another
dealership, " Oliver said.
She's an example, having started
at Bruce Chevrolet-Buick-GMC,
one of the winning dealerships.
Bruce Auto Group sees upward
of 50 internal transfers each year,
which are particularly helpful for
employees looking to advance in
departments that have relatively
young management, Oliver said.
" We've got nine other dealerships, "
she said, " so if you want
to work your butt off and work
your way up, you don't have to
wait for the 45-year-old to retire. "
- ANC
Automotive News Canada - October 2023

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