Automotive News Canada - October 2023 - 44

44
* OCTOBER 2023
Best Dealerships To Work For
Acura of Oakville
Oakville, Ont.
lGeneral manager: Carmen Scaglione
lDealership group: Zanchin Automotive
Group
lNumber of employees: 37
Human Resources Director Sarah Soil
on improving employee retention: It is
with great pride that employee retention
is above industry benchmarks
at Acura of Oakville. The amazing
people that make up the team are the
past present and future of the operation
and are the fabric of the dealership.
The group is focused on providing
a safe, engaging and productive
atmosphere, forward-minded develEmployees
of Acura of Oakville participate
in the annual Santa Claus Parade.
SUPPLIED PHOTOS
opment programs and career-advancement
opportunities; and perks and programs
designed to maintain long-term relationships.
Office
Manager Laura Zwicker on some
unique benefits and perks for employees:
Announcements of birthdays and celebrations
of special occasions keep a family
atmosphere at work.
Acura of Oakville celebrates staff
birthdays, which provides a family
atmosphere at work.
Human Resources Generalist Hannah Ruso
on recruiting service technicians amid the
electric-vehicle transition: With a focus on
career development and advancement in
trades, we promote from within the dealership
and Zanchin Automotive Group, and
partner with trade schools and programs to
provide opportunities to graduates and professionals
who desire a career in automotive
maintenance and repair. The evolution of
the electric vehicle market is something we
have been working toward for years, including
preparing the automotive trade professionals
through OEM and specialized training
and certification.
Park Avenue
Lexus Sainte-Julie
Sainte-Julie, Que.
lGeneral manager:
Bruno Pier Dubeau
lDealership group:
Groupe Park Avenue
lNumber of employees: 31
HR Business Partner Jessica
Sylvain on how training at
the dealership is used to
advance employees' skills
and careers: Lexus offers
a training program in
Ontario. It's a three-day program
related to Lexus image
and customer facing. The
dealership tries to send as
many employees as possible
each year, with the aim of
improving brand knowledge
and customer service in all
departments.
Sylvain on how the dealership
incorporates diversity,
equity and inclusion into its
hiring and employment practices:
In our recruitment
process, diversity, equity
and inclusion are written
into our job postings and
Norman John Hébert, COO of Groupe Park Avenue,
left, with a donation for Claude Pinard, president and
executive director of Centraide of Greater Montreal, an
organization that focuses on poverty. SUPPLIED PHOTO
discussed at interviews. In addition, we offer flexibility,
whenever possible depending on the nature of the position,
to accommodate employees with special needs.
Sylvain on offering new hires and existing employees
a long-term career path: With our succession-management
program, we offer an individual development plan
to employees who are considered high-potential through
the annual management round table. The development
plan is completed with the employee to develop their
skills with a view to obtaining a future position. We also
have a training catalog that is offered to employees with
several spheres of development and training.
For top dealerships, ROI starts with TLC
A workplace culture
of caring and
communicating
is crucial to forming
tighter connections
with employees
By STEVE MERTL
VANCOUVER CORRESPONDENT
WHEN MICHAEL NORRIS
started his career in automotive
sales three decades ago, he vowed
right away to find better ways to
build a thriving workplace culture.
" My
first manager said when
[customers] walk into a showroom
you should
see a $300 bill on
their forehead,
and you want to
get it.
" I thought,
'My God, can
you think of
anything worse
to train people?' "
Norris
created
what he calls
a " faith-based "
management
approach, which
helped his store,
Volvo Cars
Edmonton, land
on Automotive
News Canada's
2023 list of the
Best Dealerships
To Work For.
It's enthusiasm,
it's wanting to be
here, it's wanting
to do better what
you do, wanting to
do better for your
customers. "
Chris Green
General manager,
McLaren Toronto
boss. You can have a different
boss.
" If your decisions are guided
by 'Is it the right thing to do?'
things work out very well, especially
for the customers and each
other. "
Norris: The
" faith-based "
management
at Volvo Cars
Edmonton
provides the
strong moral
compass
that makes
for happier
employees
and a better
bottom line.
FILE PHOTO
" We have no religious symbols
at the dealership at all, " said
Norris, who employs 58 people.
" We all say we work for the big
Communication and workplace
culture emerged as key differentiators
between the Best
Dealerships and those that didn't
make the list of 35. For example,
at winning dealerships, an
average of 96 per cent of employees
said they were " treated with
respect, not as just a number, "
compared with 79 per cent at nonwinners,
according to the survey
administered by Workforce
Research Group.
REVVED UP ON RACING
The Best Dealerships To Work
For also scored high on communicating
management's goals and
ensuring employees had fun.
Motorsports help bring
employees together at McLaren
Toronto, said General Manager
Chris Green.
" The people that work here are
true, genuine car people. That's
where it really starts from.
" We're passionate people, to
the extent that some of us have
motorsports backgrounds. "
All staff are involved in regular
track days at the Canadian
Tire Mosport Park, 95 kilometres
northeast of Toronto, driving
their personal vehicles as well as
cars from the dealership.
There are other opportunities
for the staff of 37 to bond outside
of work, such as weekend barbecues
at the store, restaurant dinners,
karting and laser tag.
The highlight is participation
in an annual charity race
at Canadian Tire Mosport Park.
McLaren Toronto races a BMW
330i, with staff involved in the
vehicle's preparation.
" You get excited about it, " said
Green, adding that these shared
experiences translate into better
performance at the dealership.
" It's enthusiasm, it's wanting
to be here, it's wanting to do better
what you do, wanting to do
better for your customers. "
It also contributes to employee
retention. McLaren Toronto has
some of the most experienced
technicians in the 14-store Pfaff
Automotive Partners group,
Green said.
SHARED VISION, VALUES
Four Birchwood Automotive
Group stores - Birchwood
Honda on Regent, Birchwood
Kia West, Birchwood Toyota and
Jaguar-Land Rover Winnipeg -
made the 2023 Best Dealerships
list. The " mission, vision, values,
goals and expectations
are shared openly with every
team member, " said Sarah
Giesbrecht, director of human
Employees of Pfaff Automotive Partners are car lovers to the degree
that they bond on the racetrack. SUPPLIED PHOTO
resources services at the group.
" We value everyone's feedback
on
how we can improve and
achieve our individual and team
goals together.
" It is crucial for all team leaders
to maintain an open-door
policy so that every team member
feels comfortable sharing
successes, challenges and ideas
for improvement, " she said.
Birchwood is based in
Winnipeg and has 16 dealerships
in Manitoba.
Regular meetings with managers
are documented and
address career development,
achievements, values, character
and work ethic, Giesbrecht said.
" Once they've set up the plan,
their manager works as a coach
to help them attain their career
goals. "
Norris said a dealership with
a strong moral compass leads to
happier employees and a healthier
bottom line.
" We're the most awarded
[Volvo] dealership in Canada, "
he said.
According to the Workforce
Research Group survey, 98 per
cent of employees at winning
stores said their dealerships
were committed to producing
high-quality products and services,
compared with 88 per cent
at nonwinners.
Dealers can be successful with
a money-based approach, Norris
said, but a moral approach to
deal-making is also profitable
and pays dividends by fostering
trust with customers.
" If people realize they're
potentially getting ripped off,
they're going to fight for every
dollar.
" If they've been back for their
fifth vehicle, and they know
their family is respected, treated
well and trusted, negotiations
are very fast and fair, " he said.
" They know we're not going to
take advantage of them. " - ANC
Automotive News Canada - October 2023

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