Automotive News Canada - October 2024 - 36

36
* OCTOBER 2024
Best Dealerships To Work For
Jaguar-Land Rover Waterloo
Brampton, Ont.
lDealership group: Policaro Group
lGeneral manager: Stephen Broeckel
lNumber of employees: 38
The Calgary Ronald McDonald House is among the charities
supported by the South Trail Hyundai team. Employees
prepared and served dinner for 100 families who had loved
ones staying at the Alberta Children's Hospital.
PHOTO: SOUTH TRAIL HYUNDAI
South Trail Hyundai
Calgary
lDealership group: McManes Automotive Group
lGeneral manager: Kirk Temple
lNumber of employees: 50
General Manager Kirk Temple on offering new hires and/or existing
employees a long-term career path: We give them a commitment
that we promote from within. To do that, we invest in
training. Several of the team members in our group have been
through NADA Academy or Georgian College. Whenever we
have an opening, we do everything we can to promote our people
and grow our employees.
Temple on offering employees work-life balance: Every employee
has different circumstances and needs. We do our best by checking
in with our people and making sure that we are avoiding
burnout by ensuring they are taking their vacation time as well
as taking care of their health.
Temple on charitable work undertaken by employees: We took
a team of people to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House.
We made dinner for 100 parents and children who have a family
member at the Alberta Children's Hospital. We also raise money
and make donations to the Alberta Children's Hospital. We are
proud to be their partner.
Marcin Freyberg, vice-president, human resources
& IT, on volunteer/charitable work performed by
employees: Every November and into December, we
hold our Policaro Group Annual Toy Drive, making
a difference one smile at a time. All toys are donated
to the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial, Brampton Civic
and Grand River hospitals' pediatrics units. As well,
our Policaro Foundation Track Experience [a day
of track activities for racing enthusiasts] raises
donations for SickKids Foundation which has totaled
more than $1 million since 2018. This year we had
employees from all locations participate in the Tree
Planting Experience.
Freyberg on creating an inclusive workplace culture:
The Policaro Group stands for unity, equity, fairness
and inclusivity, and we incorporate these qualities
into all our business operations. Our Diversity
and Inclusion Team carries out a mandate to identify
all social causes, bringing awareness, and educating
our talent, our customers, and community.
Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg
Winnipeg
lDealership group: Pinnacle Automotive
lPresident: Brian Lowes
lNumber of employees: 99
Human Resource Generalist Jennifer Coyle on
departments/positions facing the biggest hiring/
retention challenges: Customer-facing entry-level
roles are where we struggle to find people who
are motivated to work with customers and who
can provide exceptional written and verbal communication.
Our retention struggles come from
entry-level positions. We notice that more and
more people are going back to school to further
their education. Generation Z - 18- to- 22-yearold
- holds our highest turnover numbers at the
dealership.
Lally Kia invited community leaders this summer to drive
electric vehicles. The feedback helped employees better
understand EV customers. PHOTO: LALLY KIA
Lally Kia
Chatham, Ont.
lDealership group: Lally Auto Group
lPresident: Adam Lally
lNumber of employees: 26
Group President Adam Lally on training employees to help them
educate customers about electric and hybrid vehicles: This summer,
we launched an initiative with our new Kia electric vehicles
where we asked local community leaders to drive an EV
for a day. After their drive we asked them to fill out a questionnaire
about what they liked and didn't like. The response was
overwhelmingly positive, and it helped spread the word about
EVs. We've used the feedback from this program to improve
our knowledge base and now better understand our customers'
needs.
Lally on training for managers to spot and prevent employee
stress and burnout: Constant communication and real human
connection between a supervisor and employee are the keys to
successfully navigating the stresses of the car business. People
have to care about each other.
Coyle on best practices for improving hiring and
retention: For retention, we do a 30-day HR checkin
with new hires. Managers perform 30-/60-/90day
reviews, keeping the lines of communication
open. Together with our employees we build
career paths for them. We built a retention strategy
focused on engaging all generations in the
workplace and on how to retain Generation Z. For
hiring, we've adopted the mindset of attitude over
experience, and when we find the right candidate,
we move quickly to hire them.
Porsche Centre
Markham
Markham, Ont.
lDealership group: Lithia Motors
lCEO: Bryan Deboer
lNumber of employees: 49
General Manager Kenneth Li on
unique perks offered to employees:
Lithia sets a high standard
for employee engagement with
comprehensive benefits like dental,
vision and group RRSP programs.
For example, our annual
budget race car competition fosters
creativity and teamwork,
enhancing morale. This unique
approach proves that combining
robust benefits with fun activities
is essential for retaining talent
and inspiring loyalty. By priAs
part of the Policaro Group, Jaguar-Land
Rover Waterloo staff have access to Policaro
University to develop their career paths.
PHOTO: JAGUAR-LAND ROVER WATERLOO
Freyberg on offering a long-term career path
for new hires and/or existing employees: In
addition to automotive manufacturer training,
the Policaro Group has developed an internal
training program covering job-specific sales,
aftersales and customer experience courses
to further develop our talent to deliver exceptional
client service. Policaro University provides
a career training path for all employees.
If employees want to further their training outside
of Policaro Group, we offer an education
assistance program to help their career development.
Ryan
Borton, vice-president of luxury brands at
Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg, and Lucinda Helm,
director of people and culture, load up to deliver
Christmas baskets. PHOTO: PINNACLE AUTO
Coyle on volunteer/charitable work performed by
employees: Our social committee leads our team
with a charity drive for Harvest Manitoba. We sponsor
families for the Christmas Cheer Board, where
we collect food, toys and presents, then wrap and
deliver them to families in need. We volunteer at the
Ronald McDonald House Charities with the Home
for Dinner program, where we serve home cooked
dinner for families staying at RMHC.
oritizing employee well-being
and enjoyment, Lithia creates
a fulfilling and productive
environment.
Li on volunteer/charitable
work carried out by employees:
This year, Porsche Centre
Markham partnered with
Long and McQuade [musical
instrument retailer] for
a unique fundraiser benefiting
the Markham Stouffville
Hospital Foundation. The
event attracted a vibrant
crowd who enjoyed live music,
stunning cars and an array of
high-end guitars. A highlight
of the evening was the auction
of a custom Gibson guitar,
reimagined with Porsche
paint samples. All proceeds
from the event were generously
donated to the foundation,
making it a memorable night
for a great cause.
The Cars and Guitars
fundraiser benefiting the
Markham Stouffville Hospital
Foundation is among the
charities supported by
employees at Porsche
Centre Markham.
PHOTO: PORSCHE CENTRE
MARKHAM
Automotive News Canada - October 2024

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