Automotive News Canada - October 2024 - 38

38
* OCTOBER 2024
Best Dealerships To Work For
Policaro Acura
Brampton, Ont.
lDealership group: Policaro Group
lGeneral manager: Rob MacDonald
lNumber of employees: 44
Marcin Freyberg, vice-president,
human resources & IT,
on perks and/or benefits offered to
employees: Workperks is an app that
we subscribe to and offer to all our
employees. Workperks offers them
discounts on just about everything,
retail, food, travel, and if they go on
vacation out of province, it finds discounts
in and around the location. Along with the Policaro Living
Wage [entry-level pay greater than the Ontario minimum wage], we
consistently assess the competitor landscape to ensure our compensation
structures `rank` among the best in the industry. Benefit coverage
starts from day one. We also offer generous vacation, personal and volunteer
days, preferred fitness program with a national gym, preferred
pricing [on vehicles] and lease programs.
Freyberg on training for managers to spot mental stress, fatigue and
burnout: Our management page on Sharepoint has tips on preventing
employee burnout for managers, and we introduced a disconnecting
from work policy. Human resources meets with managers regularly to
discuss any employee issue and provides solutions to prevent burnout.
Freyberg on training for staff to help educate consumers about electric
and hybrid vehicles: Our OEM partners have provided numerous
courses for sales and service employees as new electric and hybrid
models are launched. Our employees are well versed in the technologies
we sell and service for our clients.
HGregoire Nissan Saint-Eustache
Saint-Eustache, Que.
lDealership group: HGregoire
lGeneral manager: Jonathan Cameron
lNumber of employees: 83
General Manager Jonathan Cameron on steps the dealership
takes to accommodate work-life balance: We
offer flexible schedules and the possibility of working
remotely for some positions.
Cameron on best practices for improving hiring and
retention in departments facing the biggest hiring
challenges: Our group always tries to make sure the
employees feel like they are a part of the team from
the start. That's why we have an employee recognition
club that rewards employees for their hard work.
We also hold events and social activities where they
have the opportunity to interact with their colleagues
from other departments and sometimes other dealerships.
Cameron
on steps taken to create an inclusive culture:
As our dealerships are located in multicultural cities,
we hire from the community we are in.
Kia Victoria
Victoria
lGeneral manager/partner: Brad Ostermann
lNumber of employees: 47
Controller Cole Navarrete on creating an inclusive workplace
culture: We believe our staff should reflect our
diverse society, so we focus on hiring and promoting a
diverse team. Our diversity is our strength and great ideas
come from diverse backgrounds. Our approach is simple:
Our dealership operates with such integrity and sincerity
that you can't help but feel welcomed. We are fortunate
to have women and
people of colour hold
department head positions,
providing leadership,
mentorship and
trailblazing the way for
others.
General Manager Brad
Ostermann on providing
work-life balance to
employees: We understand
that family comes
first and work comes
second. And while we
expect our staff to be
engaged and productive
when they're at work,
we offer very reasonable
schedules, above-average
compensation and
great atmosphere to
work in. We also offer
Among the perks at Policaro Acura is Workperks, an app
that gives employees discounts on a broad range
of products and services. SUPPLIED PHOTO
Volvo Cars Edmonton
Edmonton, Alta.
lDealer principal: Michael Norris
lNumber of employees: 62
Dealer Principal Michael Norris on offering new and/or
existing employees a long-term career path: When we
recruit and hire, we communicate that we ideally desire
to have employees for the long term. We adapt roles and
offer promotions so employees can progress in their
career, enjoy increased skill development, responsibilities
and salaries.
Norris on best practices for improving hiring and retention:
Effective and clear communication with applicants,
explaining our desire for long-term employees
and asking questions
regarding
where they see
themselves over
the next year, two
years and five
years.
Bethan Ostermann, Kia
Victoria marketing manager,
left, hands over a donation
to Janice James, manager of
sponsorship and community
relations for Mustard Seed
Church. PHOTO: KIA VICTORIA
some employees four-day workweeks, remote work and
flexible schedules based on their particular needs.
HGregoire Nissan Saint-Eustache holds events,
encouraging staff to mingle with coworkers
from other departments and sometimes other
dealerships.
PHOTO: HGREGOIRE NISSAN SAINT-EUSTACHE
Roy Foss ChevroletBuick-GMC
Thornhill
Thornhill, Ont.
lDealership group: Roy Foss Automotive
lGeneral manager: David Smirle
lNumber of employees: 95
General Manager David Smirle on unique
perks offered to employees: Our dealership
provides comprehensive medical,
dental and life insurance coverage,
along with free virtual physical and mental
health care for employees and their
families. We also pay a bonus to staff for
proposing improvement initiatives that
Director of Fixed Operations Jamie Whittaker on best practices
for improving hiring and retention: Since hiring certified
technicians is difficult, we try to grow our own by
having technicians in various stages of the apprenticeship
program. Our senior techs are compensated for mentoring
the apprentices and junior techs. We also match junior
and senior technicians in work partnerships so that junior
techs get constant training and supervision, and senior
techs avoid some of the physical labour. We have relationships
with local high schools and colleges to utilize work
experience programs.
are successfully adopted. Additionally, we
hold monthly cash draws for both nominators
and nominees in our employee of the
month program. These perks highlight our
commitment to employee well-being, recognition
and continuous improvement.
Smirle on providing work-life balance to
employees: Our dealership has a policy
that commits us to work-life balance, and
our leaders encourage this through our
practices. When employees need to make
adjustments, we are open to their requests
and do our best to support them. Whether
it's adjusting hours or providing remote
work options, we strive to ensure that our
team members have the flexibility to manage
both personal and professional responsibilities
effectively, promoting overall
well-being.
Norris on volunteer/charitable
work
performed by
employees: Since
our inception, we
have prioritized
our involvement
with many nonprofit
and charitable
organizations
in our great city.
We are especially
proud of our partSalesperson
Rick Livermore
at the Tee Up for Tots golf
tournament, which raises funds
for Stollery Children's Hospital,
one of several charities
supported by Volvo Cars
Edmonton.
PHOTO: VOLVO CARS EDMONTON
nership with Special Olympics Edmonton. We presently
employ Special Olympics athletes and founded their
annual golf classic, which we are the presenting sponsor
of. It is an honour for us to have recently supported
so many outstanding organizations that make such an
amazing impact on our community, including: Harvest
Festival, in support of Lois Hole Hospital For Women;
Kids Up Front; Newman Golf Challenge, in support of
Newman Theological College; Tee Up For Tots, in support
of Stollery Children's Hospital; Festival of Trees, in
support of University Hospital; and Mental Health Golf
Classic, in support of Canadian Mental Health.
President James Ricci on volunteer/charitable
work performed by
employees: Charitable donations
and volunteer work are the heart of
the Foss pillars. A great example of
this is the Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Toronto Toy Drive at Christmas of
last year. Our employees went above
and beyond donating toys to deserving
" littles " and families in need. I
am immensely proud of our team for
embodying the spirit of giving and
making a meaningful difference in
the community. We are also proud
to launch the Foss Cares program
which will dedicate a new paid time
off category to support employees to
donate their work time to volunteer
work for a cause that is meaningful
to them.
Employees at Roy Foss Chevrolet-BuickGMC
Thornhill are encouraged to give
back to the community, supporting such
organizations as the Big Brother Big
Sisters of Toronto Toy Drive.
PHOTO: ROY FOSS CHEVROLET-BUICK-GMC
THORNHILL
Automotive News Canada - October 2024

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