Automotive News Canada - October 2024 - 40

40
* OCTOBER 2024
Best Dealerships To Work For
'ABOVE AND BEYOND' CREATES A BOND
With meals, parties, gyms,
outings, retirement plans
and other perks, coveted
talent is more likely to stay
By STEVE MERTL
VANCOUVER CORRESPONDENT
A COMMON THREAD EMERGES
among the 2024 Automotive News Canada
Best Dealerships To Work For that have
been successful in attracting and retaining
employees: Offer a solid pay and benefits
package and augment that with perks that
tighten familial bonds within the enterprise.
At
Lexus of Edmonton, " one of the
standout features is the state-of-the-art
workout facility available to all team
members, " said General Manager Evan
Schindel. " Understanding the importance
of health and wellness, the on-site gym is
fully equipped, allowing employees to stay
active and energized
throughout the day. "
Complementing
the 1,600-square-foot
(150-square-metre)
gym, which includes
men's and women's
change rooms,
is a play and relaxation
area, " designed
to offer a balance
between work and
downtime, " Schindel
said.
Schindel:
Relaxation and
recreational
facilities such
as a gym and
a game room
at Lexus of
Edmonton
" offer a balance
between work
and downtime. "
PHOTO: LEXUS
OF EDMONTON
blowout year-end party.
" Employees can
unwind in a space
designed for relaxation,
enjoy friendly
competition with
coworkers in a game
room or simply take a
break to recharge in
a calm, comfortable
environment. "
At winning dealerships, an average of
86 per cent of employees cited satisfaction
with benefits, compared with 70 per cent
among nonwinners.
Cameron Bates, CFO of Riverside DodgeChrysler-Jeep
in Prince Albert, Sask., said
the dealership has increased the number
of staff events over the past five years.
They include outings to a bull-riding event,
a golf tournament, a barbecue, monthly
lunches that allow the store's top seller to
rub shoulders with a service writer and a
Birchwood Infiniti-Nissan
Winnipeg
lDealership group: Birchwood Automotive
Group
lGeneral manager: Tom Bedolfe
lNumber of employees: 55
Human Resources Director Sarah
Giesbrecht on creating an inclusive workplace
culture: We established a diversity,
equity, inclusion and wellness committee
in 2022, called the Wellness & Inclusion
committee. We also showcase the languages
spoken by our most customer-facing
team members in product-adviser and
service-consultant positions on our company/dealership
websites, found underneath
their profile pictures. We write different
posts for our team members about
different cultural or historical events
throughout the year. We also offer dif " It
has helped - and I know it sounds
cliché - that family atmosphere, " Bates
said.
STAFF IS STAYING LONGER
It's much the same story at Subaru of
Niagara in southern Ontario. The dealership
organizes bowling events, summer
food-truck lunches and dinners, " small,
little things that show that the team matters
and that they're appreciated, " said
General Manager Devin Kaulback.
The 2024 Canadian Automobile Dealers
Association's data report shows that average
annual employee turnover at dealerships
dropped to 31 per cent in 2023
from 35 per cent in 2021, while retention
increased 0.3 per cent to an average of 6.8
years for all positions in urban stores.
The picture is slightly more mixed for
rural stores, with some positions experiencing
more turnover and shorter average
tenures.
ferent opportunities to sign up for workshops,
webinars, events and training
related to DEI. We have hosted workshops
such as 7 Generations in the Workplace,
Indigenous Blanket Exercise, Truth &
Reconciliation Workshop, Conversation
Circle: Addressing Burnout Workshop on
Microaggressions.
General Manager Tom Bedolfe on departments/positions
facing the biggest hiring/
retention challenges: Our service department
continues to face challenges in
recruiting qualified Red Seal technicians.
The shortage of skilled tradespeople in
this field, combined with high demand
across the industry, has made it increasingly
competitive to attract and keep top
talent.
Giesbrecht on best practices aimed at
improving hiring and retention: We actively
collaborate with local trade schools
to create a strong pipeline of apprentices,
providing them with hands-on expe " Retention
comes down to respecting
your staff, healthy work-life balance
and giving them a place where they can
succeed and where they can grow, " said
Kirk Temple, general manager of South
Trail Hyundai in Calgary. " The benefits
are on top of that, in my opinion. "
South Trail, part of McManes
Automotive Group with 17 stores in
Alberta and British Columbia, provides
employees a $250 Visa debit card for
health-related expenses, said Temple.
Staff can also be sponsored for career
education and training through the
Automotive Business School of Canada at
Georgian College in Barrie, Ont.
They can also opt in to the company's
registered retirement savings plan
(RRSP), with the dealer matching contributions
that lock in if the employee stays
at least two years. Experts also give talks
on how to save for the future.
" It's something we're proud of because
it's above and beyond what a lot of other
dealers do, " Temple said.
Riverside Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep also
offers a company-managed RRSP through
RBC Group Advantage with matching
monthly contributions of $100, rising to
$200 at five years and $300 for employees
who stay 10 years.
Staff can tap the fund for a downpayment
under a program for first-time home
buyers. The dealership also organizes seminars
on financial planning.
" We're trying to get people thinking
about that in their early 20s, " said Bates.
" We want our staff to reach their goals. "
Retention among the store's 35 employees
averages about 5.8 years, a little below
average for a rural small-market store.
Lexus of Edmonton
recognizes the importance
of health and wellness and
provides staff with a large,
fully equipped on-site gym.
PHOTO: LEXUS OF EDMONTON
KEEP PACE WITH COMPETITORS
Dealers recognize they're in a competitive
market for good workers.
" Alongside Policaro's Living Wage, we
consistently assess the competitor landscape
to ensure our compensation structures
rank among the best in the industry, "
said Marcin Freyberg, vice-president
of human resources at Jaguar-Land Rover
Waterloo, part of the eight-store Policaro
Group in southern Ontario.
The Living Wage pays above minimum
wage in Ontario for entry-level employees.
Benefits starts from day one, Freyberg
said, including generous vacation time,
personal and volunteer days, and enrollment
in a preferred fitness program with a
national gym.
Bruce Nissan of Kentville, N.S., offers
the usual benefits
package, but technicians
get additional
perks such as a uniform
laundering service,
tool allowance
and $5,000 signing
bonus, said General
Manager Jacob
DeBoer.
Temple:
Retention
comes down to
respecting staff,
providing a
healthy work-life
balance and
a place where
they can grow.
SUPPLIED PHOTO
Riverside DodgeChrysler-Jeep,
an
independent family
owned dealership,
polls staff twice a year
on compensation to
ensure it's competitive.
" Then
we don't get
that technician leaving
for another dollar
an hour down the
street or switching occupations altogether, "
Bates said. " By staying ahead of it, it
has definitely helped. " - ANC
Birchwood Infiniti-Nissan offers DEI-related workshops, webinars, events and
training. It's also a supporter of the Winnipeg Jets NHL team.
PHOTO: BIRCHWOOD INFINITI-NISSAN
rience and career growth opportunities
within our dealerships. Additionally,
we regularly engage with local Red Seal
technicians, reaching out to gauge their
interest in potential career opportunities
with us. We are working closely with
international recruitment agencies to
source skilled technicians from abroad,
helping to fill key positions that have
been challenging to staff locally.
Automotive News Canada - October 2024

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