BEST DEALERSHIPS TO WORK FOR IN CANADA

Location: Winnipeg

Dealer principal: Steve Chipman

Dealership group: Birchwood Automotive Group

Number of employees: 50

2017 new-vehicle sales: 529, up 3.7%

2017 used-vehicle sales: 385, down 16.3%

Chief Human Resources Officer MaryAnn Kemp on making work schedules more balanced or flexible than the bell-to-bell schedule for which dealerships are known: We have an open-door policy when it comes to work-life balance. If there is an event or something important to our staff that they need to attend we find a way to say "yes." This way we have fewer people calling in sick and we can plan for the absence. We have also found that people are more willing to work for each other because they know the favor will be reciprocated. This action helps breed the culture we want in our store.

Human Resources Manager Sarah Giesbrecht on how staff requirements have changed over the last five years: The Birchwood Automotive Group has grown significantly with over 1,300 team members in 2018. We have expanded our dealerships through Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Through a focused strategy on innovation, we have created a reconditioning centre that is run on lean principles. We have also expanded our application technology capabilities, and our work in the sub-prime and export markets has allowed us to develop new roles and new requirements. These exciting opportunities have brought a variety of new roles for our team members.

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