Michael Norris knows that the workplace culture that put him on this year’s list of Automotive News Canada’s Best Dealerships To Work For took years to create and can be lost in a heartbeat.
“I know that we are one or two decisions away from losing that culture,” the Volvo of Edmonton dealer principal said. “If I do anything selfish or shortsighted, the staff will see right through that.”
Strong corporate leadership is needed to put, and keep, dealerships on the right path, Norris said.
According to Best Companies Group, which surveyed employees to arrive at the list of 25 best dealerships, the key to success is building a corporate culture that reflects employees’ values, needs and wants.
Employees want store leadership to be visible and caring, the group found.
Creating a strong corporate culture begins with having a core leadership group that shares the same workplace expectations. That filters down throughout the workforce, especially as lower-tier managers then recruit and train their staffs to further that culture, Norris said.