Yark Automotive Group Inc. in Toledo, Ohio, has had numerous dealerships on the list over the years. Yark Subaru finished No. 1 in 2016 and No. 98 a year later.
John Yark, president of the group, put it this way: "With the employee portion of the scoring being such a high portion of the score, if you get one employee or two who doesn't like you, you're done. That can kick you right out."
But dealers, always a competitive breed, embrace the challenge. They say they value the feedback on how their employees view their workplaces. In addition, making the list in any position helps them recruit talent in today's tight labor market and prepares them for hiring uncertainties.
"I don't want to say this thing was ever easy," Yark said. He attributed the increasingly tight competition to the fact that "more and more dealers are feeling the pressure of not being able to hire all the positions they need to fill, so there's even more focus on what you need to do to hire and retain employees."