Dealer: Rick Hendrick

Dealership group: Hendrick Automotive Group

Full-time employees: 88

General Manager Joel Suggs on lessons from the pandemic about being a better employer:
“We learned that employee health and safety is more important than ever. We want employees and customers to feel safe when here at the dealership, so we have taken all precautionary measures to ensure that. It really showed everyone we care about their well-being so they can focus 100 percent on their job duties.”

Suggs on evolving compensation structure in the COVID era:
“From March to June, salaried and hourly employees were guaranteed their normal pay; commissioned employees were guaranteed 80 percent of their average earnings from January and February.”

Suggs on making work schedules more balanced or flexible:
“During March and April, employees worked every other day to minimize the head count at the dealership.”