Dealer: Rick Hendrick

Dealership group: Hendrick Automotive Group

Full-time employees: 48

General Manager Brandon Apon on lessons from the pandemic about being a better employer:
“Through this pandemic I have learned a lot about empathy and adaptability. A lot of the status quo was challenged and inevitably changed. Trust became a major ingredient for success.”

Sales Manager Dwayne Carter on how the accelerated shift to digital retail changed staffing strategy:
“We made a conscious decision to move major talent in our dealership into the BDC, helping us leverage our management team to handle the incoming leads. The pandemic highlighted the need to have a deal go from A to Z with the same representative.”

Team Leader Marcus Hulsey on making work schedules more balanced or flexible:
“We have worked to move away from the bell-to-bell dealership style. In our store we have two teams, each having a team lead. With the two teams, it gives you the flexibility to have one team arrive late and another leave early.”