Dealer: Vadim Makhlis

Dealership group: Maverick Motor Group

Full-time employees: 32

Makhlis on learning how to be a better employer from managing through the pandemic: “During the pandemic, we began to close sales at 6 p.m. on weekdays and closed parts and service on Saturdays. We [have] kept those same hours because we learned that not only can we be more profitable but also afford our employees a higher quality of life.”

Controller Nicole Shanahan on long-term changes in hiring or employment practices because of the pandemic: “In lieu of people not being able to travel and not knowing when they finally would be able to, we paid out all vacation time to ensure that our employees did not lose out on any accrued time.”

Makhlis on diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to hiring and employment: “As a minority dealer and immigrant, this topic is of the utmost importance to me. Our stated goal has always been to attract the top talent in the region to work with our team. This, of course, includes people from all backgrounds and sexual orientation. We will continue to work hard to attract talent without any limitations. Talent, character, work ethic and values are the only differentiators in our hiring process.”

Makhlis on improving employee retention: “Since we hire with the aim of attracting the very top talent in our region, we must also work hard to retain our team. We offer flexible schedules with the understanding that it is always ‘family first.’ We provide a space for employees’ children to study or play. We also allow pets. Anything we can do to help with the complex logistics that a typical working family faces, we are open to considering.”