Dealer: Warren Zinn

Dealership group: Warren Henry Auto Group

Full-time employees: 36

General Manager Thomas Brinkmann on learning how to be a better employer from managing through the pandemic: “We have found that we are stronger as a team than individuals. We found that everyone stepped up to the plate and through good times or bad, we would succeed. We found that communication was essential, and we communicated often to ensure that we could help reduce stress and anxiety for our employees. We understood that we cannot promise that things would stay the same, but we could deliver on communication, consistency and always having the employees at the heart of our decisions. We have also found that being open to other ways of working was essential for our business. We knew that having a large population of working parents, we had to be open to flexible schedules, telecommuting and parents juggling being full-time employees and full-time teachers for their children.”

Brinkmann on diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to hiring and employment: “One of our focuses in creating recruiting strategies has always been diversity and inclusion. We work with local charities and low-income communities bringing awareness regarding a career in the automotive industry.”

Brinkmann on improving employee retention: “We are always looking at competitive pay and career growth for all of our roles. We offer programs that are at the forefront for our employees, such as benefits, retirement compensation, flexibility, growth, etc. We lead with transparency and communication within the organization, and our employees play a role in the success of the company.”

Brinkmann on offering employees a career path: “We hold regular performance conversations with our employees; these are tied to opportunities within our dealership and dealer group at other locations. Strategically, we are working with our employees as the enterprise grows to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to apply for open roles, regardless of location. Our goal is that as we grow, they grow.”