Column: Pandemic lessons breed loyalty

The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape America's workplaces. A new workplace culture — based on building diversity and inclusiveness, new initiatives in reward and recognition, and understanding how employee needs have changed — is emerging.

This new reality impacts the nation's auto dealerships and those making up Automotive News' 2022 list of The Best Dealerships To Work For are adapting successfully.

The keys to building a team of engaged and committed employees that emerged during the early stages of the pandemic remain the differentiators between the leading dealerships and the rest of the industry.

These key components are:

• Building and maintaining a strong employee financial and insurance benefits package. This core focus is the strongest differentiator of the 2022 Best Dealerships.
• Concentrating on reward and recognition — these are crucial in team building, reinforcing dealership loyalty and are based on the wants and needs of millennials and Gen Z. Frequent, small and consistent reward programs where many different associates are recognized for their contributions drive employee commitment in the post-pandemic era.
• Maintaining adequate staffing. The auto industry is not immune to the Great Resignation; dealers who maintain full teams reap the benefits.
• Timely and attention-grabbing communications. The many changes to selling brought about by the pandemic (low inventories, production delays, the explosion of remote selling, at-home purchasing) have created new demands from employees for more open communications about dealership financial performance, policy and personnel changes, and management updates.

The Best Dealerships To Work For in 2022 have responded to these continuing employee concerns in the following ways.

• They have continued to place a strong emphasis on hiring a diverse work force and creating an inclusive workplace. These dealerships are much more likely to have specific recruitment programs to focus across the entire spectrum (by ethnicity, age groups, military families and others). Within the workplace, the Best Dealerships have built inclusiveness task forces, and implemented sensitivity training and cultural connection programs.
• Dealerships that made the list remain more likely to offer a wide range of nonmonetary benefits that include compressed hours and flex time, on-site and off-site health and fitness benefits (workout facilities/health club memberships/training on healthy living), food and snacks at the dealership, and a range of professional development and personal improvement seminars.

This broad array of benefits are crucial to keeping employees as the job market remains extremely competitive.

Once again, Automotive News has done an incredible job reporting, analyzing and celebrating this year's list of Best Dealerships To Work For, and Best Companies Group is privileged to continue our partnership with them.