My firm, Best Companies Group, measures employee engagement and satisfaction. In determining the 2014 Best Dealerships To Work For, we surveyed more than 55,000 dealership employees.
To determine how emotionally connected or "engaged" the employees are, we needed to know if they would give extra effort to see their companies succeed. Does their job provide a sense of meaning and purpose? Do the employees like going to work most days? Would they recommend the organization as a place of employment to a friend? For the honorees, the answers are yes, yes, yes and yes.
Most engagement research firms have found that only about 41 percent of U.S. employees can say "yes" to such questions. The 2014 organizations on the list blew that number out of the water: Ninety-eight percent of their employees are "engaged." Those employees believe in the organizational mission, they believe that their work matters and they believe they are being treated fairly and with respect. It's a pretty amazing accomplishment. It is the strongest group of honorees that we have ever had, from any of more than 50 programs we manage around the world.
From our data, we are able to determine the drivers of overall employee engagement. The top 10 drivers this year for auto dealerships:
1. Being part of a team working toward a shared goal.
2. Having confidence in the organization's leadership.
3. Making progress at work.
4. Liking the type of work one does.
5. Being treated like a person, not a number.
6. Being satisfied with the organization's benefits package.
7. Having the technology, equipment and resources needed to do the job.
8. Being able to trust the supervisor.
9. Feeling that quality is a top priority with the organization.
10. Feeling valued in the organization.
The process also allows participating dealerships to review their results, including benchmark reports and employee comments. The BCG Employee Feedback Report gives participants the tools to become better places to work, regardless of whether they made the list.
Consider participating in 2015. You might make the list. But either way, you can use the feedback to improve your workplace. Check out the program at bestdealershipstoworkfor.com.
Congratulations to this year's honorees.
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