Are you an employer of choice?

You work hard to run a great operation and cultivate a culture of performance and customer service. Now you have a chance to be recognized on the national stage in front of your peers for all that effort.

Canadian Autoworld in partnership with Corporate Culture + Employer of Choice Inc. (CCEOC), is proud to announce the launch of the Canadian AutoWorld Dealership Employer of Choice (CADEOC) Award. This will be the industry’s only made-in-Canada recognition for the country’s automobile dealers from the very people working in and running stores.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Canadian AutoWorld, Canada's leading automotive industry magazine, to bring the Dealership Employer of Choice Award to the market,” explains Jeff Doran, president of CCEOC.

“This prestigious award is the first of its kind and will help dealerships build positive brand recognition and create a true competitive advantage for attracting, retaining and engaging top talent.”

Unlike a few other awards in the market that reward customer service, volume sales, consumer reviews or are largely political in nature, the CADEOC Award judges you on how well your store operates.

There is no fee to participate. Signing up is easy.

Participating new-car dealerships must meet the following eligibility criteria: Compete in the Canadian auto dealer industry; have a physical presence in Canada; have 10 or more full time employees and have been in business for at least one year.

Getting started is a simple, three-step process. Simply go to www.ccemployerofchoice.com/CADEOC.html and fill in an application. Complete the company profile (leadership questionnaire and HR inventory) and have your staff fill out the employee commitment survey.

Once completed surveys are returned, your dealership is automatically in the running.

“This award is a great way to judge if the processes you have in your store related to employee performance and engagement are yielding the kind of results you want,” explains Canadian AutoWorld editor Jackson Hayes.

“Even if you think you have an open dialogue with staff, a third-party confirmation is a great reinforcement for you and your management team.”

A weighted scoring system will be used to determine the winners. All participating dealers must achieve a minimum of 75 per cent completion on the assessment to claim the award. The company profile section accounts for 50 per cent of the overall evaluation score. The employee commitment survey represents the remaining 50 per cent.

All stages of the assessment process must be fully completed and submitted on or before the indicated deadlines.

Winning dealerships will be announced early next year. Each store will also be featured in an article in a special issue of Canadian AutoWorld that explores some of the best practices these stores use to create a winning organization.

“The timing of CADEOC is perfect as Canadian AutoWorld will celebrate its 25th year in print in 2016. What better way to serve our readers than by acknowledging some of the best in the industry,” Hayes adds.

CCEOC says detailed summary reports and summary benchmark reports are available to all participating dealerships for a nominal fee.

Dornan says these reports provide all the guidance necessary to help dealers increase employee engagement, improve the customer experience and build a superior employer brand.

All entries must be received by the end of October. The company profile and employee surveys must be filled out by the end of December. Submissions will be evaluated in January with winners announced in February. A special edition of Canadian AutoWorld will follow in the spring.