Hyundai Auto Canada has been recognized as one of 2018’s Best Workplaces in Canada, and that may have something to do with how the company manages the hiring and retention aspect of their business.
“The thing that makes us a great place to work is our people. And people are one of Hyundai’s Core Values,” said Kirk Merrett, National Manager of Human Resources and Administration at Hyundai Auto Canada, in an interview with Canadian auto dealer. “We have amazing people and we make sure to hire amazing people. That’s the number one ingredient in the best workplace recipe.”
The company became certified in 2017 as a Great Place to work and is now one of 50 recipients of the title “Best Workplaces in Canada — Large and Multinational Organizations” for 2018. Merrett says they are very careful to hire for fit, both for the position being offered and the culture of Hyundai Canada.
The company offers lots of learning opportunities, and interactions with executives that can provide coaching opportunities to employees. The company also organizes weekly workshops with internal experts so that everyone can learn about the different parts of the business, and job shadowing and online courses (among other things) are also offered.
Off-site team building days that involve an element of fun also ensures that employees return as a stronger team. They have an appreciation week, which highlights a core Hyundai value every day of the week and includes team activities along with a food component.
As for the actual hiring process, Merrett says they make sure to ask behavioural questions. “The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. We ask questions that often start with things like, ‘Tell us about a time when,’ and what we are looking for are specific examples that show the way somebody works and not just the end result.”
He adds that the company is looking for people who can rise to the challenge when given a task, and that the behavioural questions help pinpoint those types of people.
Hyundai Canada’s interview process also varies by position, but typically includes a short phone call of about five to 10 minutes, followed by an in-person meeting where the potential employee meets with the hiring manager and someone from human resources. The second-level interview for the finalists includes the department head and an HR person.
Although every company is different and may require other methods of hiring and retaining employees, Merrett’s advice to dealers remains simple: “hire the right people that fit your culture and drive your business; provide them with challenging roles so that they can grow and learn, and add fun wherever you can.”
