RICHMOND, B.C. — The headquarters of OpenRoad Auto Group doesn't look like that of a typical auto dealership.

For one thing, there's a large tank of tropical fish in one corner, specially chosen through the use of feng shui and fitted with stone, metal and wood accents to "balance" the building's atmosphere.

And on a raised dais, surrounded by gleaming Camrys and Matrixes, is a centre for managers built specifically to bring them out of their offices to interact with customers and sales staff.

The layout of the OpenRoad headquarters and adjoining Toyota franchise showroom at the Richmond Auto Mall in Richmond, B.C., show a respect for detail that reflects the company's wider business principles, which have lifted its fortunes in the past decade.

Chief among them is the treatment and retention of staff in a white-hot B.C. employment market, not easy in an industry renowned for transient staff and less-than-inspiring public confidence.

With eight award-winning car dealership franchises around the Lower Mainland representing six different car manufacturers, OpenRoad Auto has been recognized as one of the top five small-to-medium businesses in Canada, and as the sixth-best employer to work for in British Columbia, because of its commitment to employee leadership development and skills training.

It all comes down to the company wanting to ensure that its workers, like the elements of its Richmond headquarters, are right where they ought to be, say those in charge.

Rob Steele, OpenRoad's chief operating officer, says its franchises have a retention rate of about 90 per cent for both employees and managers (most of whom started with the company as mechanics or even car washers). In comparison, most competing dealerships lose up to 50 per cent of staff each year.

"We made sure we got the right people to begin with. We spent a lot of time and effort on human resources particularly and I think that's part of the reason that we've been so successful retaining staff," Mr. Steele says.

"The foundation of everything is our 'Climate Goals,' which cover how we conduct ourselves on a daily basis. We talk about ethics and truth and fair play and those kinds of things. They are part of the fabric of who OpenRoad is."

Company president Christian Chia says the Climate Goals were developed after he took over the company in 1998. A parallel aim is to allow employees to have a say in where their career paths are leading and educate themselves, so long as it complements the company's plans.

For example, secretaries have been retrained as sales people, and technicians have been granted considerable mobility between the separate franchise dealerships. In all, OpenRoad's headquarters and franchises have about 400 staff.

While the outcome is a happy work force developing to its full potential, the impetus came from the negativity Mr. Chia saw in the automotive sales industry.

"I took it upon myself to change the stigma around our industry of the 'used car salesman,' " he says. "I feel I can make a difference through people, and over the last decade we have made enormous advances that lead us to keep the people we hire."

Mr. Chia says that, just as OpenRoad Auto aims to behave ethically when it comes to its workers, so too are the staff expected to do the right thing when selling an expensive Lexus to a customer.

"I wanted [customers] to be treated as though they are guests in our homes, and I'd like to think that we work the same way with our associates," he says.

"Sure we like a guy who can sell a lot of cars, but we also want someone who is part of a team, who can be respectful of his colleagues and his clients. If he was a sales star, but didn't follow that mantra, then he'd have no role in this organization."

Mr. Chia says his company's Climate Goals ethos arose from the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, the process of continual improvement that has been embraced at a business level by Toyota Motor Corp. (He worked for Toyota for two years in Tokyo.)

The next step was to formalize the process in a series of classes and seminars, embodied in OpenRoad's Leadership Development Program, which began 18 months ago. All staff, whether at associate or management level, are eligible to participate if they want to advance within the company by upgrading their skills.

Aside from the benefit to employees, Mr. Chia says, comes the satisfaction found in creating his future management team to buoy up his plans for expansion. The aim is to eventually move into Ontario, he says, so it is important to have dependable leaders with a commitment to the firm's success leading the charge to this new market.

Cameron Ma, a service director at OpenRoad Lexus in Port Moody, a suburb of Vancouver, started his career at the company as a lot attendant 15 years ago.

He describes himself as a typical OpenRoad employee who worked his way up the ranks.

"After six years working in the shop I said, 'I have to do something else but I want to stay with the company.' So I went to Rob Steele and he told me what I needed to do - what soft courses, that sort of thing," Mr. Ma says.

"The Leadership Development Program now has a lot of what I studied at that time. The result is that I want to stay, and so do the other staff."

Laura Jones, of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses in Vancouver, says OpenRoad Auto has taken a creative approach to employee job satisfaction that benefits everyone in the company.

"Happy employees are better employees, but in today's market it is critical because the shortage of labour is hitting across Canada and it is particularly hitting the Western provinces hard," she notes.

Ms. Jones says that a recent national survey of CFIB members asked whether small businesses had changed their hiring practices to compete for the best workers. More than 50 per cent said they had, and were offering a variety of incentives, such as higher wages, better benefits, profit sharing, flexible work hours, and even scheduled family events.

"Small and medium-sized business are really anxious to hang on to their talented employees and look for opportunities to grow those employees," Ms. Jones says.

"It reflects the changing environment that employers now find themselves in. Several respondents [to the CFIB survey] also commented on the importance of promoting internally, and ensuring that employees feel they can make a career out of their jobs."

At one time, Ms. Jones adds, such an approach would have been exceptional, but she now feels it is turning into the norm for most firms.

Mr. Chia agrees, saying that the future success of OpenRoad Auto will depend on the training ground put in place over the past decade.

"I strongly feel we have gained both a market advantage over competition by operating this way, and we keep our staff for years; many have been here since they left school and I think they will stay with us for decades," he says. "That can only help in our plans."

Following the OpenRoad

Here are some of the ways OpenRoad Auto Group fosters and develops employees:

Charter of work ethics

Have a charter of work ethics for employees to follow that spells out the company's expectations and ethos. OpenRoad has set 15 Climate Goals to ensure a good working environment for employees and customers. These include:

Managers must lead by example;

Staff are encouraged to share new ideas and express their points of view;

Staff are to be honest and fair in all dealings with each other, customers and suppliers;

Staff are committed to offer productive solutions for any criticisms they may have.

In-house training

Develop an in-house training program, tailor-made to suit the current and future needs of the company. OpenRoad's Leadership Development Program aims to be similar to a "mini-MBA" with the aim of building future leaders from within the staff ranks.

Shatter glass ceilings

Flexibility within the firm means people can try out new job opportunities to find out what suits them.

Management does not balk at the idea of secretaries joining the sales group, for example, or technicians taking management training.

Encourage education

Provide flexible education opportunities that will help employees develop on the job. OpenRoad has sent its employees on accounting and technology courses, leadership training, and even paid for one worker to enroll in an MBA program.

Involve workers' families

Keep employees' families up-to-date with the company's goings on. For example, OpenRoad published an in-house magazine that was mailed to employees' homes so spouses and children could have a read, too.