Devonshire Motors to create £30,000 ‘pot of gold’ to reward workforce

Devonshire Motors will reward staff for their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic and deliver an added boost ahead of a period of expansion with the creation of a £30,000 'pot of gold'.   

Nathan Tomlinson, dealer principal at the Devon-based car retail operation, said addition of Hyundai and Isuzu franchises to its existing Mitsubishi sales and Honda aftersales franchises would present “a few more challenges” as the business looked to emerge from the pandemic.

But he told staff that success over a coming six months, which includes a £0.5 million showroom makeover starting this month, would be rewarded with a cash windfall on top of their usual annual bonuses and long service awards.

Tomlinson told staff: “By way of a thank you, for everything that you’ve done so far in 2021 and for everything that you’ll be doing for at least the next six months, we’re building a £30,000 year-end Pot of Gold for you all to share in December.

“By the time we get to December every one of you will have earned a reward.

“You’ll have a little extra to spend on something or someone that makes you smile.”

Tomlinson’s Devonshire Motors business emerged from the AM Best UK Dealerships To Work For programme’s overall winner in 2019.

Staff feedback collected as part of the programme at the time found Tomlinson was a strong respected leader, who encourages its staff to maximise their business opportunities, respect each other, and to work as a team.

The retailer’s new “pot of gold” bonus scheme will distribute funds equally among various job roles in the business.

In a letter to staff this week, Tomlinson told his team: “Success requires a team culture and everyone within that team playing their position effectively. No matter what role you play in our business, your value to the team performance is equal to that of anyone else, and for that reason the bonus pot carries an equal split to show our appreciation.

“If we continue to work hard and together through this period of change, if we continue to perform at the level we always have, then our future just gets better and better. If the business remains successful we continue to reinvest, in the facilities and you.

“We hope you’re as excited as we are for the changes that are coming because they’re as much for you as they are for anyone else.

“We want to thank you again for making the journey so far both easier and more fun, and we look forward to sharing more success with you in the coming years.”