Snows to roll-out new company-wide talent management programme in 2022

Snows Motor Group is rolling out a new company-wide talent management programme as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations.

The AM100 car retail group's HR department introduced a group-wide induction programme two years ago which created a shared joining experience for onboarding employees at every level, it said. 

The new employee-led talent management programme also runs from the point of employment and provides staff regular and comprehensive feedback on their contribution to the business and clear, managed pathways to develop and advance their career.

Katie Snow, Snows’ development director has worked with the HR department to develop the programme. She said: “The company has undergone a huge period of expansion in recent years and more recently of course, we have experienced a global pandemic.

“Like all businesses we have diversified and adapted, particularly online. But it is vital that all employees, new and established, can see the impact their contribution has now and going forward and are able to develop and reach their full potential.”

Under the programme, annual talent review meetings enable staff to measure themselves against Snows’ behaviours and indicators, to chart their own personal development, the degree to which they have helped the business achieve its standards and if they can improve upon this.

“The programme not only enhances our colleagues’ development, it will also result in continued improvement in all areas of our business,” said Snow.

Snows recently added a sixth Peugeot dealership to its franchise portfolio through the acquisition of Hamble Motors of Southampton.

The Southampton-based group – whose chief executive, Stephen Snow was profiled in AM magazine a year ago – has become one of the Stellantis-owned brands’ major UK retail partners with the completion of the deal to buy the business on Bursledon Road, Southampton.

While the first lockdown may have closed Snows’ forecourts for a period, the company said it helped facilitate the first rounds of the new programme.

Snow added: “During the pandemic we were able to shape the framework, whilst our steering group and sales managers had their first training courses.

“From its early development to its continued roll-out, maintaining the momentum and excitement of the project has been important to us.

“The most senior managers also took part in the first phase of the roll-out, undergoing their own talent review meetings and we are now continuing with a waterfall effect through the workforce.

“The programme will continue to evolve over time with regular feedback from our colleagues.

“So far it’s had a very positive response and we look forward to entering the second phase of the programme in February 2022.”

Snows represents 18 manufacturer brands across 50 franchised dealerships and has three approved service centres, 12 multi-franchise used car centres and a stand-alone accident repair centre across the South, employing a total of 937 staff.

The company was last month named as the top UK retailer for online reputation in the 2021 Automotive Reputation Report.