Saturn of St. Paul
Turning employees into stakeholders
Once Saturn of St. Paul stopped worrying about satisfaction and focused on engagement, sales soared. Wipfli helped the dealership gain specific and actionable feedback from employees — and change the organization for the better.
The Challenge
Saturn of St. Paul conducted employee satisfaction surveys for 17 years — but it never really learned how to improve the employee experience to affect performance. The dealership wanted employees to become stakeholders who championed the business and encouraged others to work and buy cars there.
The Solution
Wipfli got the feedback leaders needed to hear. The firm helped three locations implement an employee engagement index (EEI), consisting of open-ended questions to solicit opinions and ideas. Every quarter, the EEI collects input on communication, organizational structure, promotions and more. Based on employee feedback, Saturn of St. Paul changed policies and procedures. It also adjusted employee roles and responsibilities to help ensure the right people are in the right jobs.
We’ve used the Wipfli employee engagement index twice now, and it’s been very helpful in growing our business and improving profitability.
The results
Locations that use EEI sell 25% more than their competitor in Minneapolis, even though their market is half the size. They have lower employee turnover, too. Saturn of St. Paul is proving that engaged employees drive higher profits than passive employees. And customers are more loyal to engaged employees than satisfied ones.
