BC's Top Employers (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 26
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BC’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2025)
Employee development begins on day one at BCAA
B
efore she joined
Burnaby-based British
Columbia Automobile
Association (BCAA),
Deirdre Evetts knew the
organization provided roadside
assistance – and that was it. Since
then, she has held a number of
positions and enjoyed a successful
career due, in no small part, to the
diverse services the organization
offers its members and the training it offers its employees.
“I’ve benefited a lot from
working here,” says Evetts, senior
manager of real estate and facilities. “I’ve had a lot of professional
development opportunities, a lot
of in-house training and a lot of
mentoring, which have all really
helped.”
Besides its home office, the
association has 29 service
locations and four auto service
centres across the province, and
its services are growing, driven
by the organization’s purpose
to move British Columbians
forward. “We’ve got the extremely
progressive Evo car-share,” says
CEO Eric Hopkins. “We’ve got
Evolve e-bikes and micro-mobility
vehicles. We underwrite and sell
insurance. We’re moving into
digital marketplaces, starting with
BCAA Auto Marketplace where
you can buy and sell vehicles.”
Given the range of services,
the organization has a diverse
workforce, but there’s a common
denominator when recruiting. “We
look for people who are talented,
driven, and want to make a difference,” says Hopkins. “We’re a great
place to grow your career. People
can come in and look across our
portfolio and find those things that
resonate best with them.”
Evetts began her journey 16
years ago as an advisor selling
memberships. Later, she worked
as a call-centre trainer, then took
an interest in the insurance side
of the business. BCAA supported
her financially and provided time
for study when she pursued the licence she needed to sell insurance.
Support for employees begins
on day one. “We have an extensive
onboarding program,” says
Hopkins. “We team up new team
members with a manager to serve
as a mentor. We have ongoing internal as well as external training.
It’s not just skillsets. It includes
diversity, equity and inclusion
and understanding truth and
reconciliation.”
I’ve benefited a lot from
working here. I’ve had
a lot of professional
development opportunities,
a lot of in-house training
and a lot of mentoring,
which have all really
helped.
— Deirdre Evetts
Senior Manager,
Real Estate and Facilities
Employees at BCAA have the ability to work in-person, hybrid, or remotely depending on their role and work style.
Evetts now manages a team of 10
and has embraced the organization’s commitment to training.
“One of my favourite parts of
being in a leadership role is coaching my team members to help
them develop professionally so
they can have successful careers,”
she says. “It’s really important
for BCAA because we define
ourselves on how we show up for
our members and how we treat
people. It’s something that sets us
apart from our competitors.”
Across BCAA, there are roles
that are fully remote, fully inperson (service roles) and hybrid.
