Employee development begins on day one at BCAA

Before 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 diversified. It’s not just skillsets. It includes diversity, equity and inclusion and understanding truth and reconciliation.”

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 in-person (service roles) and hybrid. At its home office, team members are in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays to encourage collaboration and can choose to work from home the rest of the time. The organization also allows people in roles that can be done remotely to work from anywhere in the world for up to two weeks annually.

BCAA grants its team members two paid wellness days per year as well as one paid spiritual, cultural and religious day. “There may be a time when you need to step away from work and focus on your beliefs or well-being,” says Hopkins.

BCAA also focuses on giving back to the community, and employees are given paid time off to volunteer. “For every hour a team member volunteers, we put money into a special giving account for them,” Hopkins says. “They can donate those dollars to a charity of their choice.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's BC’s Top Employers winners, published February 11, 2025 in the Vancouver Sun. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.