BMW of Minnetonka

About Us

Our team at BMW Minnetonka is a North America BMW Center of Excellence. We are one of only 35 dealerships in the US recognized for our superior performance in various areas of the business including sales, service, parts, operations, and customer experience. The industry is changing and we’re evolving right along with it – adopting new processes, technologies, products and services, and partners – with the goal of creating the ultimate car buying experience. BMW of Minnetonka is proud to be part of Carousel Motor Group, which is comprised of nine automotive dealerships and is part of the Pohlad Companies. We were awarded Top Workplace by Star Tribune in 2021 and 2022, and Top Workplace USA in 2022 and 2023. Our people drive the future. They have a passion for the vehicle brands they represent and share that passion with their customers every day. We firmly believe that if we’re going to do something, we do it right. We pride ourselves on remaining steadfast in our belief that honesty and hard work are the only paths worth taking.

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Under The Hood

Is the shop heated? Air conditioned?

Yes. It's both heated and air-conditioned.

What is the size of the team I’d be working with?

36 Technicians and 12 advisors with 3 shop foremen.

What are the shop hours and what are the shift timeframes?

Service is open from 7am – 8pm. Shift schedules are 8.5 hrs. For new employees, the shift is 9:00 – 5:30.

What tools does the shop provide that are available for all technicians to use?

We have all BMW special tools available. Regular hand tools need to be provided by the tech. We have built-in toolboxes so no employee purchased box is needed.

What type of break room facility is provided?

A nice one 😊. We have a full kitchen and cafeteria-style break room.

How many bays does your shop have?

37 bays and we are always busy.

How many repair orders do you average per month?

2,500 per month on average.

What is your parts ordering process?

Parts representatives order all parts. Electronic ordering with parts ran out to the techs bay.

What is your policy on side work?

You can work on your own or family vehicle only before or after your shift.

Are there any other unique features of the work environment worth noting?

There are many but one of the best is the climate-controlled parking ramp. A tech will almost never need to go out in the snow or rain.

Do you offer any skills training or continuing education opportunities?

Each brand has specific trainings that technicians are sent to, these training are provided and paid for by the dealership. We also provide advanced training for service advisors/managers as well. We are willing to help provide as much training as the technician would like to receive depending on their career goals.

Can you describe opportunities for career growth at your business?

Everyone that is hired has a career path laid out for them depending on what their hopes and aspirations are in our industry. We have quarterly touch points to make sure that they are on pace to achieve these goals, in if not, what we need to do to get them back on track. Advancement is endless for the right employee.

Can you describe your performance review process?

We run quarterly touch points where technicians will meet with their service manager/director. Working on goals for the next quarter, and discussing if goals were hit from the last quarter on the main talking points. We also do every week, to every other week, discussions on where they stand at hitting their goals.

What type of safety training is required?

Mandatory OSHA training, AWARE, Right to Know, Lock out Tag Out

Can you describe how Techs work with and mentor younger techs?

When the situation fits we will do some mentoring work. This includes side-by-side work during repairs so advanced technicians can help with a junior techs skill set, and answer any additional questions.

How does your shop get involved with the local community?

Every location is responsible for charitable giving through partnerships with local organizations, and food banks. Carousel Motor Group is also a part of charitable giving, teaming up with children's cancer research and hospitals.

Do you do anything with local high schools or tech schools to encourage more students to enter the profession?

We have relationships with all of our local technical schools in the Twin Cities area. We lend a hand wherever we can in helping young technicians stay in our industry, and to be a place of employment for them when they complete their program.

Where do you see the shop in five years?

In the past six years we have been building out our dealerships to be as modern as possible, including state of the art equipment because of the large growth in our marketplace. With the addition of electric vehicles, we make sure to keep up on all of the specialized training and equipment involved.

Do you have an application form and how long does it typically take to complete?

Online application that takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Do you phone screen applicants before doing in-person interviews?

A recruiter will do the initial phone screen. Discussion includes work history, what the candidate is looking for, likes/dislikes, and what their goals are.

What do your in-person interviews entail?

Location Manager/Director will conduct the in-person interview. They will jump more in-depth about the candidates resume, experience, what they are looking for, tool collection, education, and get to know the candidate to see if they will be a fit.

Do you perform background checks, drug screening, or personality tests before hiring an applicant?

Background check, drug screen, and personality tests are done before hire.

Do you perform a skill assessment before hiring an applicant? If yes, what does it entail?

No formal skills assessment

After an in-person interview, approximately how long should I expect to wait for a rejection or an offer?

Couple days

Approximately how long does the full hiring process take from submitting the application to the time of the hiring decision?

We will try and get candidates through the hiring process is as quick as possible. Some this will depend on when they can get their background check, and drug screen completed.

A Level Technician Pay Range: $65,000 - $80,000/year

This position is an union Journeyman Technician role which makes the rate determined by the CBA, which is a guaranteed rate and a flat rate per hour booked.

B Level Technician Pay Range: $65,000 - $80,000/year

Our Technicians are paid on flat rate hours and will be paid retro to the 1st hour based on total hours booked.

Service Advisor Pay Range: $80,000 - $100,000/year

Service Advisors are paid an hourly rate plus incentive

Health Insurance Offered: Coverage for our Union employees is through the Union (MN Auto Dealers) agreement. All non-union employees have two health plans to choose from.
Dental Insurance Offered: Coverage for our Union employees is through the Union (MN Auto Dealers) agreement. All non-union employees have two plans to choose from.
Vision Insurance Offered: Coverage for our Union employees is through the Union (MN Auto Dealers) agreement. All non-union employees can choose to participate in eye-med coverage.
Retirement Plan Offered: For all employees, we offer 401(K) with company match for employees working at least 20 hours a week. For non-union employees who have medical coverage, we also offer a Healthcare Savings Account (HSA) with company contributions.
Sick Leave Offered: Union employees have days confirmed within the Union (MN Auto Dealers) agreement. Non-union employees have PTO that they accrue throughout the year.
Vacation Offered: Union employees have days confirmed within the Union (MN Auto Dealers) agreement. Non-union employees have PTO that they accrue throughout the year.
Paid Holidays Offered: Yes. Holiday schedules vary by store.
ST / LT Disability Offered: Union employees should refer to the Union (MN Auto Dealers) agreement. Yes for non-union employees.
Life Insurance Offered: Union employees should refer to the Union (MN Auto Dealers) agreement. Yes for non-union employees. Basic coverage paid for by the company and coverage is 1x annual earnings up to $50,000. There is also supplemental life insurance available for employees to purchase.
Uniforms Offered: Employee pays 50% and employer pays 50%. Work shirts, and work pants provided.
Other Offered: As part of the Pohlad Companies, we have a robust benefits offering. Our philosophy is to offer a like set of programs to employees who are situated in like positions in like industries within this organization. Our benefit and pay programs together offer a “Competitive Plus” Total Compensation Framework. We also offer a variety of other benefits to fit your needs including the below. Union employees should reference the Union (MN Auto Dealers) agreement for coverage: - Parental Leave - Caregiver Leave - Charitable Matching Gifts - Fitness Incentive - CMG Employee Pricing - Pohlad Perks - and more!! Eligibility for benefits is based on your position and tenure with the Company. You are eligible to participate in benefits if you are a regular (non-temporary, non-union) employee scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week. Benefits will go into effect on the 1st of the month following or coinciding with 60 days of employment.

Shop Talk