Top Workplaces: CarMax wins second place for mega company

“One of the things I hear a lot is how relatable and accessible our leaders are,” Executive Vice President for Human Resources Diane Cafritz said. “We have a supportive culture, and we listen.”

The goal is to create an environment in which every employee can thrive. “We want to make sure associates feel that they belong, that they can contribute and hopefully have a good time,” she said. “Associates who are feeling fulfilled and love their jobs and what they do are going to give their best to the company and their team workers.”

CarMax often creates policies and takes action based on employee feedback gained from regular surveys. Responding to recent concerns about health care affordability and ease of access, the company created partnerships with several health care providers to offer more virtual platforms and pharmacy services that automatically fill prescriptions or mail them directly to an associate’s home. Mental health support is now being offered to associates and their family members.

The company also offers employees an app called Headspace, which includes tools that can be used when individuals choose. In 2023, Jeff Sinclair, a CarMax senior technology support analyst, was recognized as the Headspace Working Well Champion Leader of the Year for promoting mindfulness and meditation within the company. His efforts include creating a Microsoft Teams group with more than 200 members who meet weekly to encourage and assist one another. More than 3,000 employees are enrolled in the Headspace app.

“We heard that wellbeing and mental health (challenges) are such a huge impediment to productivity and satisfaction in the workplace,” Cafritz said. “These are things we get from our surveys.”

CarMax has also invested heavily in management training, fostering best practices that ultimately help everyone on the team. “We want to make sure our managers are supporting associates in their jobs and lives,” Cafritz said. “We are looking for continuous improvement and collaboration is such a key to innovation. We are training everyone about how to make connections to really make people feel comfortable. We want you to belong, and belonging means being your true self at work.”

Managers’ health is also a point of emphasis. At a recent gathering of the company’s 800 senior field managers, one session was dedicated fully to wellbeing. “We need (our managers) to be well,” Cafritz said. “We had a facilitated conversation that covered mental health, physical health and sleep. It’s so important that we dedicated a significant amount of time to that conversation. It was very well received.”

Ultimately, Cafritz noted, CarMax aims to ground all decisions in the company’s four values: Do the Right Thing, Put People First, Win Together and Go for Greatness. “Those are so ingrained in everything we do,” she said. “We are the No. 1 player in the industry, and we want to stay that way; we are always going after an iconic customer and associate experience.”