Equipment dealerships are built on the strength of their people. But in today’s workforce environment, finding qualified employees, retaining top talent, improving workplace culture and navigating employee challenges have become some of the biggest obstacles dealers face. When people problems arise, they can quickly become performance and profitability problems.

As part of the Farm Equipment Dealer Institute Webinar Series, this session will provide equipment dealership leaders with practical HR strategies they can use to strengthen their teams and create a more effective workplace. From recruiting and interviewing to employee engagement, retention and compliance, attendees will learn how a more intentional approach to managing people can improve dealership performance.

When: Thursday, July 23, 2:00 p.m. CT   Register for Free Here

Dealership leaders are often tasked with managing employees while also balancing daily operations, customer needs and overall business goals. Without formal HR training or dedicated resources, navigating hiring decisions, performance concerns and retention challenges can be difficult. This webinar will provide practical guidance to help leaders take a more intentional approach to managing people and strengthening their dealership teams.

NAEDA’s Dealer Institute Trainer Steve Varyiyan will share actionable strategies for improving interview processes, using stay and exit interviews to uncover opportunities for improvement, applying a service-focused leadership mindset and staying aware of key compliance considerations.

You Will Learn How To

  • Apply a customer-service mindset to HR practices by shifting from a policing approach to a service-focused leadership style that supports employee engagement and accountability.
  • Improve interview success by helping hiring managers reduce bias, structure the interview process, and avoid defaulting to the “loudest voice in the room.”
  • Use exit and stay interviews more effectively to identify culture issues, broken processes, management concerns, and retention opportunities before they become bigger problems.
  • Stay aware of legal and compliance issues so dealerships can reduce risk, better understand employee rights, and maintain fair and professional workplace practices.

Attendees will gain practical tools they can use to strengthen their teams, improve employee engagement and create a more consistent, professional workplace culture.

Dealership Forward

Presented by Farm Equipment and NAEDA's Dealer Institute

Dealership Forward is a new educational series created through a partnership between Farm Equipment and Dealer Institute to help equipment dealers improve performance, profitability, leadership, and operational excellence.

Each session delivers practical, dealer-tested strategies from industry experts and experienced dealership leaders who understand the unique challenges facing agricultural, construction, and outdoor power equipment dealerships. Topics will include sales, service, parts, leadership development, financial management, organizational culture, and emerging industry trends. Whether you are a Dealer Principal, General Manager, Department Manager, or frontline team member, Dealership Forward is designed to provide actionable insights that can be implemented immediately to strengthen dealership performance and prepare organizations for the future.

Whether you are a Dealer Principal, General Manager, Department Manager, or frontline team member, Dealership Forward is designed to provide actionable insights that can be implemented immediately to strengthen dealership performance and prepare organizations for the future.

This free webinar is brought to you by the North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA).

Email Kim Schmidt at Farm Equipment with any questions.

About Dealer Institute: 

Dealer Institute

Dealer Institute, a division of the North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA), provides practical training, performance improvement programs, leadership development, and operational consulting for equipment dealerships across North America. Through instructor-led training, performance groups, management development programs, and industry benchmarking, Dealer Institute helps dealers improve profitability, strengthen leadership teams, and build high-performing organizations.

Meet the Instructor:

Steve Varyiyan


Steve Varyiyan: NAEDA Dealer Institute Trainer

Steve is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in leadership development, human resources, and business training. With a Master’s degree in Administration, he has held senior leadership positions in human resources in both the public and private sectors, most recently serving as Vice President of Human Capital at Pattison Agriculture in Saskatchewan, Canada.

As a trainer and instructor, Steve’s approach is rooted in creating an engaging and dynamic learning environment. His philosophy is simple: to ensure that every participant leaves a session with actionable strategies and skills that can be directly applied to their work.

Steve is also committed to fostering practical, enjoyable, and relevant instruction, recognizing that effective training should inspire and equip individuals to make immediate improvements in their professional lives.

Steve and his wife reside in Ottawa, Ontario. They have two adult daughters.