Earlier this month, Forbes released the publication’s highly coveted annual index of America’s Best Large Employers, with Carvana ranking 8th on the list, jumping from 9th on America’s Best Mid-Sized Employers in 2021. As the industry pioneer for buying and selling cars online, this year, Carvana is also recognized as the top large employer in the Retail and Wholesale industry as designated by Forbes. Understanding how the modern workplace landscape has irreversibly changed, and considering these transformations, was thoughtfully factored into Forbes’ methodology for creating this year’s ranking, taking into account how the very definition of corporate culture has changed for everyone.
However, understanding that things needed to shift throughout the course of the pandemic is what ultimately cemented every company’s place on this list. And, much like the way Carvana’s smooth, streamlined, and transparent user experience was designed ready-made for a shift to e-commerce before consumers adopted online shopping as the new “normal,” Carvana’s corporate culture was designed with our team members and communities at the forefront. By 2022, the numbers reflected that, validating the “build it and they will come” mentality with a designation as the top large retailer to work for in the U.S. by Forbes. The recipe for Carvana’s continued internal scaling. has included the thoughtful use of technology, a values-driven approach to benefits and compensation, an emphasis on career pathing within the auto industry, a focus on supporting military families, and above all, consistent, transparent communication with all team members.
As the pioneer of online car buying, Carvana knows firsthand the power and importance of technology in our everyday lives. As a technology company first and foremost, with employees working remotely across the country, we’ve emphasized the use of tech to foster a meaningful workplace culture and to support our teammates across the U.S. on multiple fronts. We support our team members’ mental wellbeing, financial security and literacy, physical health, educational opportunities, and more, all using digital and virtual resources like on-demand emotional and mental support that our team members receive for free via Ginger, family planning with services like Maven, the Carvana KEYS tuition program, personal finance education by Financial Elements, and our CarvanaFit initiative, to name a few.
Demand for Carvana’s offering had already been trending upward year-over-year by the time 2020 had arrived. COVID-19 simply accelerated a need that was already out there and we rose to the call. In that time, we added more great people to our ranks, all while navigating the shift to remote and hybrid working environments. Amid the “Great Resignation,” we’re able to continue meeting the unprecedented demand from our customers at lightning speed by supporting a rapidly growing base of teammates across the U.S. with a constantly growing and evolving benefits offering, bank of educational resources, supportive programming through our internal Carvana Communities (Carvana’s version of Employee Resource Groups), and continually updated company-wide procedural communication and training.
Carvana is also dedicated to breaking down some of the enduring barriers working professionals within the auto industry have traditionally had to navigate. The career pathing opportunities the company provides, specifically within its Inspection and Reconditioning Centers, are shaking up the auto industry from the inside out by offering entry level positions to those looking to gain on-the-job automotive experience. Then, Carvana provides a detailed, supported advancement outline with promotions and pay raises that reflect a long-term approach to supporting our teammates’ professional development. More than just jobs, we’re investing in our teammates’ careers for the long haul.
We also recognize and acknowledge the often challenging transition from military service back to civilian life. A recent study by Pew Research Center found that about half of post-9/11 veterans say it was somewhat or very difficult for them to readjust to civilian life after their military service. Compounding that with the events of the pandemic, the switch became as murky and as trying as ever. Our Carvana veterans put these same values to practice within our growing CarVets community, dedicated to connecting team members with shared military experience across the country and representing Carvana as an employer of choice for veterans and veteran families.
Carvana also adheres to the belief that corporate culture should be greater than the sum of its parts. The company has adopted a multi-pronged approach to ensuring the quality care of its own, simply because without our team of more than 20,000 dedicated team members across the country to support more than a million customers across more than 300 markets, Carvana wouldn’t be able to grow into the second largest automotive retailer in the U.S. in just nine short years, not to mention the third youngest Fortune 500 company in history. Taking a values-driven approach to the overall well-being of everyone in the company, no matter their location or vocation, allowed Carvana to attract the talent necessary to continue changing the way people buy and sell cars for the better, and ultimately served to earn this esteemed designation on Forbes’ annual index.
