Meet Brent Lazanik, VP of Talent Acquisition at Go Auto, one of Canada’s largest and fastest-growing automotive dealer groups. With over 15 years in workforce planning and talent acquisition, Brent has mastered the art of aligning people with purpose. He’s known for building cultures where internal growth isn’t just a promise, it’s the norm.
Brent knows what actually attracts and keeps top talent: genuine belief, meaningful purpose, and human-centered leadership. On this week’s episode of What the FTE? podcast, he’s here to tell you exactly why culture and adaptability beat cash every time.
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Brent Lazanik, VP of Talent Acquisition at Go Auto, has cracked a code that many still miss. It’s not the perks that drive people to stay and succeed, it’s belief. Belief in their leaders, in the mission, and in their own ability to grow.
Turns out, he’s not alone. Research increasingly backs this insight, pointing to a major evolution in the employee value proposition (EVP).
Let’s dig in…
A Culture of Internal Promotions
It’s easy to slap “growth opportunities” into a job ad, but it’s harder to make it real. Go Auto walks the walk, modelling what true internal mobility looks like.
Promotions from within aren’t just common, they’re expected. From entry-level techs to general managers, Brent rattles off story after story of employees who’ve risen through the ranks, including a former oil change tech now leading a multi-million-dollar dealership. His stories are powerful because they embody the promise made to every employee: your potential will be recognized and cultivated.
This is the kind of EVP that sticks.
According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report, companies emphasizing internal mobility experience a 41% higher employee retention rate in frontline roles compared to orgs without clear internal growth paths.
Need more proof that a culture-driven EVP is a growing priority?
At the start of the year, Gartner analyzed upcoming priorities for 1,400 HR managers in over 60 countries. They identified five HR trends and priorities for 2025:
- Leader and manager development
- Organizational culture
- Strategic workforce planning
- Change management
- HR technology
According to Gartner, a company with a well-established culture can achieve:
- +63% engagement
- +37% performance
- +36% retention
The Secret Ingredient: Purpose
At Go Auto, purpose doesn’t just live in mission statements, it shows up in Thrive Elementary School, a fully funded K–6 school started by Go Auto to serve under-resourced families in Edmonton. Think: hot meals, bus transport, after-school STEM programs, all at zero cost to parents. That’s not CSR wallpaper, that’s culture in action.
A 2025 white paper from Radancy, a recruitment marketing specialist, using data from over 2.5 million candidate interactions highlights that compensation, purpose, and flexibility are now non‑negotiables for job seekers in 2025. “People want to work somewhere they can stand behind,” according to Brent.
I agree.
Work-Life Integration
As Anitta and I talked about when she was on the pod to discuss embodied leadership, the “work-life balance” conversation is evolving.
I think it’s increasingly clear that strict “balance,” splitting time evenly, is neither realistic nor particularly helpful for many roles. Instead, the conversation is shifting towards integration.
Brent reframes it not as finding equal time for work and life, but as fostering an environment where people want to show up. For Go Auto’s dealership and service staff, who don’t have the luxury of remote work, belonging, celebration, and meaningful time off matter more than vague flexibility promises.
When someone flags burnout, Brent doesn’t hesitate: “Take the time. You don’t need to fly to Mexico. Volunteer on your kid’s field trip. Sit on the couch. Just unplug.”
This echoes broader trends highlighting how workers now view meaningful and genuinely supported time off as a critical factor in employment choices, outperforming superficial perks like unlimited vacation policies that often go unused. Harvard Business Review research states that sabbaticals are growing exponentially.
Radical Accountability, Authentic Leadership
Perhaps most telling of Brent’s leadership style is his commitment to radical accountability. He personally responds to every single review on platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed, positive, negative, or harshly critical, complete with his direct contact information. Few actually call, but this transparent accountability doesn’t go unnoticed.
Prospective candidates frequently cite these personal replies as decisive factors in their decision to join Go Auto, seeing firsthand the company’s authentic commitment to continuous improvement.
What’s Driving Real Retention and Attraction in 2025?
Brent’s approach, anchored in genuine culture, authentic purpose, and radical accountability, underscores key shifts in what constitutes a powerful employee value proposition today:
- Demonstrable internal growth: Employees need clear, tangible examples of internal mobility
- Purpose-driven culture: Real impact and meaningful community involvement resonate more deeply than superficial CSR initiatives
- Authentic support for integration: Employees prioritize genuine, meaningful integration between work and life, not tokenistic flexibility
- Radical transparency and accountability: Candidates value honesty, accountability, and the courage to openly acknowledge and address shortcomings
In short, today’s EVP isn’t about promising more, it’s about delivering authentically and transparently on meaningful experiences, growth, and purpose. This isn’t just smart HR; it’s foundational leadership.
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