There need to be boundaries, but being too rigid a leader can backfire. There will always be someone who abuses a privilege but, says Tu, those people are few.
“Which one is more important — to have a good, comfortable working environment that is fun and lets people know it is their place, or to worry about a few and then have a very rigid culture?” Tu says. “The majority of people are good and conscientious and willing to put their best foot forward.”
While Tu and Sun do their share to make Kingston a good place to work, Tu says that employees create most of the environment through their loyalty.
“Loyalty is the culture,” says Tu. “I always go back to that. Some say money is the culture, but money is secondary. Loyalty is what you have when you feel the company is fair. You can trust the company. You can depend on the company when it’s a critical time or harsh time.
“Money is always a short-term thing. You can go to some other jobs and other places that will pay you more and more, but there will always be other things you are looking for.”
Tu says he’s not an expect at conducting interviews, but he has learned a few things about finding the right people to fit in, be productive and contribute to the culture at Kingston.
“The questions you ask aren’t important,” he says. “You should just sit down and talk. It doesn’t have to be about trick questions.”
Tu says he talks to candidates about life, family, even last night’s baseball game.
“The most important thing is having common sense,” says Tu. “That’s what you look for. You have to have it. Whether you’re a team player or very smart or a hard worker, it’s all a risk. You don’t know. You’ll find out, but if this person has very good common sense, then you most likely have a successful hire.”
