In order to get people up to speed, Arnold says they’re pairing those who have been with the company for 20-plus years with those who are just coming in in order to hand that knowledge down.
He knows when people get committed and get to certain positions they’ll stick around, and that’s why you have to stay committed to your employees and the hiring and on-boarding process.
“You have to treat people like you want to be treated,” Arnold says. “You’ve got to lead them in a way that they feel they’re part of the team. And it’s one of those situations where you lead by example and have the accountability.”
Committing to the hiring process
The Strait & Lamp Group also has experimented with different ways to find employees. Using their current employees as resources has worked best, but Arnold is also working with area high schools and colleges to find people who want these types of hands-on jobs. The company also has attended a lot of career days, in order to get the word out about the company.
“We’re pretty active in that, to an extent that we can be with the amount of people we have committed just to that process,” he says.
If a job candidate wants an opportunity that isn’t there, he thinks it’s a good idea to find at least some kind of place, even if it’s not the position that person would like to ultimately end up in.
“If somebody wants something bad enough, they’ll do what they need to do so they can get to that position,” Arnold says.
The Strait & Lamp Group’s hiring process is both the same and different than it was prior to the recession. Arnold says they’ve always been looking for people to fill spots, but now it’s more about getting committed people in key positions.
“We need that second tier level,” he says. “We’ve got a great management team. We just need that assistant type manager, that person that is being led to be a leader to replace the manager when they retire, for example.”
In order to identify those people, he thinks communication is key. It’s also one of the biggest strengths The Strait & Lamp Group has to offer.
“With our company in particular, anybody — I don’t care if they are a truck driver, a warehouse position, whether they are a manager — can get ahold of myself and/or anybody in the leadership team,” Arnold says. “It’s an open book. And we want them to feel part of it.
“So, if they have an issue, they can go right to the top. We’d prefer to go the chain of command, but sometimes it’s better when they don’t feel comfortable.”
Takeaways:
- Start below where you want to end up.
- Create value by ensuring knowledge is handed down.
- Stay committed to the hiring process, always.
The Arnold File:
Name: Steven Arnold
Title: President
Company: The Strait & Lamp Group
Born: Columbus
What was your first job and what did you learn from it? In high school, I worked at Bob Evan’s, a pizza shop, delivering newspapers and cutting grass. I learned to show up on time and be committed, and not eat pizza.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received? Listen. Don’t open your mouth until you really think about the situation. And I would say that having a mentor is absolutely the most important thing that you can have.
I’ve had managers that I’ve worked under, and I’ve also had our owner now, which is Wib Strait Jr. He’s been in this business ever since he’s worked.
I listen to him, and he gives his advice. Sometimes when you get into things that you think that you know it’s nice to be able to run an idea across him — because typically he’s been there.
I can’t say they are new problems; they’re just old problems that keep coming up. You’ve got to keep track of how times change, but in our business they seem to be the same problems.
You worked your way up through the company. Why has that been an advantage? The one thing that you really understand when you start at the bottom — and that’s where I started, at the bottom — is you learn what it takes to do that particular aspect of the job. You understand how much time it takes, and the knowledge that those people have to have at that particular level.
And as you move up, the physical work may get less, but the mental and the sharpness is something that you always have to make sure that you’re on top of.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you I know everything. We talk as a group, and we bring other people in if there’s a situation that I need help with.
But, again, there are things that haven’t changed that much — the processes in order to get to that particular goal have to be done in a certain way, and it gives you an idea when something starts going off track. Basically, there’s an issue here; I know there’s an issue because I’ve done that.
