Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/799779
March/April 2017 13 it because they know how to communi- cate and post on social media. N&V: As a DSR, you've had the oppor- tunity to work with quite a few of our FEDA members, Bargreen-Ellingson, TriMark S.S. Kemp, Wasserstrom, Edward Don. When you're out in the fi eld, what do you see in terms of demographics? Are you starting to see more people your age? McAuliffe: I was brought aboard because our sales department was get- ting a little bit older, so they wanted to hire someone that they could men- tor and develop. Once I started attend- ing the different buying group events, McAULIFFE Chose E&S always someone asking what do you like about what you're doing? What don't you like about what you're doing? What do you want to do in the future? In the end, it really depends on what the employee wants and what's available, like with me and the content position. N&V: When I think of Clark Associates, I think of three things: outrageous growth, a transformational net presence, and Google. What are some of the perks that make it the "cool place to work" in the E&S industry? Smith: There's always free cereal and breakfast items and free fruit. Things like that are always available all day long. We also have a break room with a small buf- fet area for lunch. N&V: Lunch is free? Smith: It's available to buy but if you're part of the carpooling program, one of the incentives is a free meal. There are also extra breakfast items like sand- wiches that you can buy and all kinds of good stuff. N&V: How does the carpooling pro- gram work? Smith: If you sign up and partner with someone to carpool, you get a stipend and one free meal that you can use either at breakfast or lunch every day. There are a lot of really neat incentives here. For recruiting, we have this pro- gram called the Clark Challenge. If you refer someone and they make it to an in-person interview, you get $100. N&V: Sounds like a great place to work. Smith: Yes, there are a lot of neat things like the free food and the gym. We really appreciate all of those perks but you can still have lots of cool things and have a bad culture if people don't feel like they are able to ask questions, be innovative and contribute ideas. In my opinion, what makes WebstaurantStore special is our growth, and we've been able to grow because we have extremely bright, motivated people who are willing to bring ideas to the table and aren't afraid to ask questions. N&V: Judging from your comments, it's clear that you would recommend Clark Associates to a friend looking for employment. Does that same passion extend to our industry as a whole? Smith: Absolutely. There is so much to learn and so many things that you can do. I think that it's a great indus- try to get into for that reason. It's a shame that it's not on most people's radar. We defi nitely need to work on elevating our brand. N&V: Your company has obvious- ly been very proactive in this area. What are some of the things you're doing to attract talent? Smith: Our College Ambassadors program has been very successful in raising our brand on college cam- puses. Just recently, we attended a "Pizzas with Professionals" event at my college, where we explained what we do and answered all kinds of questions about the industry and working at Clark Associates. N&V: How do you become a College Ambassador? Smith: Anyone in the company is wel- come to join the group. We meet once a semester to discuss ideas and activities we'd like to participate in. Then, it's pick and choose what you want to attend, or do, or start. It's kind of grass roots in that way. N&V: How do you think we can make our industry more appealing to new recruits? Smith: Hire more young people. If they're motivated and excited about what they do, they'll want to go back to their colleges. That's the best way to do it because they know how to communi- cate and post on social media. McAULIFFE grow because we have extremely bright, motivated people who are willing to bring ideas to the table and aren't afraid Judging from your comments, it's clear that you would recommend Clark Associates to a friend looking for employment. Does that same passion extend to our industry as a Absolutely. There is so much to learn and so many things that you can do. I think that it's a great indus- try to get into for that reason. It's a As a DSR, you've had the oppor- tunity to work with quite a few of our FEDA members, Bargreen-Ellingson, shame that it's not on most people's radar. We defi nitely need to work on Your company has obvious- ly been very proactive in this area. What are some of the things you're doing to attract talent? Our College Ambassadors program has been very successful in raising our brand on college cam- puses. Just recently, we attended a "Pizzas with Professionals" event at my college, where we explained what we do and answered all kinds of questions about the industry and working at Clark How do you become a College college, where we explained what we do and answered all kinds of questions about the industry and working at Clark How do you become a College JOE McAULIFFE Dealer Sales Manager Hatco (2 Years In) continued on page 14