Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/799779
20 FEDA News & Views vision and values of the company, the culture and work environment, trust, empowerment and the opportunity to take ownership. N&V: Can you give me a few examples of how Hatco meets those needs? Christian: One of the things I like about Hatco is when we have ques- tions about the vision for the company, the executive doors are always open. I've had conversations with many of our executive management staff about where they see the company going, day- to-day priorities and how they support the vision. As far as the ownership aspect, shortly after beginning my stint with Hatco, I was given the opportunity to work in our International department and han- dle correspondence and order entry for our European and Latin American cus- tomers. It felt like I had my own terri- tory, which was nice. And when there was time left in my day, I would ask my manager if there was something else I could learn or do, and the responsibili- ties kept coming. N&V: So much of the talk these days is about hiring great talent and, even more important, retaining it. What's keeping you at Hatco? Christian: There are a lot of different things. One of them is the opportunity for growth, both professionally and per- sonally. I'm able to attend seminars, con- ferences and view webinars, which is really great. And the fact that I've asked for responsibility and it's been given to me, shows that there's an investment there. N&V: What makes Hatco's culture unique? Christian: We're fun people. Every winter we do fun activities on Friday afternoons and it's open to anyone who wants to participate. In the past, we've done Corn Hole tournaments, Wii bowl- ing, and in my third year here, I even helped organize an offi ce Olympics. On Thursdays, we have something called Time-Out Thursdays, where we pick a loca- tion and have an impromptu Happy Hour. E&S continued N&V: What's the duration of Fun Fridays during the winter months? Christian: It depends on the activity. The offi ce Olympics started late January, early February and ran until April. It's every Friday afternoon but the entire staff does not participate. During the Corn Hole tournament, for example, some of us played once every three weeks, depending on the bracket. And, it's only for 15 to 20 minutes in the afternoon. N&V: That reminds me of a cartoon called Gumball. In one of the episodes, the main character creates a fi ctional holiday called Sluzzle Tag to get over the after-Christmas lull. Scheduling fun activities every Friday is a great way to deal with the long winter months. Christian: Another really cool perk Hatco offers is short Fridays in the sum- mertime. Normally, we take hour lunch periods but the week before Memorial Day weekend, we take half-hour lunches and leave two-and-a-half hours early on Fridays. That lasts through September. N&V: Everyone in the company leaves early? Christian: We do have people in our Customer Service and Service Departments that manage the phones and our switch board is open until four, but they rotate. N&V: Earlier, you spoke about the importance of growth. Let's talk about how your role has evolved over the years. Christian: I started in August of 2010 as a customer administration special- ist and my role was to work with our domestic dealers and be the liaison between the order-entry side and the factory. Within a few months, I was assist- ing our International team and working with European and Latin American cus- tomers. Most recently, I've taken on the role of customer sales support coordina- tor and spent the last year working with our entire customer service team. N&V: I understand that Hatco offers educational assistance to employees who enroll in work-related classes. Have you taken advantage of this educational incentive? Christian: I am planning on it. I just have to fi gure out the path. I was actu- ally sitting in our collaboration area the other day and someone walked by and asked if I'd picked my classes yet. N&V: The collaboration area? Christian: Yes, it's a room with a white board, a TV screen and a few videos that show the manufacturing process. It's just a place where people can go and talk out ideas. A lot of people use it for read- ing time on their lunch period. N&V: While Hatco has obviously been very successful in creating a great place to work, I repeatedly hear concerns from continued on page 28 • A Strong Company Culture • Opportunities for Personal and Professional Growth • Great Workplace Environment • Well-Communicated Vision and Values • Commitment to Empower Employees "This winter we just started our Fun Fridays and we're doing Minute to Win It. Last week was my fi rst competition this year and we had to move M&M's from one plate to another using only a straw to pick them up." --Ashley Christian • A Strong Company 5 M U ST HA VE S . . .