WINTER 2021

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THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
NELSON VALDERRAMA RETAINING TOP TALENT IN THE ERA OF COVID-19 from page 56
Let’s look back at our football analogy. A world
class quarterback can’t win you games if he has no one
to throw to, but real football fans know that more often
than not, the next most important player on the team is
not actually the star receiver it’s the relatively unnoticed
left tackle, who protects the quarterback from things he
can’t see which could injure him.
Many distributors are looking for those great
outside sales reps that bring in tons of new business,
or key inside sales reps that keep customers happy. But
when was the last time that the executive team of your
organization spent the time to look at all the positions
and find that “left tackle” that can help lift all the other
stars on your team?
Retaining And Developing In-House Talent
During some of the Zoom meetings organized by
Cris A. Young at Fastener Desk and the panel discussion
during the Pac-West, SEFA, SFA virtual conference in
October 2020, I heard from many attendees that they
were struggling to find talent across their business
needs, from the warehouse to sales personnel.
My advice to them? First make sure you retain,
develop and nurture your best talent.
But Why? The truth is that 50% of the fastener
distributors in the US have less than 50 employees,
which means that the loss of key employees can have a
particularly damaging impact on them. In reality, these
departing workers are actually more likely to be the ones
possessing a particular skill or knowledge set that the
company needs, and the company’s culture suffers a
more serious blow when an essential person leaves.
In the distribution industry, there is simply a smaller
internal pool of workers to cover the lost employee’s
work and provide a replacement and the organization
may have fewer resources available to cover replacement
costs. The old adage is true: employees join companies
but they leave managers.
A Gallup poll of more 1 million employed U.S.
workers concluded that the No. 1 reason people quit
their jobs is a bad boss or immediate supervisor. 75%
of workers who voluntarily left their jobs did so because
of their bosses and not the position itself. In spite of
how good a job may be, people will quit if the reporting
relationship is not healthy.
“People leave managers not companies...in the
end, turnover is mostly a manager issue.”
What your company is doing to develop/retain your
quarterback, running backs or wide receivers is critical
— but so is how you’re approaching keeping the best
guys in your warehouse, operations or supply chain.
Attracting Top Caliber Talent
Ok so we’ve talked a lot about the “what” when it
comes to bringing in and retaining great talent but I’m
sure you’re asking “how” we do it. Let’s take a look at
a few strategies:
¤ Show Who You Are - Attracting talent is like
selling to any of your customers; you have to be clear
about your employer brand by articulating the identity of
the organization in a way that feels unique and authentic
- it becomes a filtering mechanism in and of itself. You’ll
attract people with a similar set or complimentary values
that are aligned with the organization.
For example, if your job posting is perceived as
“plain vanilla’ that describes a bunch of responsibilities
with few hints about why you are special and offering
the same thing everyone offers, you’re going to attract
employees that are happy to get a passing grade
and scared to stand out from the baseline middle. If
your brand booms with pride and confidence and your
prospects can truly believe in your commitment, you’ll
attract passionate and driven individuals.
You not only need to say it but also display it on
your company website, LinkedIn profile, your offices,
etc. If you said you have a “dynamic, diverse, fastpaced
environment” but your website is a digital
brochure stuck in the 90’s or you don’t have a female
in any management positions or the leader in sales only
has 30 connections on LinkedIn...the candidate might
think your definition of “dynamic, diverse fast-paced
environment” is different from theirs.
¤ Be Clear on Your Core Values - When your
distribution company has a clear, defined set of values
and is open and honest about them at every stage
of the interview process, both candidates and hiring
managers will have a feel for whether or not they’ll
be a match before actually working together and feel
confident in the talent’s likelihood to succeed in your
environment.
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