Join us bi-weekly as we analyze key tactics and trends in employee engagement, YOS, and safety programs, while we discuss relevant news topics affecting your workforce. Listen to the episode below or continue reading for a full transcript.
[00:00:07] Welcome to the All in Employee podcast. I'm your host, R. Scott Russell. And I'm here with my co-host, Nelsa Webber. And we are from CA Short Company. And you can find more about us at cashort.com.
[00:00:24] We're launching this exciting podcast today. This has been on our plate for longer than I want to admit, and we've been wanting to get around to doing this for some time because, you know, I had my start in broadcast journalism.
[00:00:39] Right. And the director of engagement here at CA Short. I started in radio. So this is like taking me back longer than I'm going to tell you, taking me way back.
[00:00:49] And you yourself have done some great things and you're doing great things now. So a little bit about you.
[00:00:55] Well, I was a theater major for a period time, became a theater teacher. And now I am here at C.A. Short as a corporate trainer.
[00:01:02] Enjoying my stay and getting involved in such fun and amazing projects to create all-in employees, which is something near and dear to my heart. So I'm so excited about this podcast we've got so many good topics up for people. And I just think it's going to be a great opportunity for companies to engage with us in a different, unique way.
[00:01:22] So we are in the 2020, Scott. Yes. All right. It's an odd 2020. And, you know, we're gonna be talking a lot about how to create that all in employee. Right. That highly engaged employee that's giving you the very best. But we're also going to try to make this as interesting as we can. So we'll be talking current topics in each of our episodes. And then we're going to talk a little bit about the services, the functionality C.A. Short does, obviously. And and some just about recognition and appreciation in the workspace.
[00:01:54] So Important though. So important to have that conversation. And it's just like you said, you know, 2020 is given us a lot of talk about. We'll have some guests on who will be featured. I know and see some different perspectives because sometimes your company's been doing what they've always been doing. And maybe it's time for something fresh, something new or a different look at something that you currently have in place. You know, sometimes just making a tweak can make something fresh. Perspective can change. How you address every such.
[00:02:24] So I'm very excited to get this launch, and I'm so thrilled that you're going to be my partner in crime.
[00:02:29] Moving forward on this project. Sometimes you'll be here. I may not be. Sometimes I'll be here and we'll be here together as much as we can be.
[00:02:36] That's so very exciting to kind of launch and tell the world a little bit about us and and just bring forward that culture of appreciation and how to use recognition and engagement to drive that all -inexperience. But I think that's a great place to come to with current topics, because there have been so many things that employees and employers are dealing with right now. And if you have a culture of engagement, if you have a culture of appreciation, it really may go on through COVID-19 going through social unrest. It can make those changes so much easier for a company to transition and bridge when you've already got good things in place for your people. I don't know what you think about that. You know, people are laying off, I just talked to an H.R. friend of mine this morning on her way into work. She's doing remote right now, but she's like they've already laid off a significant number of people because business slowed down when people started going home.
[00:03:40] You know, COVID-19 pandemic and it's already a small business. And so, you know, even 10 people laid off in a business that has a hundred. That's 10 percent of your workforce.
[00:03:51] And then you got the fear that you have to deal with because now had to lay these people off. What does that mean to the people who are left behind? So I think companies really have to look at, you know, I don't want to lose good talent.
[00:04:06] All right. And I don't want to scare off people because people are going to come back. And so how we do things, how we treat our employees now makes a difference on how we return to the game.
[00:04:16] You know that. Yeah, I agree. And I you know, I don't think anyone saw this coming. Like I said, if you did, you should've spoke up way sooner.
[00:04:24] Right. Nobody saw 2020 looking like it does, right. I mean, we have to think about it. Growing up from my dad, you know, not much in there. So I'm with you. And so, like, we grew up thinking, you know, 2020 is going to be the future. Amazing things are going to be.
[00:04:47] And while while we have seen that it's like a giant slap in the face to the entire world this year. And you look at 13 million people unemployed all of a sudden after having just an amazing economy, it's a kid. There was no downward slide, no right.
[00:05:06] No warning sign ahead, you know, but that's life, I guess. And, you know, I can remember hearing some people say a lot of times and Jeff, our company president, says it all the time. You know, your reaction is what matters to me.
[00:05:22] You know, that's where we're going to get. Yeah. Plus R equals outcome. You know, how we handle what takes place is what matters. And my perspective about it is what is going to make the pivot.
[00:05:34] So, you know, we can definitely our hearts go out to all the people who have lost loved ones.
[00:05:40] Have been impacted by the virus. Have frontline workers. You know, we serve a lot of the hospital, we do a medical community and make sure that they've been able to show appreciation to those folks who are still working. And so, again, it's sort of like how we look at this situation and how we set our minds up for it. I think that's really what the world of work has to start looking like. It's so much more fluid than our parents and our grandparents.
You know, my mom worked for 30 years at a company. My daddy retired from the same place after all of his life. Yeah, I like the same story in my family. So I had 4 or 5 Jobs and different, you know, different sectors of, you know, from education to corporate now. So it's such a different world.
[00:06:28] And how we respond to those circumstances are really going to, you know, determine who gets left behind and who keeps moving forward. And I think here at CA Short you know, I think we responded to that, like so many companies did with, you know, having to redefine who we are in this new environment.
[00:06:45] And I think we really have a leg up to be able to help other other companies, excuse me, be able to redefine themselves and that's challenging enough.
[00:06:57] Well, yeah, you know, it's I'll say it's not something I really thought I would see in my lifetime. I thought we've overcome this type of thing. And so to see sort of the whole world come to a halt. Right. Not once, but twice. Yes. And then and then to feel this, it's so much uncertainty. Some people don't know the answers and they can get lost in them. And I think that's where the negativity can come into the world of space, even fear. You're dealing with fear. You're dealing with safety issues. You're dealing with people just afraid about their people and trying to find the positives in that. And again, you just said in a way better than I'm going to say today. I mean, just you know, it's how we respond to these situations that determine our future. Right. We're dealing with a civil unrest and a very large scale right now. And and whether that will be solved or not by the time this podcast episode comes out. I don't know. I don't know. And I feel horrible for the businesses that were preparing to reopen. And now you look at cities like Chicago and some of these other places where there are now businesses that can't open now because of the unrest. And so it's it's a pounded issue of itself. And they just want to get back to work. Right. And and so I feel I feel for them as well as I feel for the people trying to make your case.
[00:08:18] And I feel it is a strange situation. I feel like, you know, everything's gonna come to a head in one in one moment. You know, 2020 with a perfect storm, if you will.
[00:08:32] And I think that's the thing, too. You know, when we get to a place where not only.
[00:08:37] We want to get ahead and move forward financially, with no security. I think we've got to see that all people want that. All people want to move forward. And people want to show up and be respected. They want to be able to be authentic. And I think that's one of the things that the civil unrest is showing. How you operate as a person and how you show up in the world is what is going to help us move forward.
[00:09:08] You know, my grandmother used to say, you go to rule, you know, you want to others as you would have them do unto you, treat other people the way you want to be treated. And I think here again, it's a sure that's a part of what I really feel like. Our brand helps companies to do. You know, I want my workers to know I appreciate in value being safe, because when you're safe, that means we do get to keep working.
[00:09:36] We do get keep making money. We do get to keep putting food on the table for our families.
[00:09:41] I value the fact that remote workers, because I think that's a hard transition. So many people have never worked for most people for ever.
[00:09:49] And never had to do it, Here our productivity did not stop with our remote workers. We just looked at some demographics and some data the other day.
[00:10:00] And there were while there were periods of slow and up and down because of the way business is done. Very slow. Right. Yeah, but our people didn't stop. They learned a new skill, how to work online, how to do teams, how to do zoom or whatever the platform, whatever your choice.
[00:10:16] Right. But we got to acknowledge that when people go through that far period of change, how can we sue them? You know, we did all sorts of things here, we fed people.
[00:10:28] We kept people up with funny videos. And, you know, our CEO and COO out there cutting grass. You know, we tried to stay as much a family unit as we do as a company during the day, during that season. But I think that if you're not doing that in your company, you're going to have to rethink, you know, how do you retain people who do have the knowledge base in your company? How do I keep saving workers? Because when this thing is over, I really feel like either people are going to love where they are or you have revealed who you are.
[00:11:06] And people are going to make some hard choices based on how well you responded in the worst of times.
[00:11:12] So I think CA Short is one of those places where if you don't have a program, you don't have a plan. Let us help you plan because, don't get stuck flatfooted anymore. You're flatfooted and ignorant, that's a problem for you. You don't have to be tho, we're here. Right.
[00:11:31] Look, you're on fire today. You were on fire this first episode. You're doing a great job. No, you did a great job. Hey, we're going to take a quick break. Yes. And then we're gonna come back we're going to talk a little bit about a couple of areas that our company supports and that working in our life is about years of service, right? No, I talked a little bit about safety because June is safety month. Yes. So. We'll be right back.
[00:12:01] Welcome back to the all-in employee podcast. All right, Nelsa. We're going to talk a little bit about years of service recognition.
[00:12:10] Now, you know, years of service is really probably one of the oldest models for recognition in our company. And we'll be telling you some history about us as we go along in this podcast.
[00:12:21] But we've been around since 1937. I was not here back then. No. And you were not either. We were not even thought about. And I jokingly say that C.A. Short's been around longer than the word recognition. I don't even think that they knew what that was. But years of service has traditionally been a model for our business that we've had for a very long time. But with that, you know, people ask me about that kind of program and what why is it important and what's it about?
[00:12:48] And for me, you know, years of service does a couple of things for your organization.
[00:12:52] It recognizes dedication. Right. Longevity, loyalty. People that do stay with you, because you mentioned it in our earlier segment. You know, my family was the same way that people worked for 30 years in the same place. That's not the way it is anymore, really. I mean, there's a lot more movement. So recognizing. Yes, especially. And so when you're recognizing behavior and you're recognizing people that stay is what that years of service recognition does. I also think that it can be an attractor for talent.
So when you're job hunting, if you're out there right now listening to us and you're looking for a job, one of the things you want to be sure to ask any potential new company is what type of programs do you have? Where are the perks of your programs? Do you have a recognition program? Because, you know, especially in today's time, you get a lot people out of work. So the people that are working need to save every dollar. So can a recognition program. Is that going to award you things outside of your normal compensation? Is that going to help your life, life style, life, quality of life?
So years of service, you know, really that's what that does, right? So and he goes through traditionally you would be recognizing five-year, 10-year, 15-year. Now we all know, you know, the numbers are out there. And if you're a millennial, I'm sorry, I got to give you the numbers. But millennials on average will job skip about every 2.5. Is their average. And they might not even make it to that might make it to five. So, you know, a big change in our industry the last few years has been that we now recommend organizations start with some type of recognition at the one. Right. And you need to at least recognize that that doesn't mean it has to be monetary, but it means you need to do something to recognize that employee. Right. And then do something through that two, three and four to get to that five.
And now that five years in above, there are some tax benefits. We're not going to get into that today. That's going to be our next episode. But there are tax benefits to doing that five, ten, fifteen and above. And we're going to have a great guest on the next episode. All right. So our CEO and president, Jeff Ross, he's been here at CA Short for 25 years. Jeff is going to be our guest on our next episode. He's going to talk a little bit about those the financial impacts of a year of survey program. Right. And what that looks like. So I'm, I'm excited about that. Jeff is a bean counter.
[00:15:17] So he's all about those numbers. So we're going to have him come on and talk numbers with us.
[00:15:21] That'll be a great view, especially right now, because a lot, again, with what's going on the world. Can I afford a recognition program is what I'm sure a lot of people are asking. And we would counter, I think, and probably our salespeople would say, I don't think you can afford not to.
[00:15:38] Oh, that's right. You're on it. Yes, you're right on it.
[00:15:41] Can you afford not to. Right. And and what I would say to an organization is if there's nothing else you can do, at least do a year of service program and recognize loyalty and dedication.
[00:15:52] Yes, it will go a very long way. Right. Your organization so thrilled about that. But we have various models for years of service. There are lots of different types of ways to run that type of program here at C.A. Short, we do every model, right. So we do what we call the the marquee model, which is a level model.
[00:16:11] And you might get a catalog and it chooses out for your year. And it could be an online catalog or it could be printed. But then there are organizations that might want to just give points for your year of service. And those points bank in with other points. So there's more than one model for that. But it's really about what the foundation is. It's recognizing tenure.
Like I said, Jeff was here for 25 years this year. So he's celebrating his 25th year with CA Short this year. Right. You and I have come in the last several years to see and bring some new and exciting things. And so I've celebrated my four just a few coule weeks ago. I had my fifth next year, and that's exciting to me as well. So so I'm excited to have him come on the next episode. Definitely. And he'll talk to. A bit more about that, but before we go today, we definitely got to tell you about June.
June is Safety Month and National Safety Month and safety is another line of our business. But it's all it's just also an area we stay very close to late. And so we are putting on a webinar, June 25th. You can get all of that info at cashort.com ,and that webinar is with Brett Lee and Eric Gibbs Leysen. I say that right for Eric and he is the executive director of the National Association of Safety Professionals. And these guys are coming together to do a fantastic webinar on safety and how sort of how COVID has affected safety and what a great safety incentive program that's OSHA compliant can do for your business. So I'm very excited about that. And throughout the summer, you and I are going to focus a little bit on safety because we've had positives and negatives, right?
[00:17:58] We have both had our injuries. We're being silly. We have both had our injuries because things weren't as safe as they should be. Right. And so we'll we'll talk through some of that, I think, this summer, if you're good for it.
[00:18:10] Yes, I hopefully we're going to just have a great time doing that.
[00:18:13] Well, this has been great and we hope our listeners have enjoyed it as much as we have. So this has been awesome and I'm looking forward to it. I really do think this will be a very positive addition to companies just hearing what's out there. You know, being informed is the best way to move forward. And so that's what our goal is to, not just to entertain, of course, because Scott and I both love to do that. But we do want you to get informed and make some good decisions. And we do hope that CA Short becomes a part of everybody's working family out there because we have so many good things to offer, I think. And that's not just a plug for the company, but I work here so I can say that. You're on fire today.
[00:18:59] You're doing great.
[00:19:05] All right, everybody. Thank you for joining us today. We're going to promise we're going to keep these decently short for you. So little little amounts to digest as we move forward. And we'll see you on our very next episode. Have a good one.
