Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1497518
16 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2023 e plant that Barry visited is just five years old, and the employees have been here an aver- age of three-and-a-half to five years. at's the average. In our older facilities, as I said, we have many employees who have been with the company for more than 25 years. Shaughnessy: Is it getting harder for you to find employees? Do you have open positions? We do have some open positions. It's interest- ing how I hire people; I don't use headhunt- ers or anything like that. ere is always some- body saying, "A friend of mine is looking for a new job. Can I ask them?" A lot of hiring is done by word of mouth and recommendation, and the people I've hired are still here. Dan Feinberg: What happens when an employee doesn't respond to the training? How do you coach for performance? If they are having trouble doing their job, then you can work together with them to empower them to make improvements. But if they don't want to do the job, it's the wrong person. You can teach anyone, but if somebody doesn't want to do the job in the first place, then we are not the right company for them. Matties: How important is it for your team to understand your customers? It's extremely important, but it's not always easy because we live in Germany and we have, in general, a German culture, yet we work with Italian, Spanish, and French customers, as well as Italian and Spanish colleagues. ey all bring different perspectives to the processes. We have experienced customer service staff who know how to manage all of that. It only works with experience. To Germans, the due date is the due date, so if, let's say, a customer from a more culturally relaxed country tells you, "I'll pay three weeks late," you may not be happy. But if you see that they paid three weeks late and always make the payment, then the trust is there. Matties: You've mentioned trust a lot and that's key. The new employee has to trust you and you have to trust the new employee. Yes, from the very first hour of the first day. Of course, sometimes I'm wrong. It happens, but I still would go that way because the burden is less than the contribution. Matties: What advice would you give to a new employee, and to hiring managers? Generally, for new hires, be true to yourself, sincere, and honest. You can hide your person- ality for a few weeks, maybe, but in a stressful situation, personalities tend to come out, and then it's too late. Be honest and do your job. For managers who are onboarding new hires, expectations must be very open and clear, because new people will remember the first thing you say to them. Be very clear about what you want. Many people have reminded me, "Frank, do you remember the first hour when you told me what to do? Look at how far I've come right now." ey remember that, so be very clear with them. Communicate clearly, even if it may hurt the first time. Tell them exactly how hard the job is.