Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1505694
60 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2023 Tell us about being a mentor. How important is that, and what approach do you take with a new employee? Alley: For the most part, we start off slow. It's like, let's see if this person can make this draw- ing and then, all right, they can do that. You see they asked questions, they are now a little better, a little smarter, so then you give them a little bigger project and you just slowly work your way up. Aaron is doing a great job ask- ing a lot of little questions. Sometimes you can tell he's nervous to ask the question, but that's totally fine. I was the same way. When I first started, I knew almost nothing about air- planes. So, it's just every day asking the people above you, "Hey, how does this work?" Being open when I don't understand how something works. At times, I might think, "is is a stu- pid question." I'm still going to ask it because I want to know why it works like this or how it functions. As a mentor you share and teach the culture of the company. It sounds like this is what I might describe as a nurturing company; the leaders encourage education, questions, mentoring, and collaboration. Alley: Yes. We almost always hire new engi- neers, and a lot of positions here are filled by people new to the industry as well. In a lot of ways, it seems like you're almost better off with that because you can kind of mold somebody into what you need. ey don't come in with a preconceived notion of how this thing works. And if you think this other way, you're not having to butt heads with someone who's got 30 years of experience. (Granted, that person with experience knows there's a reason they are thinking that way as well.) I met CNC operator and machinist Rod McMahon and machine operator Ed Kissler in the tool and the machining department, who remind us that there is no substitute for expe- rience. These guys are true craftsmen, and they've been at their crafts for years; they're experts. There's a shortage in the labor force today for that kind of skillset. For you to come in and be exposed to these craftsmen and have that kind of experience to learn from must be invaluable for you. Alley: Yes, totally. When we make a drawing for the first time of some complex machine part, we go out and talk to them and they almost always have some suggestion to make it easier to build. Working together makes a huge dif- ference for the whole team and it makes their jobs easier.