William B. Meyer, Inc. believes that its employees separate it from the competition. An employee whose work ethic reflects the company’s corporate values of honesty, integrity, dependability, creativity and stewardship, serves as a brand ambassador. They transmit the pride that William B. Meyer takes in exceeding customer expectations while providing superior storage, transportation and distribution solutions. Committed to the belief that investing in its employees will yield a high return for the company, William B. Meyer assembled a series of employee focus groups, who with the HR team, developed the Leadership in Values program to hire, train and reward employees who exemplify corporate values. The initiative is structured around four employee levels: candidate selection, new hire orientation, training, and performance appraisal.
Mary Jo Leahy, an HR consultant, has worked with William B. Meyer for the last eighteen years. She is part of the team that is developing the tools and resources for this HR initiative. “It’s important to note that this initiative is not about introducing new ideas or concepts to William B. Meyer. Instead, it is about heightening awareness of and creating consistency for practices that are already in place.” William B. Meyer is careful in its candidate selection process. In addition to evaluating a candidate based on experience, the HR team has developed a set of guidelines to assess how well a candidate embodies William B. Meyer’s corporate values. These guidelines will be distributed to hiring managers at all company levels, ensuring that only the highest quality candidates are selected. Once selected, supervisors will welcome new hires and help them assimilate into their roles with an extensive orientation across different company lines. This helps familiarize new hires with William B. Meyer mission, vision and values.
Leadership in Values training is not limited to new hires. It will be spread throughout all levels of the company. Training programs are being developed to train executives and supervisors in how to manage their employees while emphasizing corporate values. Additional team-building exercises are expected to roll-out in the spring and are meant to strengthen company camaraderie and value-based performance. Annual performance appraisals will also consider corporate values when evaluating an employee’s strengths and weaknesses.
Jan Wojna, Director of Human Resources for William B. Meyer, is proud of the Leadership in Values initiative. “Our people are the cornerstone of our plan to implement a national growth strategy. The goal of all these programs is to help someone transition from a candidate to a new hire to a contributing employee.” Employees who truly live William B. Meyer’s value will provide excellent customer service; they will live the company’s successes and failures, and have a personal interest in company growth. The expected success of this initiative will lead to a stimulating and dynamic workplace.