Creating a Good Place to Stop for Employees

How to Hire and Retain the Best Employees
By Jeffrey Hansler, CSP

The results of a bad hire can be costly, and in the extreme case, even life threatening.  In the truckstop industry, the process of hiring right and having good employee retention begins with planning.

Entry-level positions are an important part of a truckstop’s work force, and hiring for these positions can be tricky with no prior work history to gauge performance.  At Giant Truck Stops of California, they look to the basics when evaluating a new candidate. “When we are hiring someone that has never worked before, which is often the case with our entry-level positions, we first look and see if they filled out the application correctly,” explained Denny Honaker, Operations Manager for Giant. “If they cannot take the time to fill out an application correctly, we know they won’t be able to do the job required of them once they are hired.” 

At Baker Truck Corral, the hiring process also begins with the application.  J.B. Matthiesen, General Manager of Baker Truck Corral, said, “The managers check references placed on a job application when considering a new hire.  They evaluate their personal skills and their abilities.”  

Presenting a clear picture of what the job entails is another factor in success. Too often, companies paint an unnecessarily rosy picture of the job because they are desperate to fill a position. That often sets the pattern for a revolving door of continuous hiring.  This is not the case at Baker Truck Corral. 

“The first interviews in the hiring process are the toughest ones,” stated Matthiesen. “We go to great lengths to explain the difficulties of the job we are hiring for. We explain that sometimes the hours are very long during the winter.  If they can prove to us in the interview that they have the necessary desire to fight for the job, then we figure they have what it takes to do the job once hired.”  

Finding the right people to fill out the application is half the battle in gaining a new hire that will be successful with your organization.  Solid companies are built on solid ideas and a little creativity in finding potential employees.  A look at the community and what it has to offer can provide a solid return-on-investment for awareness and common sense. 

Bob Ryan, President of Atlanta South 75 Travel Center holds a community golf tournament each year with his operation supplying food and prizes with all the proceeds going to the local recreation center.  Ryan says, “It attracts individuals to us that are looking for a good place to work.”  

Chet Reilly, Vice President of Broadway Truck Stops, says, “A key to success when I was doing the hiring was a personal relationship I had formed with the local community college instructor of a cashier training course.  He always referred the best and brightest from his class to me.”  

Suppliers to truckstops and travel plazas want those businesses to thrive.  If their customers are struggling, it affects their ability to purchase their goods.  Suppliers can be a good source of information on resources available in the area. “When we’re looking to fill a higher-level position, we talk to our suppliers,” states Reilly. “They always know who’s good and looking for a job, or who’s good and leaving a job.  A local church was very proactive as a referral service for its members looking for work.  We hired some good employees based on their referrals.” 

Using your employees for referrals is also an excellent way to find new candidates. “When we do have a position to fill, we start with recommendations from our current employees.  Our employees are our best resource because they know what the job requires and they know the qualities of the person they are recommending.”  

Asking current employees about an applicant they know also helps weed out undesirable candidates. “We ask on the application if they know someone that works for us already.  Then we ask that employee about the potential new hire,” explained Denny Honaker. “It has saved us in a few cases when the new employee didn’t get a good recommendation.  I believe the candidate heard we were a good place to work and just hoped they could get hired without bothering to think if THEY would be a good employee or not.” 

“We offer a reward to an employee for a referral: $25 for the referral and $25 once the employee they referred to us stays six months,” Honaker said. “I know others in our truckstop association do the same thing, and it works for them too.” 

Employee turnover is low at Giant Truck Stops.  It’s not unusual for someone to have worked 10 years or more for the company. “We’re not always hiring because our people stay with us,” Honaker explained.   

Knowing the milestones of your operation is another hallmark of success.  Depending on the area, your operation, and the job type, different patterns emerge that can be used to refine your hiring and retention activities.  

“The one-year mark seems to be fairly significant for us. Once someone is in their position for more than a year, they tend to stay,” said Broadway’s Chet Reilly. “Our job is to find the right people.  Their job is to decide if this is the industry and type of work they want.  They seem to make that determination within the first year.  Once they decide to stay, it’s our job to make us the best choice employer as a truckstop.” 

Building a reputation as a good place to work has benefits and supporting educational goals of an employee is one way that a truckstop can make a name for itself as a place that values its employees. “We offer educational programs to our employees where we pay for their parking pass, books, and other fees,” Honaker explained. “It’s one way we say ‘thank you’ to our employees and keep the relationship positive.” 

Showing a profit in a cost-conscious industry requires efficiency at all levels. On-the-job training is an integral part of the process and longevity in an area contributes to a higher quality product and reduced costs. “We work to make the relationship work from the start,” stated Denny. “We have three entry-level positions where a person without prior work experience can start: lanes attendant, convenient store, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits. It’s important we start them in an area where they will have promotion opportunity.” 

He continued, “Lane attendant is a great way to start on the commercial side.  In our operation, when a truck pulls up we start a service ticket and ask the driver how many gallons he wants, offer them a chance to have a cup of coffee on us in the restaurant, and then we take care of their truck: Wash the windows, check the oil and pump the fuel.  It’s a good place to begin learning about the business side of what we do.”  In this case, using the lanes as a training ground offers a new employee a chance to learn about some of the realities of the commercial business.  It would be too costly to spend a lot on training an employee to handle the backend process of the business and keeping track of billings without prior knowledge of what is happening at the pump.  

The result is that employers are continually building on their most important asset – their people. “Most of our management is promoted from within,” explained Honaker. “They know the operation and the job that needs to be done – this contributes to their success in doing their job.  That’s part of what makes a positive environment.” 

New employees are assigned to a lead employee for training on their first day of work. This provides recognition to the lead for being competent in their job, and provides a best-case form for training while putting the employee to work earning their salary and contributing to the company immediately.  

“New employees learn that being part of the team has its rewards,” Baker Truck Corral’s Matthiesen said. “Each area has bonus points tied to improvement: Avoiding waste and buying smart in the cook area, reducing breakage and loss in the dishwashing area, special item sales in the restaurant, and gas sales in the station.  We compare the results of the current month to the same month of the year prior.  When they hit the goals, it puts bonus points in their pocket.” 

Reinforcement of the rewards is just one more step in the right direction for keeping the relationship between employee and employer strong. “The bonus points are converted to gift cards at the end of the year,” Matthiesen elaborated. “We went with the gift card idea because we found the purchases with the gift cards were of a more lasting variety than cash: a new pair of shoes for work, a gift for someone else, or some other bigger item that will remind them later about their accomplishment.  The cash didn’t have that same effect.” 

Keeping employees year after year is not a quick fix game for Giant.  It’s daily attention to employees and dialogue. “We pay a fair salary, give gift certificates, pats on the back, and holiday gifts,” explained Honaker. “Most importantly, we listen, which is why it’s not a surprise we have some employees that have been here for more than 20 years.” 

Looking for “good stuff” to happen and involving management in a partnership role is just another part of the equation.  Managers seek out opportunities to reward their staff. “We still use cash as an immediate ‘thank you’ for those tough winter days,” stated Matthiesen. “Pizza after a long day.  Surprise cash for a special project or a busy week.  It all adds up to letting employees know their work is appreciated.  The success of a truckstop is a result of the people that work there.” 

Financial rewards are a part of making a successful operation.  It’s an important way to recognize an employee for a job well done.  It rewards employees, as well as lets them know they are part of the family.

“I know we’re doing a good job when I hear fairly recent employees say they feel like part of the family,” states Jim Caldwell, President of Giant Truck Stops. “I would say that it’s a combination of things that make people want to stay.  I’m just glad we continue to work hard to make sure this continues.  I like the fact that most of our managers have over 10 years with the company.”

It’s an organization’s contribution to the well-being of those that contribute to the bottom-line that really pays off.  Investing in their future is a good way to build loyalty and a strong team to take care of business every day of the week. “As far as keeping employees, I believe we do all the right things,” Reilly said. “We offer medical, dental, profit-sharing, and 401K plans.  We were doing regular performance reviews 20 years ago at a time before they became popular.  The reviews give us a good place for feedback, coaching, and planning for next year.”

Reilly continued, “We continually recognize our long-term employees.  We have a dinner every year for employees that have been with us more than five years.  Since we have 565 employees, and 10 truckstops, it’s become quite an affair.”  Broadway makes the event special and recognizes five, 10-, and 20-year employees with pins.

Ernie Brame of Travel Centers of America in Kenly, North Carolina sees value in attracting and keeping staff in creating a clean environment. “The bathrooms are designed with no doors so they ventilate well and allow plenty of light.  And we keep them very clean and let the porters know how important their contribution to our operation is,” said Brame. “I’m glad we have almost no turnover, because I believe hiring is based on faith.  Once they’re on the job and are doing well that’s where respect in language makes a difference.  Here, you’ll never have someone yell ‘Hey, get over here with your mop.’  Employees won’t stay long with that kind of treatment.” 

Caldwell is committed to the standard of treating not only his customers, but also his employees, right.  When Caldwell had an opportunity to lease out Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, one of four profit centers at Castaic Lake truck plaza, he declined. “It’s like a bad apple in a barrel,” Jim reasoned. “One employee with a bad attitude can ruin everything you’ve worked to achieve at the operation.  If we leased out Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, we wouldn’t have the control we felt was necessary to maintain a positive workplace.  It’s just not a risk we felt we needed to take.” 

Bob Ryan also knows the value of creating a respectful workplace. “We are all on a first name basis and we have an employee indoctrination meeting once a month to introduce new employees to managers and let them get to know us,” stated Bob.  He takes pride in his operation as a place someone can get a second chance, while drawing a hard line on honesty.  He continues, “Our door is open 24/7 for the employees.  When they see my family and me get behind the cook station or cleaning a toilet, they understand that it’s all about the ‘bigger’ family getting the job done.  They also know that lying about something is a fast trip out the door.”   

“Hire the right people and treat them right, and they will stay with you and do a good job,” concluded Jim Caldwell. “You want to create a good place for employees to stop and stay.”  

Making your operation a good place for employees to stop for the long-haul takes a solid base of hiring and retention practices.  By focusing on the contribution you can make to their lives and setting clear expectations for your employees to meet for your operation, you create an environment that is profitable for everyone to stick around. 

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Jeffrey Hansler is a professional speaker, author, and consultant. He is a frequent speaker at association events and is the author of Sell Little Red Hen! Sell! He can be reached at jhansler@oxfordco.com.

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