Allyson Wright, Director of Human Resources at ADD Systems, joins Brian Cohen, ADD Systems Multimedia Specialist and host of ADDcast, to discuss: HR opportunities and challenges in today’s environment; what ADD Systems focuses on to build a strong company; advice for those looking for a career today; and a focus on future HR plans.
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Brian Cohen: Welcome to ADDcast. I’m ADD Systems Multimedia Specialist Brian Cohen. It’s become pretty clear that happy employees make a great company. And no matter what kind of company you run or work for, it’s incredibly important to be consistently striving to create the best workplace. Here at ADD Systems, the HR department does a lot to make ADD Systems a great place to work. So, we thought we’d talk with the company’s Director of Human Resources, Allyson Wright, about some of those efforts and the thoughts behind them. Ally, thank you so much for joining me today.
Ally Wright: Hi, Brian. Thanks for having me.
Brian: Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself as well as your role at ADD Systems?
Ally: Sure. My mom and dad, Bruce and Gale Bott started ADD Systems before I was born or even considered. So, I have been around ADD Systems since 1978. However, after I graduated from Lehigh University, 23 years ago, I came to ADD Systems. I worked in sales support, and then I went back in 2011, for my certificate in HR at County College of Morris. And then I came back with the company in HR, and have been there ever since. Now our group has grown to three, which is exciting for us.
Brian: Can you tell us about ADD’s overall company culture and values that you try to share and support in your role?
Ally: Sure. Being a family company, we support family values 110%. Everyone matters. All ideas are welcome, and we pretty much have an open-door policy with everyone from senior management down to the newest of employees.
Brian: What are some of the ways you see companies changing overall today?
Ally: Well, certainly it’s a competitive market. So, we have to make sure that we are flexible in all of our decisions when bringing on new employees and for our existing employees. We’ve gone from a nine-to-five work schedule, or an 8:30 to 5:30 in our company, to a more flexible work schedule, letting people work from home. COVID showed us that we can do it, so we continue to allow that to happen. We trust our employees. As long as we are successful, we are going to continue to let people work from home. And we focus on team building, and just making sure that everybody is constantly talking and getting their opinions expressed.
Brian: Now, what are some of ADD Systems’ HR initiatives to make some of the things you just talked about happen?
Ally: Well, we have allowed for casual dress because it allows a person to be more comfortable throughout the day. No need for what my grandfather used to complain about: ties and jackets all day long. We also allow for the remote working. And we’ve offered Lunch and Learns, which is a new initiative for HR, where we once a week, at least, or at least a couple of times a month, try for our employees to get together and learn a topic. It could be a very small topic that’s very focused; it could be a larger cultural thing. But we asked for other people to present it and our employees get to listen while they eat their lunch. We also have created an onboarding program for all of our new employees and even have touched base with some of our existing employees that weren’t given that opportunity a few years back. So, we brought on Dawn Quinn, who has 20 plus years’ experience at ADD Systems to pretty much teach people how ADD Systems works culturally and also our products which are so extensive.
Brian: So, from an HR perspective, how do you measure success?
Ally: We actually do a whole bunch of things. We always are constantly polling our employees, asking for people’s feedback. We are, again, an open-door policy. Both myself and Sandy Glenn, along with Dawn Quinn, are always willing to hear from our employees. Coming up with new ideas, we brainstorm pretty much once a week, the three of us, along with marketing to make sure that we are getting the message out the right way. And then we also constantly are doing surveys, like the Best Businesses in New Jersey. And then we also do the inclusive survey which allows for just different sets of questions to see what our employees are feeling and take their temperature. We also ask our employees that are leaving the company, whether they are retiring or moving on to another job. We get their feedback. We have a series of questions we ask, we share it with senior management, and we make changes for that. We also do annual reviews with all of our employees just to make sure everybody’s on the same page between managers and employees because it’s so important to make sure not only managers are happy, but also that employees are happy. And any concerns that come up in those reviews are brought in front of the senior managers. And there are follow-up discussions. So, we just are trying to constantly keep the lines of communication open.
Brian: Now, Ally, the industries we serve are really everywhere and people are still feeling the pinch when it comes to finding new employees. What has been your experience in terms of ADD Systems and do you have any best practices to share?
Ally: Sure. So we, like everybody else, struggle to find employees that want to be here for the long term. We aren’t interested in picking up somebody for a couple of months and then having to start the process over. We really want people for the 30-plus years that we’ve had. And the world has changed — not everybody wants to stay with one company. So, we try to constantly make ourselves appealing to existing employees as well as new employees. That involves extensive research on our health insurance and the other benefits we offer to employees. As simple as the work from home, that has brought happiness to people that maybe weren’t happy with the commute, allowing for people just to have flexibility to see a soccer game in the afternoon. We constantly are trying to think about what makes a person feel better about their life.
Brian: Well, I’m sure as the head of HR, you hear a lot about the human resources landscape in general. What do you see as some of the top challenges in that department moving forward?
Ally: So, I think that changing of jobs and employees that clearly are looking for better and better, as we have to make ourselves appealing again. And I think health insurance is such a difficult process to maneuver in the United States for everybody, but especially a smaller company that doesn’t have negotiating power. We can do very little in terms of what we do for our employees, but that is a huge benefit. So, when we’re able to take on a little more of the cost, that makes me feel good. The optional benefits are also where we go, where people can have different pieces of those insurances that allow for people to get a little bit back — any little bit helps. But I would also say that, you know, resumes come in all the time. Weeding out resumes, and finding the right people that fit us culturally is a very difficult process. And so, the interviewing processes is a tremendous one that we take on because we want to make sure everyone gets a chance to be with that possible employee. And then also allow them to have the same feel. They have to vibe with our senior management and our managers, as much as we have to vibe with them.
Brian: When you talk about the culture, how important do you think that is, in a company’s overall success? Is that one of the key components to a successful company?
Ally: I think absolutely. The culture is probably the main piece. I think that if you were to ask any of our tenured employees of 40 years plus, they came here and found a home. And that’s all about culture. So, if you don’t offer the right culture to an employee, and they don’t mesh with that culture, it immediately changes what’s happening at the company. And so that is probably the basis of everything. My parents were quick to make a family out of the employees they found. And so as we, the siblings, step in and try really hard to make that same thing happen. And I think that is super important for all of our employees. And for us — we have to be happy there, too.
Brian: So, when you consider your experience in HR and ADD Systems, what would be the single most important piece of advice for someone trying to create a successful workplace?
Ally: Listen to your employees. Hear what they have to say. You can’t always act on everything that they’re saying, but just letting them have a place to speak, and tell them that you hear their concerns, and that’s something that will change. I’m sure if you were to ask employees, sometimes I haven’t been able to act on their concerns. But as long as we have an open door, and I’m telling them, “I hear them, and I’m continuing to push towards that, but I just can’t do it right now,” I think that that probably helps somebody hang on that might be considering going someplace else, for whatever reason. But I think you have to listen, which is funny for me, because I talk a lot.
Brian: Well, do you have any advice for college graduates or even anyone who’s looking to start a new career in terms of best practices when they’re submitting their resumes to a company like ADD Systems?
Ally: Sure. I think you need to stand out. Don’t make it a boring resume. But, certainly, tell us about your background. I think that your cover letter means a lot. I think when you write something personal in that, that makes a lot more sense than just a resume that shows the bullets of where you’ve worked and for how long. I think when you get in front of an interview, whether it be Zoom, or a phone, or in person, I think you need to make a connection with the people that you have in the room. Show them your personality because that’s important. Your personality is going to come through when you start working there. So, if you hide your personality, and you don’t actually fit, that’s a mistake. That’s hard for you, and that’s hard for your company. So, I think be yourself, because you will eventually find a place. There’s a home for everybody. And I think that college students have the upper hand at the moment. They’re coming out; they’ve learned things newer than people that are currently in the workforce. So, bring your good ideas. Even if they’re shot down, don’t feel defeated. Just keep giving your good ideas.
Brian: Well, Ally, thank you so much for joining me today.
Ally: Thanks for having me.
Brian: To keep up with the latest happenings at ADD Systems, visit addsys.com/blog or connect with us on social media by following ADD Systems on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. If you have any questions about ADDcast, feel free to reach out to us at addcast@addsys.com. Thanks for listening, and have a great day!
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