Long-Term Thinking in a Short-Term Workforce
It used to be normal to work for the same company for 30+ years.
But what happens when the workforce no longer operates that way?
Zach C. Monroe, MBA, Vice President of Global Sales and Services at Card-Monroe Corp., shares what it’s been like to grow within the same company for 18 years and how he leads a team that likely won’t follow that same path.
From rethinking retention strategies to hiring “hungry, humble, and smart” team members, Zach gives a window into his leadership process.
What are some key takeaways from your career?
Being in a family business, I knew that, for the most part, this was all that I would know. So, after a few years of working, I went back to get my MBA from UTC. I wanted experience external to the business. I’ve also served on boards of other businesses because I didn’t want to be siloed into one way of thinking. It’s important to me to learn from people outside of the organization so that I can bring that perspective back to the work here.
You’ve been at Card-Monroe for 18 years now. Longer employment terms are becoming less common for younger generations. How do you address this as someone who will likely be in leadership at the same place for most of your career?
I can’t expect the same loyalty from today’s talent that we had from talent 44 years ago. Back then, we had employees who stayed here for 30+ years. Now those employees are retiring, and we have to adjust to the new workforce. Especially considering our niche, we recognize that we typically will have to hire two or three people and hope one of them stays for at least 3-4 years. We can no longer have the expectation that we’re going to hire somebody and they’re going to be here for 30 years.
While we can’t expect that level of loyalty, we are currently working on ways to promote retention on our team through apprenticeships and investment in our employees.
What is one quality that you look for in new hires to ensure they’re a great culture fit for your team?
The ideal team player is hungry, humble, and smart. We look for people who have the desire to come in and learn. They should recognize that they don’t know everything, which, in turn, makes them hungry to learn.
About five years ago, we started structuring our performance evaluations around our core values. When we interview prospective candidates, we review our value and we tell them that their performance review will be largely based on these values. We make it very clear that this is our culture so that from the very beginning, you know what you’re getting into and we can mutually decide if this will be a good culture alignment.
What are the core values of Card-Monroe?
Honesty, integrity, love, dignity and respect, and a servant’s heart.
What advice would you share with job seekers?
It can’t be repeated enough: come prepared for your interview. I’ve seen too many people come to interviews who don’t even know what the company does. Read the website, watch videos, look at social media. There’s so much information out there, you just need to use your resources.
If you want to simplify it even further, ask ChatGPT for a one-pager. Whatever you do, be sure to know what the company does and show that you’ve put in some effort to understand your potential employer.
Looking to the future, what is one skill or trait that you think will be essential for success?
College is not the only option. People who are proficient in skilled trades are becoming few and far between, but the need for them is remaining the same, if not growing. There’s a huge demand for trades. For manufacturing, that’s a continued job sector I’d love to see become more popular. We’ve partnered with Chattanooga State’s machine shop program, and we’ve started apprenticeship programs to grow our talent. It’s a longer investment, but necessary.
Thanks for sharing, Zach!
If you’d like to learn more about Zach or Card-Monroe, check out his LinkedIn profile here or Card-Monroe’s website here.
And if you’re looking for a new role, check out Card-Monroe’s open roles here.