Company Culture: “It sounds cliché to say we treat team members like family, but it’s really true,” says Carleen Gray, CEO of Stahls’ (asi/88984). “We have the best health benefits, 401(k) plans, wellness plans, compassionate managers and HR staff.” (And indeed, employees rated the company very highly for benefits on the Best Places to Work survey). Stahls’ makes an effort to foster a fun atmosphere, bringing in hot dog trucks for the opening day of baseball season, organizing desk decorating, cookie baking and other quirky holiday competitions, as well as encouraging hands-on community involvement. “Overall, we try not to take ourselves too seriously, but we do take treating our people well very seriously,” Gray adds, giving the example of Stahls’ “Stinky Shoe” step-tracking competition. More than 100 million steps were recorded by team members, who received prizes for participation.

COVID Changes: Throughout COVID, communication and transparency have been Stahls’ biggest priorities. Gray would share weekly messages talking about the state of the company, the industry and future plans. In addition, the company updated many of its policies – including PTO, overtime and training initiatives – to better support employees. In 2020, Stahls’ upgraded its phone and computer tech to enable remote work, and now has a hybrid setup. Production staff has, by necessity, remained on-site. Other team members now have the option of returning to the office, remaining remote or doing a combination of both. “We offer ‘hoteling’ spaces in most facilities that allow front-office positions to come in at a scheduled frequency,” Gray says.

Parting Tip: Get creative to attract talent to your company. “Over the last six to 12 months, hiring has become easier as we’ve implemented new recruitment strategies, such as employee referral bonuses and immediate enrollment in our top health benefits program, with no waiting period,” Gray says. “One of our more rural locations recently installed a billboard to recruit locals who may not be familiar with our company – and it’s working.”