Assembling the Right Team Without Instructions
Safetyline Jalousie team
As someone who gets frustrated by people doing things the way they've always been done just for the sake of it, I find it exhilarating to try new things and challenge myself. This trait doesn't start and stop with adrenaline-fuelled activities either. It filters down into how we run our business too.
I wouldn't blame you if you assumed a manufacturing company which supplies the construction sector with louvre windows would be made up of individuals from the same industry.
But It's just not the jalousie way.
At Safetyline Jalousie, we're known for challenging traditional processes and aiming to do things a little differently. So by approaching every aspect of our business with this mindset, we have learned the true importance of assembling the right team to share in our successes.
Recruitment minus Regret
From the very beginning of our business journey, Nath and I have viewed our hiring method with a mixed-bag approach. Plus, I have never been afraid to hire someone smarter than me. The first requirement? Just genuinely giving a sh*t. In fact, my gut feeling has never failed me on a hire.
Hiring for attitude over industry experience has been a great choice for us. For example, Adam, with a background in consumer sales is great at connecting with key decision-makers. He's our big idea generator, who, when given a whiteboard and a marker, has an endless dialogue of suggestions.
I have always searched to employ outsiders, looking away from window companies and the construction sector in general. Ensuring that SLJ has a team with multiple perspectives and ways of thinking/problem-solving. Inviting the possibility of them shining a light on the various areas of the business, perhaps identifying things we could be doing differently or unveiling things we don’t see.
Ali - "The Challenger" - is our only exception to this rule. With a background in the building industry, I was truly blown away by his loyalty. In fact, by interview four, I ended up figuratively sitting in the interviewee chair. To this day, he challenges me in the most constructive and functional ways possible.
Thinking back, perhaps one of our most inspired ideas was to recruit before a position is required to be filled. Focusing on employing long-term assets to the company, rather than a quick fix paired with high turnover rates. This gives us the time to ensure that each employee has the time to be trained correctly. Giving them (and us) the confidence that they won’t be arriving into a sh*tstorm of chaos.
Dive in with Diversity
Say you visited our Mona Vale factory today; you would walk into a mix of individuals you’d never think would work in the same discipline, let alone be friends. In fact, it may be one of the most diverse workplaces you have ever entered.
We have the pleasure of working amongst several different nationalities and cultures. As well as a mixture of individuals with varying backgrounds in sales, marketing, catering, defence, event management, landscaping, party entertainment and construction. Each team member bringing their own unique set of strengths, qualities, and expertise. Plus, the SLJ team has a great mixture of men and women - as any business should regardless of the sector.
Not just once but twice has it paid off to break the 'don't hire friends' rule. On this point, an introduction is owed to Chilli and Mike, both long-term friends of mine who have proved to be some of my greatest hires yet.
Chilli is our South American "Special Force" that runs the SLJ production line with military precision. Although his background as a soldier is exceptionally different to that of others in the office, I think this is one of his greatest assets. It has contributed to shaping a culture of community, camaraderie and commitment and has increased our capacity in a way that has never been done before. To be quite honest, we are both honoured and grateful that he chose to switch snipers for our window fabricators.
In my experience, I have found there can be great mutual respect between friends in the workplace. Michael, or just Mike, is known at SLJ for his constantly changing hairstyles (he's currently sporting a man bun but has been spotted with a buzz cut, dreadlocks, undercut, mullet – you name it, he'd had it). With a natural ability to connect with others, there's no surprise the factory floor is home to a following of Mike lookalikes. I don’t know what the office would be like without Mike and his easygoing nature.
The Strength of Support
As co-founder of SLJ with my brother Nathan, you could say the dangers of doing business with family and friends don’t intimidate us. In fact, we have seen our business excel with the help of some of our most cherished connections.
Which brings me to "Mrs Jalousie" - or Mandy, as we know her. With a former career in catering and event management, Mandy has been with us since the Vergola days. You could even call her an SLJ historian. With her endless knowledge and natural ability to boost team morale, it's impossible to pigeonhole Mandy. Her loyalty is outstanding and our success is every bit hers.
Following on from this, I couldn't talk about loyalty, experience or wisdom without mentioning Rom. Our most well travelled team member (the last count was 125 countries), he's one of the SLJ originals who has a great passion for the product and he has been instrumental in building our premium brand - so that we're not just a window business.
In any business, you need team members who can take constructive criticism. You need colleagues who you can talk business with on Friday and catch up for a beer with on Saturday.
You also need that go-to person who can solve almost every problem, and lucky for us, we've got Lisa.
Lisa is "Jalousie's Mum". She manages everyone's problems and brings a much needed maternal extinct to the team. Owning a business with her husband, Lisa has a deep understanding of what it costs to run a company. She cares about the future of SLJ and does what it takes to help us succeed.
Foundations for the Future
With this multi pillar strength behind me, I feel supported to explore the opportunities of taking the business to new places, whether that's pursuing international exports or developing new products.
By establishing a strong senior management structure with Lisa, Chilli, Mandy, and Nath, they've enabled me to spend more time on visionary endeavours while they take care of the day-to-day. That, paired with the just-as-brilliant team members Mike, Adam, Ali and Rom, we have built an extraordinary team which produces more than just windows.
The importance of finding good culture fits for your company supersedes any level of knowledge or expertise. After all, skills can be learnt but finding individuals who give a sh*t is rare these days. I am grateful for the loyalty and support of my team.
Our company wouldn't be the same without them.