I will be candid: new hires would be shocked to learn how quickly – and unanimously – the Kaser team can tell whether they’re a good fit.
I’m not saying this to scare potential employees away. On the contrary, I think Kaser’s culture is one of our great strengths, and I truly believe that talking about it will attract the right people. So in the spirit of transparency, here’s a list of the things new hires find most surprising about working at Kaser.
Everyone cares. A lot.
The powder shop could not produce at such a high level if I were the only one invested. If you’re looking for a job in which you can coast until the manager shows up, Kaser is not for you. Your teammates give it their all every day, and they will hold you to that same standard.
The quality of your training will depend on your effort.
Jay Wills has been spraying powder for many years. He’s a bona fide expert, and he has a lot of knowledge to share – but he won’t bother sharing it with someone who shows up late every day. That’s his call to make; I will never force him to invest his valuable time in anyone he doesn’t like. If you want the privilege of being trained by Wills, you’ll have to earn it from him.
We talk to one another.
I RARELY make decisions without asking for my team’s input. I respect their opinions. There is no scenario in which a new hire could act one way with me, and another way with my team, and get away with it – at least not for long. We tell each other the truth.
The shop rules are not just my rules.
It happens from time to time: I remind a new hire to do something a certain way, they agree in order to pacify me, and they wait until I leave before going back to doing it wrong. They think that I concocted these random rules alone in my office, when in fact, all of our processes were developed collaboratively over time. If we’ve trained you to do things a certain way, it’s because the whole team agrees that that way leads to the best outcomes.
If accountability, open communication, and high standards sound oppressive or scary, Kaser likely isn’t a good fit for you. But if the challenge of working side-by-side with high performers excites you, you’ll find that the Kaser team is staffed with some of the best, brightest, and kindest people you’ve ever met. We’d all love to work with you.
