Quarter 2 of 2017 is in the books and with it comes a new round of Quarterly Core Value Award Winners!
One of the most important things that makes Clickstop what it is, is our commitment to who we are outside of work. The people, places, and hobbies that make us who we are. While at work, our friends and family are still very much a part of us , and we know the importance of making time for those things that make us happiest. That is why we have the core value Make Time for Fun and Family. Our Quarter 2 award winner for this value really takes it to heart, and that person is Sarah Meinders.
Sarah has been with Clickstop for over six years and has taken on many roles at Clickstop. She started in merchandising, has spear headed our 3rd party channel efforts, has been in leadership, and is currently focusing her efforts on user experience for US Cargo Control. She has taken advantage of many of the opportunities at Clickstop by communicating openly and honestly with her leader. The core values have helped her balance her career, and seek out opportunities.
“Core values clearly outline who we are as a company and how we work.” said Sarah’s leader, Matt Mitchell. Matt has been with Clickstop for 4 years. “It gives every employee an understanding of how they’re expected to work and it fuels our culture, which in turn fuels our success as a company.”
So we wanted to ask Sarah a bit about her experiences at Clickstop. Check out her answers!
What is your favorite part about working at Clickstop?
The PEOPLE. Secondly, the work itself. I like getting to make a big impact with the work that I do.
Why is it important for a company to have core values in place?
People know what is expected of them when they have core values to hold themselves accountable to. Core values also unify employees and help recruit the right team members to join the Clickstop family.
How do you relate to the core value Make Time for Fun & Family?
We all have lives outside of the Clickstop walls, so don’t let yourself be torn between work and personal. It is all intertwined. Find something you are passionate about, work hard, and have fun doing it. When you’re bought in to the bigger picture of Clickstop, your day to day work becomes much more fulfilling. When you’re more fulfilled at work, you become more fulfilled in your whole life and it carries through to being a better spouse, parent, friend, and coworker.
What advice do you give to others who might be struggling to find balance with work and fun/family?
Evaluate your personal and work life and understand your priorities and goals. Priorities and goals change and that is okay. The key is communicating those changes with your leader when they arise and finding a solution that is fulfilling for you and your life. That’s what is so great about this place, your career is not put in a box, but it is up to you to drive changes forward.
What are your major goals at Clickstop? Where do you see yourself in five years?
My major goal is to make the biggest impact I can each and every day. I am not sure exactly what I will be doing at Clickstop, but in five years I know I will still be working here.
Everyone was very excited to see Sarah was honored with this award. Matt could especially see how she has embraced this core value.
“Everything changed for Sarah when she had her first child, Kalan. Her priorities shifted as a new mom and you could see it. She does an awesome job of getting her work done, managing her schedule, and still making time for her family. When she had her second child, Malea, she came back from maternity leave energized and jumped right back into her work, adding an immediate impact to the team. Overall, she’s a great example of the work life balance we promote at Clickstop.”
Finally, Sarah summed it all up perfectly…
“We work at an amazing company with amazing people, so take advantage of it and make your mark here. This is just the beginning!”
I recently read an article about gratitude. In this article, the author talked about gratitude exercises; spending five minutes a day to think about or write about what you are grateful for. It doesn’t have to be big and earth shattering. Your gratitude can simply be for the cup of coffee you had this morning. It can be about the new band you found that gets you jamming on the way to work. Whatever made you smile, laugh, or just put you in a great mood. Think about those things and reflect on them. What about it made you feel good? How can you bring that back into your life each day and share your experiences with others?
A simple exercise like this can truly change you.
At Clickstop, we love showing our gratitude for each other and for things in our lives.
For the last few weeks, employees had the chance to come to the media room and do a quick video showing appreciation for one or many of their co-workers. And even though many people are completely intimidated by the video camera, we had a good 30 or so people participate. Employees from every team came to express their gratitude towards the many hard-working, dedicated friends they have right here. Being behind the camera capturing these moments is exciting. Not only does it give me a daily dose of gratitude, but reaffirms the reasons I have chosen Clickstop as my career.
Last week we tied all of our gratitude together into one big celebration. For the afternoon, employees came outside to try to dunk a leadership team member in a dunk tank! Employees who recognized someone automatically earned a softball and anyone else could purchase softballs – all of the money going towards Clickstop Cares. We had basketball and bags games going throughout the day and Peppy’s Ice Cream even came to help everyone battle the heat. The day was a success and left everyone feeling refreshed and ready to conquer another week!
So if you ever need a pick-me-up in the middle of your day, just pause for a few minutes and think of the things you are grateful for. Let it soak into you and refresh your mind. Trust us, it is worth it.
Communicate: To share or exchange information, news, or ideas.
Openly: Without concealment, deception, or prevarication, especially where these might be expected; frankly or honestly.
Confidence: The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.
Respect: A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
We take our core values seriously at Clickstop, and Communicating Openly with Confidence and Respect helps keep the entire company moving in the right direction.
Communicating Openly with Confidence and Respect is an expectation at Clickstop, but is also second nature to all who work here. We all work so well together, it just happens, though doesn’t make it any less important. In order for us to improve as teammates, as individuals, and as a company, we have to hold ourselves accountable to great communication. We are always seeking to improve and grow, and through this core value, and efforts made by individuals throughout the company, we are hoping to do just that.
One person who has been running a program to get good and timely communication and feedback from employees is Britni Graham. Britni is our Talent & Engagement Specialist and has been with the company for 4 years. For almost a year, Britni has been conducting Pulse Surveys for our company. The Pulse Surveys are set up to… well, take Clickstop’s pulse! We want employees to have a way to anonymously give feedback around various topics. We then use that information provided by employees to strengthen or adjust things throughout the company.
Britni gave us a closer look into the processes and goals of the Pulse Surveys. Check it out!
Tell me about your role at Clickstop.
“I work to get out and promote Clickstop. I conduct phone interviews; screen resumes and partner with company leaeders to make hiring decisions that are highly aligned with Clickstop and our Core Values. I drive strategy for the development of high employee engagement and programs that support those initiatives; with this I am responsible for the development, organization, and administration of gathering the pulse of employee engagement and quantifying that information for the company as a whole.”
Why did Clickstop start doing Pulse Surveys?
“I had identified a need for the company to have real-time feedback. Our current avenues for this served the company well when it was smaller, but as we grow we need to ensure that our efforts to connect people and make them feel heard and appreciated are held in the highest regard. This is a way to connect leadership and the entire company with what employees are thinking, feeling, and perceiving.”
What type of information are we trying to find out?
“We want the good and the constructive. We want to promote open communication about various topics from company safety efforts to satisfaction with company leadership.”
How does Clickstop use the results?
“Leaders and contributors alike are given the results. We set an expectation of open and transparent communication, so all in the company can see how any individual team is doing. Putting the information into action is an expectation. Leadership uses their report to discuss themes that occur on teams; sometimes this can mean something needs to happen or a course needs to be adjusted because what is discovered.”
What are your overall goals when conducting these surveys?
“To embrace and cultivate a culture of open feedback. When people feel heard and connected, levels of engagement go up. A highly engaged workforce means that people have both an emotional and professional connection to their work and the organization. Clickstop works very hard to hire great people, and we have a responsibility as a company to create an environment that fosters everything that we stand for in our Core Values.”
Pick a Core Value and explain how it ties into the Pulse Surveys.
“I have two in mind. Communicate Openly with Confidence and Respect – None of what we do here or plan on doing in the future would be possible without sharing what we know, what we think, and what ideas we have. Personally, I am driven by Be Adventurous, Embrace and DRIVE CHANGE – specifically driving change. I am always eager to see the impact in what I am involved in. I am committed to making Clickstop even better than it is today.”
Where do you see Clickstop in 5 years? How do the Pulse Surveys help get us there?
I see Clickstop at least doubled in size, with the possibility of other locations. If this is the case, we will have the task of ensuring all are heard and connected. We have to set ourselves up with a sustainable program that keeps what is important to the experts that we hire, top of mind for the company. Pulse can play a huge part in the future of Clickstop.
As you can see, Clickstop has programs and people in place to keep the company moving forward. Pulse Surveys will continue to help us improve our processes, keep employees engaged, and help bring forward the best possible Clickstop.
Sean started at Clickstop almost 2 years ago after moving to Iowa from California. Since the day he walked through the doors at Clickstop, he has truly embraced the culture, the people, and the work. Sean is a sales specialist on the Bing team, where he helps customers and supports our Eco Foil, Fasteners Plus, Space Savers, and Just Plastic Boxes brands.
“Sean brings energy and positivity with him every day,” said the Bing General Manager Tammy Karr. “He cares deeply about the spirit of the team and will go above and beyond to make sure everyone at Clickstop is having fun while at work. He definitely makes our team energy AWESOME! Each of us brings different strengths to the team and Sean owns and embraces his strengths to make the team successful.”
The core values are our foundation and building blocks. They propel us towards meeting our mission statement. Sean understands the importance and knows the core values influence each and every one of us to be better, in turn making the company better. “Believing in our company and leadership gives me the motivation and excitement to drive a winning team spirit in all others. It’s very exciting thinking about where this company came from and where it is going. Just thinking of this gets me pumped and drives me to creating a fun and entertaining work place. Being able to put smiles on people’s faces is what it is all about. A happy smiling face is contagious, and I feel people are more productive when they are in good spirits.”
Tammy definitely agrees with Sean and sees the core values in action through Sean daily. “Whether it be on Thrive, filling the need of an additional board member for Clickstop Cares, motivating us in the gym, or recognizing when someone needs a smile put on their face, you can count on Sean to jump in and make a difference. And let’s be real. Have you ever met anyone with so much energy?”
Reflecting on being the first ever recipient of the Core Value Award for Promoting a Winning Team Spirit, Sean thinks of the dad from A Christmas Story. “It is amazing, a true honor. I won my own leg lamp!”
Finally, Sean encourages everyone to stay positive and motivated. Embrace the core value by talking with as many people throughout the day as possible. Send funny, positive memes or messages through email, or just make sure everyone knows they are valued.
Congratulations on this “Major Award” Sean! It is well deserved!
Clickstop owns and operates several different brands, our biggest being US Cargo Control. The majority of our employees work under the USCC brand, doing a variety of work. From talking with customers and making sales, to picking and packing orders, we employ some incredibly talented people to make it happen. Two of those people are Leslie and Allen from the purchasing department.
Our purchasing department… well, they purchase! They are the ladies and gents behind the scenes sourcing products, filling our warehouse, and helping us find great quality items at good prices. The team works closely with all teams in the company and help keep us efficient and nimble.
Recently, two of the Purchasing employees made a trip to China to visit a few of our vendors. Leslie Lowdermilk, our senior buyer who has been here for over 6 years, and Allen DeHeck, our Customs Compliance Manager and Procurement Specialist, who has been here 8 years. (Whew! Someone is going to have to talk to Allen about shortening up that title!) Allen and Leslie were representing Clickstop while they were in China for 11 days, touring many factories and experiencing the culture.
So, we had to find out the details of this trip from Leslie and Allen. Check out what they had to say!
So far in our core value blog series we have seen how Wesley McElwee has been a prime example of how to Make Time for Fun and Family. We have also learned how important it is to Communicate Openly with Confidence and Respect through the examples set by Rhonda Giebelstein. Both Wesley and Rhonda show living the core values can help you achieve great things personally and professionally.
Another employee who is a core value champion is Justin Taylor.
Justin Taylor sporting his Expect Greatness t-shirt.
Justin Taylor started at Clickstop almost 3 years ago. He started on the Marketing team and transitioned over to the Business Intelligence team, where he has been rocking through data ever sense. Justin is a true Clickstop advocate. The people, the great opportunities for growth, the creativity, and the flexibility all keep Justin engaged in his work and the company. He knows how to pace himself, set big goals, and achieve anything he sets his mind to, which is why he was recognized for the core value Expect Greatness in Yourself and Inspire it in Others.
“Justin shares ideas and asks questions in a way that pushes everyone around him to be better.” said Director of Business Intelligence Krystal Talbert. “To continue producing the kind of results we expect at Clickstop, we have to keep pushing ourselves and the people around us to grow. Justin is a great example of someone who does this.”
Expecting Greatness means leading by example. Promote growth by listening, caring, and investing your time in other people’s development.
“Our core values provide a baseline for bringing people on board.” said Justin “When we can align behind these values, it makes everything else we do operate at a consistent high level. The values challenge people to improve and encourages accountability everyday.”
Justin knows the importance of having core values, such as Expect Greatness. “It is how we continue to accelerate people’s careers to meet their personal goals. It is how we continue to retain high performers and promote collaboration between co-workers.”
Everyone achieves more when we work together to identify our strengths and weaknesses as a team. When we build each other up, we build trust. With trust comes communication and success.
Justin wants to encourage others to expect and inspire greatness throughout the company. “Expecting greatness can take form in several ways. It is demonstrated through taking extra time to explain the process behind a decision. It can also be taking a chance on someone that may not have had the experience but is willing to learn. Additionally, it can be simply asking questions and working with others to achieve the best outcomes.” These are the behaviors we love to see our employees engaged in. When we take the time to learn and grow within our roles and even outside of our expertise, and then communicate what we have learned, the company can only grow stronger.
Justin is a little shy though when being recognized. “To be singled out in a company with so many people that exemplify these values everyday was a bit shocking. It is nice to be recognized and I feel encouraged that taking time to grow our staff and build up co-workers is valued at Clickstop.”
Well, we’re excited to see Justin is our first quarterly winner of the core value award Expect Greatness in Yourself and Inspire it in Others. Congratulations Justin!
