Building a Better Fastener Business

Building a Better Fastener Business

When you consider that the Archimedes screw was invented in the 3rd century B.C., there’s no doubt that the fastener industry is mature. Really mature.

And that perception of being an “old” industry can make it hard to hire the talent you need to grow your business. It’s difficult to attract Millennials to shiny fasteners when there are lots of shiny new tech businesses vying for their attention.

So what’s a fastener industry executive to do?

“Instead of trying to attract talent to our businesses, we have to make our businesses attractive to talent,” says Earnest Machine’s Kirk Zehnder. “And that starts with the realization that looks matter.”

By that, Zehnder means that business owners should consider when they last did a brand refresh. “How does your website look,” asks Zehnder. “Do your site and your logo truly represent who you are? Do they make your company look vibrant and reflect where you’re headed? Or are you still using the same logo that you drew up on a napkin 20 years ago and took to a local printer?”

Your logo and website are important because they’re almost always the first point of contact a potential job candidate will have with your business. Zehnder points out that would-be employees will subconsciously compare your logo and website--and thus your business--to those that stand out in their minds, helping them draw a conclusion on whether or not yours is a company at which they’d like to work.

“Let’s say you’ve got a job candidate coming in to interview,” says Zehnder. “She or he will have looked at your website and already made judgments about your company before ever setting foot in the door. If your website has done a good job of portraying your company, you need to then make sure that your offices also portray your business in a positive light.”

Zehnder relates that job candidates, customers, and suppliers often come to the Earnest Machine headquarters and say that they weren’t sure they were in the right place. Their expectations are a 1960’s office and sprawling warehouse in an industrial park, but instead, they find a small, modern office building in a quaint Cleveland suburb.

“There weren’t any restaurants near our old office, which was in the middle of a non-descript industrial park,” says Zehnder. “Now we have 23 restaurants within a half-mile, which makes it easy for employees to go for a walk and grab lunch at a great local restaurant.”

In addition to the location, the layout of Earnest Machine’s offices is another draw for potential employees. The space is open, bright and cheery, with a design that encourages communication and collaboration.

“Think of Thanksgiving dinner,” points out Zehnder. “The kids sit at one table, while the adults sit at another. When you learn to behave like an adult, you get to sit at the adult table.

“It’s the same thing in a business setting. When everyone sits around a formal table in a conference room, the atmosphere is very formal and business-like. But when you sit in the conference room on a comfortable couch, the conversation becomes less formal, more open and transparent.”

Zehnder emphasizes that transparency is critical for moving your business forward. He notes that Earnest shares customer service figures, delivery success rates and even the company’s financial performance with employees.

“Transparency is the new norm,” says Zehnder. “People don’t keep a diary; they share everything on Facebook, and they expect the companies they work for to share everything with them.
“Businesses have to modernize, and not just because of technology,” he adds. “We’re selling products that are 2,000 years old, but we’re successful because we’ve made our business contemporary. It’s important to us that people feel good about what they’re doing, where they are and what this company is all about. It’s not easy to do that. It’s hard and it costs money, but it’s fundamental and critical for the long-term health of any business.”