May/June 2017 – BizVoice/Indiana Chamber
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RESOURCE:
Impact Networking at
www.impactmybiz.comWork hard, move up
Promotion from within is another vital strategy. Jon Voytilla is a
good example as he started as a sales associate out of college. Three
years later – at age 24 – he became a branch manager (he and Curless
are both branch managers and sales team leaders in Indianapolis).
“It’s a company you can grow with,” Voytilla says. “I know I’m
with a company that’s growing and I’m growing myself.”
A focus of Impact Networking’s recruitment efforts is a young
pipeline of talent. Of the branch’s 25 associates, 13 were millennials
in 2016.
When Michael Cucco was 16, he started in his uncle’s company
by sweeping floors and performing warehouse duties. Fifteen years
later, he’s worked his way through the ranks to become the
Indianapolis Strategic Services branch manager and company partner.
“We look for talented, motivated individuals and we do a lot of
recruiting right out of colleges … we have a very good relationship
with the local colleges and universities around our branches,” the
younger Cucco explains.
The company’s 2015 voluntary turnover was less than half the
industry average. The recruitment philosophies play directly into its
success at retention.
“We’re looking for people who want a career. We want people
who are looking to succeed, get promoted and find success. … There
are no surprises and it’s all performance-based,” Cucco adds.
Perk-ing up
And we can’t forget about the perks.
An annual all-company trip, for instance, is one of those times
when – if the company meets its goals – everyone qualifies (or has a
chance to take a cash buyout to take their own family vacation, etc.).
“It keeps everybody moving in the same direction,” Cucco notes.
“We’ve been to places like Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, Puerto Rico.”
The quarterly all-company meetings offer a chance for employees
to come together and socialize, learn about the state of the company
and have a chance to win prizes (Apple watches, TVs, Beats headphones)
– or cold hard cash inside the Impact Cash-o-nator (where a team
member collects money blowing around inside a glass box).
Sales staff have company cars and technicians are provided with
vans, as well as clothing items needed for all seasons.
Employees pick out Rolex watches on their 10th anniversary. A
new addition is the five-year anniversary gift of a $2,000 gift certificate
to Tiffany’s & Co.
The perks – and the camaraderie that is built around getting to
know co-workers through incentive trips – reinforce Impact Networking
as a place where young salespeople are attracted.
Voytilla, a former college football player, sees potential for other
former college athletes that maybe don’t know what they want to do
next after graduation.
“This company does make that transition a lot easier, from a
culture standpoint, the fun stuff we do, the camaraderie. There’s
something to be said about that, and I do think people choose to work
for Impact because they can sense that pretty early on,” he asserts.
One of the company’s signature community service initiatives is Letters to Santa. The Indianapolis branch partners with Latino Community Development to
provide toys and other items, and the general manager dresses up as Santa Claus with associates handing out gifts to local children.
The company’s onboarding process includes a two-week “boot camp”
for new hires. Time spent in the organization pays off with gifts of jewelry
on five- and 10-year anniversaries.