Letter on the Third — June 2022

Dear Datamax Family,

I certainly don’t have to remind you of this, but I’ll say it anyway. We’ve been through a lot over the past two and a half years. A pandemic and subsequent shutdown. Global supply chain issues that make our jobs more difficult every day. And a job market that, as one HR Advisor and published business author wrote, “has gone crazy.”

The author, Josh Bersin, goes on to write:

“The labor market is really under stress. This is a unique time. We’re entering a period of inflation, a possible recession, and industry reinvention all at once. It’s hard to see where it all goes. But there’s one thing I can tell you. Being an irresistible company is the best strategy of all. And this doesn’t mean just give them good pay and benefits. It means carefully selecting the right people, giving them the agency to be productive and grow, and listening to everything they say.”

In this month’s Rave Review we’re talking a lot about the word “Retain.” Just like a retaining wall fortifies an area against erosion and flooding, we build our own structures and systems to “retain” those we serve and those we serve alongside. How do we retain customers in such a strange climate? How do we retain employees in a “crazy” job market? I believe Bersin begins to answer that second question with his words above, and here’s why. Bersin is ultimately saying a company’s culture dictates its fate. Culture is what stabilizes a vessel in rough waters. Culture is what makes what we do every day rewarding, impactful, and successful.

“Selecting the right people."

We preach often about “Right Person, Right Job, Right Relationship.” There will always be someone who will pay more, just like there will always be someone taller, faster, or smarter than you. However, what we bring to our employees goes back to overall value, and goes back to our philosophy: When you hire Right Person, Right Job, Right Relationship, that’s tough to beat.

“Giving them the agency to be productive and grow.”

This sentiment closely mirrors Datamax Philosophy #5: “To provide an environment in which employees have the opportunity to achieve a career path with stability.” Our goal is to provide you a career path with success, growth and satisfaction, to offer you the resources that put you in a position to be the best. Your success is huge to our culture.

“Listening to everything they say.”

I believe this starts with Datamax Principle #8: “Keep Everyone Informed.” That is why we hold Annual Meetings, like the one we just completed in Little Rock and we’ll have soon in Texas. It’s important that you know everything that is going on at Datamax. At the same time, we’ve gotten a lot of great feedback out of that meeting, and we’ll continue to get more in the days and weeks ahead. We want you to ask questions (we actually opened up our Little Rock Meeting to questions). Our leaders here are active listeners to your opinions, your concerns, and your needs. Remember: People (especially our customers!) don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Last month we won the BBB of Arkansas Torch Award for Ethics. This is all about trust, and a huge honor that we owe to all of our employees, so I want to thank you for having the ability to achieve that. In closing, we truly want to listen to your needs, and truly want to help you become better. If you feel that you’re struggling, if you’re not a Raving Fan of something within our company right now, if you have concerns, I would say talk to your manager or reach out to me. That’s just part of How We Roll here. That’s our culture.

The Best is Yet to Be.