Workplace MVP: Rosana Preston, Rosedale Transport

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Workplace MVP. Workplace MVP is brought to you by R3 Continuum, a global leader in workplace behavioral health and security solutions. Now, here’s your host, Jamie Gassmann.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:25] Hi, everyone. Your host, Jamie Gassmann, here and welcome to this episode of Workplace MVP. When a crisis event happens, whether it is a large scale or small scale incident, the effects of the event tend to put things into perspective, leading us to reflect on our current lives and reevaluate what matters most. Over the last year with the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have done just that. And as a result, it is leading to a dramatic increase in resignations and what is now being referred to as the great resignation.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:01] In April and June alone, the Department of Labor recorded a record of four million people resigned their jobs in each month. And this level resignation, coupled with a shortage of job seekers, has workplaces looking to strengthen cultures and create a work experience for their employees where they have no need to leave. What are the secrets to keeping that strong work experience that no one wants to leave?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:25] And with us today to share best practices for how they have been able to create a great work experience for employees is Workplace MVP Rosana Preston, Director of HR and Administration for Rosedale Transport. Welcome to the show, Rosanna.

Rosana Preston: [00:01:42] Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:44] So, let’s start off, walk us through your career journey and how you came into your position as Director of HR and Administration at Rosedale Transport.

Rosana Preston: [00:01:54] Well, I was kind of just trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and I got a job at a nearby transportation company. And I was very fortunate in that I met many different mentors that afforded me the opportunity to move through, learn, and grow. So, my all things trucking passion started with me working for the safety department, the recruiting department, the administration, getting involved in training and development, and then moving into management.

Rosana Preston: [00:02:32] As my career continued to progress, again, I remained able to continue to grow and kept me so involved in the trucking industry with mentors and support. I moved forward and I have been able to continue my career in HR and administration as a director for Rosedale. And focus on a goal, my own goal, to be committed to creating a respectful workplace, one that encourages personal and professional growth and is psychologically safe for everyone.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:11] Fabulous. So, tell us a little bit about Rosedale Transport. How many employees do you have? Obviously, it does transportation like trucking. So, talk to us about, you know, where your drivers are transporting to and just kind of give us a little bit of background.

Rosana Preston: [00:03:27] I can. About 52 years ago, two gentlemen and one truck decided to start a trucking company. They had a vision. While we celebrated our 50th anniversary with a huge, huge party, that vision turned into what Rosedale is today. Predominantly, we specialized in floor covering. The transportation of floor covering represents about 60 to 70 percent of our business. The rest is general freight. We have a terminal location in Dalton, Georgia, which everyone knows is the carpet capital. So, two men and one truck grew to 15 locations across Canada, one in the U.S., and about 800 employees and 1,700 pieces of equipment.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:17] Wow. All from two men and a truck.

Rosana Preston: [00:04:21] Two men and truck, that’s how it all started.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:23] Fabulous. So, on a previous call that you and I had had, you shared that the organization has had a very strong retention history. So, can you share with us and kind of elaborate a little bit on what your retention history looks like.

Rosana Preston: [00:04:38] Absolutely. So, when we talk about retention in the trucking industry, it generally focuses with drivers because that is one of the biggest problems. I’m proud and happy to say that when I look at the company’s retention from zero to one year, we’re running at 77.3 percent. From zero to 30 years, we’re running at 85 percent. I believe our retention numbers are high because we’re a good company to work for and we’re a people company.

Rosana Preston: [00:05:09] As far as the staff – we talked a little bit about that – there’s many, many people across our organization that have received their 25 year watches, like myself, for over 30 years. And I guess we kind of joke anybody under ten years is a newbie. And, again, that speaks for the company and people just don’t leave.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:33] Yeah. So, obviously, are you looking at this year coming out of COVID and having organizations with this great resignation, are you seeing any impact on that or is your retention still staying strong?

Rosana Preston: [00:05:47] Our retention is still staying strong. During COVID, unfortunately, the economy and every company, I think, took a bit of a hit. And for the first time in our history, we had to lay off some employees on the operating side of the company. Most of them have been brought back.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:08] Great. Great. So, what do you feel is really helping to create this work environment that employees want to stay at, especially your truck drivers? I mean, you see a lot of articles that there’s hiring issues with truck drivers and even in the trucking industry in general. So, what do you think is helping with your work environment that’s making that difference?

Rosana Preston: [00:06:31] I think being visible, being honest, transparent, and down to earth has created an environment that promotes that kind of retention. Over the years, we have kept our focus on staying current. And we’re not a one size fits all type of organization. We stay current and try and know what is important to our people. And I believe those are some of the facts that promote retention.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:07:03] Yeah. So, by staying current, what types of things do you do to make sure that you’re staying current with them? Are you out having conversations with the staff? Are you doing team surveys? What are some of the things that you’re monitoring that help you to know that you’re hitting that mark?

Rosana Preston: [00:07:20] I think, first of all, staying in touch with the times. You know, today’s worker is a lot different than someone 30 years ago. We all know that today people are looking for that work-life balance. The days of people working from sunup to sundown are gone. People don’t want to do that anymore. And there’s been a lot of corporations that at one time demanded that type of time from their employees. They’re not around anymore.

Rosana Preston: [00:07:51] So, understanding the culture, understanding how people have changed, that is learning that we have to stay on top of. And not just hunker down and think, “Well, that was the way it was 40 years ago.” Because that’s not the way it is today. So, we’ve kept that focus on staying current and listening to the people, being visible. Kind of establishing that comfort where someone sees you, they’re not shy to come up and say, “Hi, How are you doing?” whether it’s the president, the vice president, or any one of the directors I mean, no one is reluctant to come and say hello, that’s for sure.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:08:31] Yeah. That’s fantastic. And you mentioned culture a couple of times. You know, why is that so important in relation to retention in your opinion?

Rosana Preston: [00:08:41] Well, we spend a lot of time at work. Sometimes we see the people that we work with more than we might see a family member. Liking what you do and where you do it makes it all the better. If you have all the other factors that work for you, such as salary, opportunities to grow, you like where you work, and you feel like you’re a part of the organization, why would you leave? I mean, other than, of course, if someone got transferred or there’s some extenuating circumstances. But why look for greener grass when your grass is already green?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:09:20] That’s a great point. And a lot of people do that, they’ll seek that greener grass. I know in my own career I’ve seen people that will leave, you know, when you’ve got things that are pretty good. And then, I, generally, see them come back, which is interesting. Do you sometimes see that in your own work environment?

Rosana Preston: [00:09:37] Oh, very much so. I mean, we have one gentleman, unfortunately, he knows that if there’s a spot open, we’ll bring him back. But he left for greener pastures. And sometimes I find people are not always honest about the job that they’re presenting, and someone leaves, and they get to their other place, and it’s not quite what they thought it was. And then, they either stay there or try and come back. We have a lot of people that we’ve rehired.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:06] Yeah. Interesting. And I know you’ve previously shared when you talk about the culture that you’ve built, which sounds like an amazing environment for those employees with that visibility to leadership and kind of transparency and comfort. You built that culture within the main terminal, but you’ve been able to replicate that across all the other terminals and also replicate that with your drivers that are out on the road. So, can you share a little bit about what were some of the ways that you’ve been able to kind of maintain that culture across the entire organization and all areas that employees might be working?

Rosana Preston: [00:10:48] Sure. One of the things is consistency, the same message throughout the organization. Whether you’re in Winnipeg, Montreal, or Toronto, it’s the same message. It’s the same company. We promote an inclusive management style. And respect in the workplace is paramount here. Again, so it’s the same message that transcends all the locations.

Rosana Preston: [00:11:15] One of the things we like to do a lot is have fun. And pre-COVID, I think, I was explaining to you, we celebrated everything that we possibly could. So, head office would send out a call to action that we’re going to be celebrating these days. But then, how that location is decided to celebrate it was up to them. They know what their people like. They know which day would be the best day to celebrate. And we allowed the managers and their cheerleaders were able to run with creativity, food choices, decorations. Everything was left up to them. If we were having food truck in Mississauga, that necessarily didn’t mean Montreal was going to have one. They might have done something different.

Rosana Preston: [00:12:04] Our marketing team always helped by sending all the branches out material. We probably have bought more baseball caps – I don’t know what – the Toronto Blue Jays. And we have them distributed throughout the organization. And, of course, that’s good advertising for us as well. We change them up because you can’t have the same hat two years in a row. So, different locations know what works best for them.

Rosana Preston: [00:12:34] And, of course – and, again, pre-COVID. I’m hoping we can get back to this – we always had chocolate at all of the stations, the office, the warehouse, the dispatch area. Chocolates for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween. There’s just something that starts off your day when you walk in and you can put your hand in a bowl and take some chocolate and away you go.

Rosana Preston: [00:12:58] So, we would definitely want to get back to that. We might do it a little different. All the candy will be wrapped and so on. We’ll figure it out. But it certainly won’t stop us from celebrating in the future.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:13:09] Yeah. It’s amazing what chocolate can do for a work environment, right?

Rosana Preston: [00:13:13] Chocolate, and I’ll tell you one of the most popular was the ice cream truck. It was really funny. It was only going to be here in Mississauga until about 3:00 or 3:30. City drivers had gotten stuck in traffic or whatever, and they were calling and saying, “Hold the ice cream truck. I’ll be there. I’m going to be a-half-an-hour away.” So, a little thing like the ice cream truck was the highlight of everybody’s day.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:13:40] Yeah. And, you know, it breaks a little bit of business as usual and gives you something fun to look forward to. That’s fantastic.

Rosana Preston: [00:13:47] Absolutely. Absolutely.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:13:47] So, in addition to some of the fun that you’ve kind of created within that culture, you also talked a lot about some of the incentives that you’ve established. So, how did you identify what’s the right fit for the incentives? And how did that help in driving motivation and employee engagement and involvement in achieving those?

Rosana Preston: [00:14:10] We have two incentives that surround dollars, money. And one of them is a years of service bonus. And what that one is that, the years of service, every employee receives $150 every year, accumulates to a maximum of $3,000. So, a 30 year employee like myself, I look forward to getting a $3,000 bonus check just because that’s the seniority that I have. We give that bonus out at Christmas time. And a few years ago, someone questioned, was that the right time during the holiday season. So, we asked our employees, “Do you like getting your years of service bonus at the holiday season? Would you like to get it at a different time?” Overwhelmingly, everybody liked it during the holiday season. So, that’s one bonus.

Rosana Preston: [00:15:03] And the second one is a profit sharing bonus. And based on the profitability of the organization, everyone top down, bottom up, it doesn’t matter how you say it, part-time, full-time receives an annual profit sharing portion. And, again, that is something that everybody looks forward to. I’ve been here 30 years, we haven’t missed a year yet. And it’s inclusive of all employees.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:15:32] Yeah. I like that you’ve kind of got that balance of a personal type bonus as well as a team incentive bonus. You’re kind of meeting both areas of what, typically, would drive some of that motivation from employees and balance.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:15:48] So, in looking at your drivers, I know you mentioned early on that one of your objectives is to make sure that the full work environment has that psychological safety. And you talked about how you extend the culture a little bit into your drivers. But how do you extend some of that psychological safety when they’re out on the road? Because I imagine some of your drivers are probably out, you know, for the full week, they’re long road drivers. So, how are you supporting them when they’re not actually in the terminal?

Rosana Preston: [00:16:20] So, we have the city drivers and the highway drivers. Most of our highway drivers are home a minimum of twice a week. So, they don’t have runs that take them away for weeks on end, like some other carriers do. So, communication is key, and we use different forms of communication.

Rosana Preston: [00:16:42] Our line haul team, which works closely with the highway drivers, is responsible to make sure that they pass on information. We use satellite messaging. We use emails to their home. That’s something new we started a couple of years ago, sending emails out to their homes so that they can receive communications, share them with their wife, and so on. There’s always posters, events, and we try and make sure that there’s enough lead time so that everybody can see what’s going on and what’s new.

Rosana Preston: [00:17:18] We take into consideration all of our shift workers too. Like, we have people that work midnights and afternoons and so on. So, we have to make sure that the highway drivers and people on different shifts are never excluded from anything that’s going on.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:17:35] Yeah. Perfect. And I imagine, you know, receiving that information at home helps them to push that communication to their spouses or significant others if they are getting a little busy in transporting goods.

Rosana Preston: [00:17:49] Absolutely. Absolutely. Sometimes we have to put up a notice to say, “Please make sure you check your home email when you go home tonight because there’s a message from us.” But, yeah, we do find a way to communicate, that’s for sure.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:18:03] Yeah. Fantastic. So, we’re going to take a word from our sponsor real quick. So, Workplace MVP is sponsored by R3 Continuum. R3 Continuum is a global leader in providing expert, reliable, responsive, and tailored behavioral health crisis and violent solutions to promote workplace wellbeing and performance in the face of an ever changing and often unpredictable world. Learn more about how R3 Continuum can tailor a solution for your organization’s unique challenges by visiting r3c.com today.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:18:37] So, over the last year when you were navigating the pandemic, what were some of the things that you implemented that helped to maintain your work culture, especially as you had employees that moved to remote?

Rosana Preston: [00:18:49] Well, the first thing that we did was take a look at what we could change and to help promote that safety. For example, we implemented changes to longstanding procedures such as a driver will go to a customer, get paperwork, sign the paperwork, there’s an exchange of pens and paperwork and so on. So, we took a look at those things. And to lower the risk, we changed those policies that have been ingrained for years and years. We told them they don’t have to get signatures anymore. Just make sure you write down the name of the person that received the goods or that you picked up from.

Rosana Preston: [00:19:34] We formed a team across the country with individuals from all of the locations to assist with questions, and deal with concerns, and help with communication. We created a hotline for employees to reach, either by phone, because our cell phone numbers were posted, or by email, they could reach the hotline by email, again, if they had any concerns.

Rosana Preston: [00:20:01] We continue to provide personal protective equipment for all the employees. That includes canisters for the highway drivers to keep with them. When the canister is empty, they bring it back, they get a new one. So, they can wipe down where they’ve been, wiped down their trucks, and so on. We provide daily kits for the city drivers. They pick up their bills, they pick up their kit, away they go, again, to wipe down, gloves if they need them, and so on. So, we continue to do that.

Rosana Preston: [00:20:32] We’re transparent. We always let employees know. And we’re very fortunate, we have very few cases of COVID, but we did have some. And we were very transparent about it. We let all the employees in that facility know that there had been an outbreak – I don’t know that that’s an outbreak. Probably the wrong word – one individual had COVID and then we got the terminal fogged or we did whatever corrective measures we had to add and make sure, again, that it was safe.

Rosana Preston: [00:21:05] So, as an essential service, most of our employees worked from the facility. We had very few that worked remote. We did have a couple and we made sure that we always passed on through communication anything that was important to them.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:21:22] Yeah. So, were those remote employees ones that requested to work remote or were they in positions that it felt like it was, you know, more necessary that they be in a remote setting?

Rosana Preston: [00:21:34] A little bit of both. Some people were very nervous of COVID or had elderly parents at home. They felt like they might want to work from home, and we were able to facilitate that.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:21:47] Yeah. Very great. That’s always nice to be able to offer that option. So, now, everyone’s back. Obviously, you continue to work as essential workers and in the office. How are the employees now? I mean, it sounds like you still have some of the PPE procedures in place.

Rosana Preston: [00:22:09] Yes.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:22:10] You know, have things kind of started to go back to that new normalcy? Or how are the employees at this particular point with some of the COVID, if the cases have risen or things of that nature, in your area?

Rosana Preston: [00:22:24] We took a position that until the branch is heard differently from head office, everything stayed the same. So, all COVID protocols stayed in place. We still wear masks unless you’re in your own office. We wear masks as we travel through the building. We stay six feet apart. So, we have not stopped any of the COVID protocols. And we still, as I say, continue to supply all the branches from head office we could get out of here, the personal protective equipment for the people.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:23:01] Awesome. Yeah. And so, obviously, Rosedale Group is a private organization. So, some of the things that we talked about is, in your opinion, do you feel you’re at more of an advantage in creating this work environment with different incentive programs and different fun activities than maybe a larger organization might be that is a little bit more matrixed or siloed. What are some of your thoughts around that?

Rosana Preston: [00:23:32] Well, I think there’s definitely an advantage to being privately owned. But more than that, it’s the mindset of ownership. And we’re privately owned and we’re a flat organization. We don’t have a lot of red tape to go through. The management team is small. It’s a case of, you know, two doors down and walking down to see the president and saying, “What do you think about this? How if we do this?” And the same with our VP and GM and our sales manager.

Rosana Preston: [00:24:06] So, we’re privately owned and families involved in running the company. And I guess we’re blessed because we have very similar mindsets. And we’re all for, as I said, celebrating. We’re all for listening to the people. So, it’s very easy to navigate through those things. I mean, we don’t always agree. And I don’t want to create that big lie. But it’s easy. There isn’t a lot of us. We talk about it, pros and cons. We try it. More importantly, we’re not afraid to say, “Well, we won’t be trying that one anymore.” Sometimes things don’t work and you have to remember that you’re human and you just move on to the next thing.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:24:51] Yeah. And so, from a larger organization and knowing that they might have a little bit more red tape to go through or kind of more layers that they have to consider when making a decision, what are some of the things, from your opinion, that they could do in some of those maybe departments or sections of their organization that could help to instill that strong work culture?

Rosana Preston: [00:25:15] Well, I think you’re never too big that you can’t listen. You can’t pay attention. You can’t have empathy. And, I mean, we’re in business to make money, of course. But we also employ 800 people. So, you have to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s important to people. There’s no point in putting a procedure in place or a policy and it has no merit, it has no place in your organization.

Rosana Preston: [00:25:56] And we talked about that a little bit at the beginning, keeping focus on what’s new, what’s important, what’s changed, the different age demographics. You know, we have drivers that have come to us, there’s five of them just in this location, and they’ve crested 65 and they’re not ready to retire, but they know they can’t work five days a week. Well, that’s easy. You just go and you talk to ownership and say, “So-and-so has been with us 30 years. He’d like to go down to a four day workweek.”

Rosana Preston: [00:26:28] Why would you say no if the person can still do the job, still valuable to the organization from many perspectives, then, yeah. Okay. You can work four days a week. You can maybe take Wednesday off, so work Monday, Tuesday, take a break, work Thursday, Friday, move on. Again, we’re non-union. We can do a lot of those things and we, certainly, try to do our best.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:26:51] Yeah. Creating a flexible environment to meet that employee where they’re at. And I got to imagine they appreciate that so much, especially, if, like, it’s a temporary thing, they’re going to remember that.

Rosana Preston: [00:27:04] Yes. Absolutely. And, again, that holds true, like, if you have a line haul driver. And, again, this has happened. The highway driver, maybe his wife’s having surgery, so he asks if he can stay more local for a little while, maybe only do Toronto, Montreal. That way, he’ll be home for sure. And, again, you can do those things, but you have to listen and you have to balance running an organization, being profitable with the needs of the people as well as the company.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:27:33] Yeah. And that’s that whole creating that culture of transparency where the employee feels comfortable bringing that to you.

Rosana Preston: [00:27:42] Absolutely.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:27:44] So, in your opinion, just looking at what they are calling the great resignation, why do you think so many people are making career changes and moves at this particular point, from your opinion?

Rosana Preston: [00:27:58] Well, I can give you a real life example. Recently, I’d say within the last 18 months to two years, we’ve had four individuals leave the same place of employment in our industry and apply for positions at Rosedale. And we hired them all and they’re great. They have fit into our organization. They like it. They stop me sometimes in the lunchroom and tell me how much they like it here.

Rosana Preston: [00:28:30] Why didn’t four people all leave the same company? So, of course, I’m going to ask. And I found out that, basically, the years that they had there took a secondary place to how they were feeling. They didn’t like to come to work. There was broken promises. There was a lack of empathy and caring. And they were no longer happy. So, it didn’t matter that some of them had four, five, six, eight years vested. Things deteriorated for whatever reasons. And the people started to feel that and they they left.

Rosana Preston: [00:29:08] And one of the gals, she said, “If I get this job at Rosedale, great. But it isn’t going to make a difference. I’m still leaving my place of employment and I will find another job.” Fortunately, it worked out, she came to Rosedale. So, there’s an example where four people all left one company because people stopped listening, people stopped caring, and broken promises, as I said.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:29:33] Yeah. They lost that people focus.

[00:29:36] Absolutely. Absolutely.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:29:37] So crucial. So, if you could provide advice to the leaders that are listening to our show right now for what you found works in ensuring strong retention, what would that be?

Rosana Preston: [00:29:49] Well, I think you have to believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, if you have confidence within yourself, then other people are going to believe in you as well. I find being transparent is really key. We all make mistakes, admit it, and regroup, and move forward. We’re all human and we should never act or feel as if we’re on a pedestal. I think for HR leaders, you have to stay current. You can draw on your experience, but don’t let that experience rule how you view things or rule your judgment.

Rosana Preston: [00:30:31] People are complicated, and I think you have to be careful that you avoid a rush to judgment. What works well for one person may not be the formula for another. Never stop listening. Never stop listening. And you need to build trust and have a passion for what you do. I think you have to make sure that your actions mirror your words. People say, “Oh, we have an open door. We do this. We do that.” But if it’s not real, people understand that very quickly and they don’t have any faith in you or your organization. You can do the organization a disservice. And I think those are the the important things to me.

Rosana Preston: [00:31:19] Everyone knows – I’d like to think everyone knows – if they come to me for an answer, they’re going to get an answer. It may not be the answer they were looking for, but it will be an answer. And I think that is really important. If you say you’re going to get back to somebody, get back to them.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:31:39] Yeah, absolutely. I love that advice. That’s great advice to leave our listeners with. So, if somebody listening does want to get a hold of you and learn a little bit more or just, you know, connect with you, how can they do that?

Rosana Preston: [00:31:54] Well, I would suspect email is probably the easiest. Would you agree?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:32:00] Email, yeah. Or if you’re on LinkedIn. I know some of our guests are on LinkedIn. But email can also be a great way. Absolutely.

Rosana Preston: [00:32:06] Yeah. Linkedin is fine. I don’t seem to check that as often as I should. I promise I’ll get better. But my email is R-O-S like Sam-A-N like Norman-A-P as in Peter@rosedale.ca, R-O-S-E-D-A-L-E.ca. So, it’s rosanap@rosedale.ca.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:32:32] Oh, thank you so much for joining us today, Rosanna, and being on our show, and for letting us celebrate you, and sharing your stories, and great advice with our listeners. We appreciate you, and I’m sure your organization and staff do as well.

Rosana Preston: [00:32:47] Thank you. It was certainly my pleasure. I enjoyed it and it was great. Yeah, absolutely great. Thank you.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:32:54] Yes. Absolutely. And we also want to thank our show sponsor, R3 Continuum, for supporting the Workplace MVP podcast. And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in. If you’ve not already done so, make sure to subscribe so you get our most recent episodes and other resources. And you can also follow our show on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter at Workplace MVP. If you are a workplace MVP or know someone who is, please let us know. Email us at info@workplace-mvp.com. And thank you all for joining us and have a great rest of your day.