Drew Yantis Interview and Class Discussion Notes - Ingram Thornton
Tuesday, September 26, 2000:
Following are minutes from
BSC 7100 Executive Issues in Construction,
Drew Yantis, Senior Vice President for Holder Construction Company based in Atlanta, GA discussed the topic of Employee Recruitment and Retention in the Tuesday, September 26, 2000 meeting of BSC 7100 Executive Issues in Construction.
Drew is a 1987 graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Building Science. Following the career path of his father, Drew knew that he wanted to work with a privately owned construction company. Recognizing the vast opportunities developing in the Atlanta market, Drew packed his belongings, got a job at Bennigan’s Restaurant waiting tables, and began searching for a fitting career opportunity in his field. Yantis soon received and accepted a job offer from Holder Construction Company, where he has been employed ever since. Over the course of the past 12 years he has worked in various facets of the company, gaining experience in several aspects of the construction business. In successfully identifying the right company for his needs, Yantis listed and graded the qualities he was looking for in a potential employer, focusing on the intangibles such as the people and working environment.
Yantis sees the process of recruiting employees very similar to the process of finding new customers. He feels that it is important that the expectations of both parties are clearly stated at the inception of the relationship in order to foster an open line of communication to determine if the pair is a good fit. Recognizing that relationships are quite sophisticated in the business environment, Yantis places a focus on the intangible aspects of his company’s culture, understanding that the people and working environment must be right for the career to flourish into a mutually beneficial relationship for Holder and it’s associates.
“I could be digging ditches tomorrow, and if I like the people I’m working with then I’ll like my job,” expressed Yantis, emphasizing the importance of strong relationships with others in the work environment.
In discussing appropriate expectations for recruits, Yantis explained that while the exact title or position may vary, anyone should expect to spend the first several years learning processes, refining processes, and developing new or better processes. Expect to spend the next few years focusing more on the people side versus the technical side of the company, typically seen in a management role. Once these traits have been developed the associate may anticipate taking on a leadership role such as recruiting, business development, or strategic planning.
While Yantis understands the importance of recruits looking at the things a company offers in terms of compensation and benefits, he emphasizes the necessity for the recruit to look more closely to the external factors such as exactly what the company does, where they do business, and who the company actually is. Yantis explained that differences in compensation and benefits are actually quite negligible among companies of similar financial stature across the board. The focus of recruits should be to identify an environment where they can perform to their optimum potential, explaining that your starting salary has nothing to do with your pay after a few years. Bonuses and other rewards are performance based; stressing the importance that one finds an environment suitable to their performance needs.
When recruiting new employees, Yantis tries to focus on people’s non-technical skills; sighting effective communication skills as perhaps the most desirable trait a potential employee can possess. The ability to effectively communicate with others who aren’t able to communicate on your level, in conjunction with the ability to communicate on the level with corporate leaders is invaluable. This ability to bridge the gap between the two groups will set a person apart from others not only in the recruiting stage, but will also be an advantage over coworkers once hired.
When asked the differentiating factors between masters and undergraduate students seeking employment, Yantis replied with the following comments:
Yantis concluded by expressing the importance of seeking a balance between your job and your life outside work, but reminds that you have less control in the beginning. The key is to understand expectations and have a passion for what you’re doing, explained Yantis.
