Being a Destination Employer: From Lip Service to Reality with Jason Ells
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Jason Ells, the Senior Vice President at Custom Concrete, is passionate about creating a culture of purpose and well-being in a traditional blue-collar industry. He believes that by developing an environment where people know the company has their back, employees will be more likely to pour into the organization. In this episode, Jason shares how he’s made Custom Concrete a destination employer by encouraging employees to dream and helping them bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Listen in to learn how he helps leaders equip their people to understand how they fit into the bigger picture so they can reach goals together.Guest Info
Jason Ells, Senior VP - Custom Concrete
Jason loves concrete and people – and is lucky to live in a world where he’s surrounded by both!!
Over the last two decades, Jason has worked for a company that shares these mutual passions.
His approach to business is “Take care of people and people will take care of you.” Friends, Family, Employees, Customers, Vendors…we are all on the same TEAM.
In his role as Senior Vice President at Custom Concrete, Jason is constantly looking for opportunities to improve our systems, effectiveness, and project quality. His team focuses on connections with home builders, multifamily contractors, and commercial contracts.
The largest challenge in the construction industry is finding good, reliable employees. From executives to general labor, there is a shortage. The Custom Concrete goal is to become a “destination employer”, a place talented people never want to leave.
Show Notes
Key takeaways from this episode:
- Move from a scarcity to an abundance mindset to help your employee
- Create a high-stakes, winnable game for your employees to help them understand how they fit in the bigger picture
- Connect your people’s dreams to the company’s goals to tap into their discretionary effort
What to listen for:
[02:09] What it means to be a destination employer
[03:44] Tapping into your people’s dreams
[06:44] Leaning into transparency during tough times
[10:19] Creating a high-stakes, winnable game for your people
[14:35] Reinforcing a culture of “you are valued”
[20:25] Jason’s self-limiting story
[26:40] Quick questions with Jason
[29:14] Jason’s challenge to leaders for making a more human workplace
Additional Resources
- Get your copy of The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
- Get your copy of The Freak Factor by David J. Rendall
- Check out Kristin Neff’s work on self-compassion
- Listen to Rosie’s episode with Lynne Twist