Embracing the Change of Your Remote Workforce with Rod Trujillo of International Rubber Products

We are now living the new normal.....And that normal is a mostly remote workforce, work/life/self balance and a heavy reliance on technology to lead the business. It is not about keeping what you have but changing who you are to adapt your business to the new world. Companies who will thrive are those who are embracing the change and committing to disrupting their own business. Not holding on to what was. Today is all about embracing the opportunity that has been given to us during this pandemic.

“We are never going back to normal. Too much has been exposed in the inefficiencies of expensive office buildings, amenities, drive time and personal time.” - Rod Trujillo

Our guest today: Rod Trujillo, Founder & CEO of International Rubber Products 

A company founded in 1999 with the sale of all personal assets including savings and retirement accounts.  IRPG is comprised of three distinct facilities in Southern California focused on the Medical Device industry, Aerospace/Defense industry and the Coating and Laminating industry. 

The cornerstone and key component of our success as a business is the principal that regardless of macro and microeconomic changes, the company will be run as a God honoring business that seeks to bless everyone it encounters. As a result, IRPG has been adding 25-40 employees annually the past five years and has an annual five-year compounded annual growth rate of 23%.  

Today we discuss:

• Why this forced change is a blessing to your business
• Where to focus
• How to implement change

Why the change is a good thing?

• Efficiency!
  • We are not as efficient as we think we are… but more is getting done under the current environment and the company is more productive… we are finding that you don't need as many people… realizing how inefficient they have been
• Realization
  • People like coming to work and appear to be more social than we thought. Along with technology we are able to touch each employee daily and track projects which we are seeing projects getting done much faster. 
• Question
  • Assess what you really need?
  • Now that people are isolated, you really start to see how productive people can be especially when you add a little fear of the economy as well as being confined to the home.  

Where do we need to focus? 

• figure out the technology tools and track productivity.
• Realize we weren't managing efficiently and were over staffed. 
• Understand you can do more with less
• Realize that the office has really been used for social interaction
  • easier to manage people through the lock down than it was  

Rick’s Input

• Deep evaluation into what the business REALLY needs
• Upgrade in Performance mentality 

How do we get ahead of the curve and thrive Now? 

• Pro-activity
  • Get ahead of what is being shown. Be proactive and being to embrace the video conferencing technology along with project and daily touching of employees. 
  • Encourage this change to make the workforce more healthy by having a workout as part of the daily routine for attendance etc. Establish benchmarks and data everyone can become excited about. 
• Tools
  • Using Zoom- and other technologies we are improving with has really changed how we think about our administration moving forward post covid-19.
• Data
  • Read up to get ahead of the curve. Gobs of information. 
  • Transparency and pro-activity 
  • Do more with less while selling a new vision of a healthier work balance experience driven by results and care for each employee. 

Rick’s Nuggets

• Zoom for Interviewing
• Invest in educational growth (self & company)

Key Takeaways:

• The rapid changes in hiring, retention and adjusting to a new normal. Being forced to home quarantine has shown the inefficiencies with our administration systems as well as management of personnel.  
• We need less and can do more. Corporate offices with amenities are monies that should be invested in the workforce and technology.  Eliminating an hour of commuting while people are more efficient without the social interruptions make the execution of projects more robust.   
• Adding by our estimation a minimum of ten hours a week to either personal time or work time. (AVG drive 5 hours, 5 hours of social interaction)