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Garret Barbush says he always likes to work with people.
In his previous role as CEO of Manheim, Men of Iron of Pennsylvania, a non -profit organization, based on the faith focused on leadership and tutoring, Barbush worked on strategic planning, fundraising and fundraising. The development of programs to connect men across the country with mentors and mentors.
After his time with the non -profit, Barbush worked as a loans officer at Horizon Farm Credit, where one of his clients was Warfel Construction, a general contractor of Petersburg, in Pennsylvania. Barbush said he liked work culture in Warfel, and as the firm’s count began to grow, an opportunity arose.
Warfel, who has about 300 employees, brought Barbush as director of participation and support of the people earlier this year, seeking to continue the work Barbush said that the contractor made special the contractor first. .
Here, Barbush details his plans for the new position, the importance of the specific commitment and services that can benefit construction workers.
The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Construction division: The director of the participation and support of the people is a very unique work title. What does it entail?
Garret Barbush: You know, it’s difficult for a month to explain to people who are like: “Well, what do you do?” There are some long -term key initiatives, one of them is the development of a mentoring program here in Warfel, which they have been working on. We all feel that there is a lot of space to improve the way they do it.
Garret Barbush
Permission granted by Warfel Construction
And this is my type of background through iron men. I was building a mentoring initiative and implementing it. They do a great job here from a career point of view, but I think it’s one of the long -term initiatives that is difficult to get out of the door until you really enter here and get to know people and start trusting you are a little more.
From a high level, I would say that the goal is only to ensure -I am promoting a solidarity and committed work environment. Cultivate a culture of the positive company. And you do it through relationships, right? And relationships require time.
How are these relationships built?
Right now, honestly, he is dedicated to my time by gathering -me with as many employees as I can. I try to make this place out of place, get them out of the office, just catch coffee and sit and say, “Hey, tell me your role here in Warfel. Tell me about your background. Talk to me about your family. Tell me about your marriage. What are some things you fight with? “Simply trying to get an idea of who people are and what goes well in their lives and maybe where they are fighting, because there are things that happen in the lives of people.
What inspires me is that the employee worries, more than what they offer. We also know that they will be better for Warfel when their marriages are healthy, when they are intentional parents, when their finances are in order, they take care of their body, their health.
All these things matter to the company and matters the lead here. And they are like: “Hey, we want you to put your finger on the pulse of our people.”
How do you maintain your professional relationship when you ask employees your personal life?
Yes, I mean obviously, as if we don’t force anyone, right? What’s more, “Hey, I’m here if you need me.”
I think this is the market problem. For so long businessmen have tried to make this line of our business, our professional lives and our personal life, and we do not want to mix them. And the reality is, yes, you can build a company this way, but do you really get the most out of your people?
When people get to a day by day and they spend more time at work than at home, which many of us during the week is important to think.
I think you just build a better culture. Build better people, create a better confidence. And so you know, I don’t hang too much. It’s not that you forced someone to say -nothing. Some people will open and share, and some people are not, and it’s OK. There is no right or error. I think it’s just an option that people can take advantage of here if they want.
How important is the commitment? How can you see the impact on the workplace?
The suicide rate in construction is high. The mental health crisis is a real thing. We are focused on total human health. Trying to help our people understand that there is more in their lives than this company, only bricks and sticks.
I think you just have to look at the statistics regarding what happens in the life of the workforce, what are the challenges they have. And then it’s just to provide a way to say, “I want to be better in these areas. Can you help me do this? ”
And we do it in a practical way, associating with professional service partners. The company that manages our 401K, for example, arrives quarterly and provides workshops for our employees, such as a workshop on how to save properly for the university.
Last year, Warfel brought a physiotherapist quarterly for our boys in the countryside. If they want to enter, she will take a look, give them an assessment and give them some exercises or stretch -so that they can be the best in the workplace.
