The Human Resources HR team strives to effectively manage our company’s most valuable resource – our employees – in many ways. Among other things, the department has the responsibility for:

• Properly balancing the needs of employees and the needs of the company.
• Ensuring a diverse workforce in a safe and discrimination/harassment free environment by maintaining compliance with employment laws and government regulations; providing management and employee training; and developing effective policies and procedures.
• Providing training and development in areas of effective leadership; career development of employees; employment laws; and government regulation.
• Hiring the most qualified employees by preplanning staffing needs; ensuring an effective internal process; increasing company visibility in the employment marketplace; identifying the best, most cost-effective recruitment sources; and conducting thorough reference checks.
• Welcoming all new employees and making all of our expectations 100 percent clear upfront. After all, when employees know what we expect from them and understand what to expect from us, it makes for a good team.
• Retaining our valued employees by instilling effective leadership qualities in our managers; providing competitive wages and benefits; furnishing technical, interpersonal, and career-development training and coaching; and enhancing two-way communication between employees and management.

The HR team strives for excellence in each of these areas because these efforts remain essential to ensuring the satisfaction of our employees. These dedicated individuals work six days a week, Monday through Saturday, with no set shifts in regard to getting done for the day. After all, the concrete industry differs a great deal from most others. Our customers drive our business and, when they want concrete, we pour it. We also have to work around natural challenges like the weather each day, which requires a great deal of commitment by each member of our team.  No one in our corporate office, plant locations, or trucks ever sees the same day twice. So we depend on each employee having the ability to work independently. Each person’s ability to overcome the challenges that he or she faces each day has helped to make us an industry leader.

Thomas Concrete’s Risk Management pros also play an important role in ensuring that our workers remain healthy and happy. Most importantly, the department provides Thomas Concrete employees with a Worker’s Compensation program they can count on. This program ensures that employees who suffer a job-related injury receive timely and efficient medical attention. The program also helps cover the costs associated with job-related injuries, such as lost wages and medical expenses. In addition, our Light Duty program utilizes a group approach involving the employee, employer, and physician(s) to ensure that medically able employees can return to work as quickly as possible.

The Risk Management team has the responsibility for preventing injuries before they occur as well. Risk Management identifies and implements safety programs to reduce accident rates, save lives, and prevent suffering. The team has carefully tailored safety programs through the years to get our employees involved in creating a safer working environment. Successful programs launched by the Risk Management Team in 2006 include Driver Observations, Quarterly Commentary Drives, general safety meetings and training programs, and Go/Stop Safety Program. Thomas will also continue to do all we can to ensure that every Thomas Concrete employee enjoys a long, safe, healthy, and happy career with our company.