Les Schwab rated a top place to work

Les Schwab Tire Centers was selected as a 2012 Top Workplace by The Oregonian, Oregon's largest daily newspaper.

The company ranked eighth-best workplace among large companies in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The Top Workplaces program is based on a comprehensive analysis conducted in partnership by Workplace Dynamics, a human-resources research and consulting firm. More than 936 companies participated in the program based on responses to employee surveys designed to identify best practices for motivating and retaining employees.

Les Schwab employees in Oregon and Southwest Washington responded to questions measuring qualities such as company leadership, communications, and career opportunities, working environment, managerial skills, pay and benefits.

Les Schwab ranked eighth in the category of Best Large Company Workplaces with employees of 500 or more.

Jeff Taylor, store manager/owner of Les Schwab Taylor Tire Center in Sisters, says that the culture of the company is key to success. Managers are promoted from within the company and know its operations from the floor up.

"Everybody starts at the bottom," he said. "Your first day, you're studying tires, you're sweeping - which is, honestly, I think, a big key to success."

Taylor says one of the most gratifying aspects of the Les Schwab experience is hiring a young guy and seeing him grow along with his role in the company.

"These stores will give you as much responsibility as you can stand," Taylor said.

Taylor is, himself, a product of the Les Schwab culture and has worked all the way up from the floor (though he still gets his hands dirty every day).

"I'm a lifer," he told The Nugget. "Twenty-five years now, and second-generation."

His path to management is really the only one available in the company, which means that every worker on the floor has the potential to move up and every manager has lots of hands-on experience.

"We don't really look to hire 'laborers' - which is very unusual in the tire industry. Most people in the tire industry have laborers, then they have management and sales people. We don't have that."

In addition to offering service for tires, brakes, wheels and shocks, Les Schwab believes sharing success with its employees is critical to its success. Each year over half of the company profits are shared with employees through programs including health benefits, bonus and retirement. Les Schwab also has employee assistance programs, disability and life insurance, and adoption assistance programs.

"People want to feel included - and they do," Taylor said. "Some of that is the culture of your business and some of it is financial, also."

Taylor found The Oregonian honor gratifying.

"It's nice to be recognized for something that's such a big commitment to your employees," he said. "It's not easy, and it's not inexpensive, but it's the right thing to do."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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