Fastenal is a supply chain company headquartered in Winona, Minnesota. The Spectrum spoke with Juan Ramirez, a regional recruiter at Fastenal, about what he looks for in potential candidates for jobs at the company.
What does a recruiter look for in potential employees including qualities/skills and experience?
The majority of the positions I am looking to fill don’t require vast experience. We like to see customer service experience. Otherwise, we are looking for people with soft skills who can connect with others. We do have a warehouse associate position, so if you don’t like the customer interaction that might be a better fit.
What “soft skills” do you look for in candidates (aka what is a good trait to foster that doesn’t involve their education)?
Interpersonal skills would include the ability to listen and communicate. Self motivation and problem solving skills.
What is important about a candidate’s education? Do grades, extracurriculars, what school they went to, whether they worked during school, etc. matter?
I can’t say education doesn’t matter. I can say that many successful individuals have some poor grades and not-great school experiences. As long as there is communication about what has happened, why you weren’t involved in extracurriculars or weren’t working during school all will be fine. Everyone has a story and reasons for their experience. I would much rather work with a person with great soft skills and proven productivity than someone with great grades and poor soft skills.
What majors do you cater to? What does Fastenal do (as far as projects and type of work)?
Fastenal’s headquarters is in Winona, MN. Here we can offer various experiences, such as IT, HR, Finance and Accounting, Business Intelligence, Project Management etc. Our branch locations can also offer a variety of experiences for different majors. Some of these are supply chain, sales, project management, business admin, operations, etc.
Do you have internships and if so, what do those include?
Yes. We can offer internships throughout the year. Some of our best experiences are offered during the summer. We host a competitive 10-12 week program that includes mentorship, competitions, 5 whole group activities, and weekly experiences outside of the “normal” part-time positions.
What does the future look like for job opportunities in your company?
Our company is obsessed with growth, like many companies. We have a goal to double business every five to seven years. When I started three years ago, we were about a 5 billion dollar company. Today we are about an 8 billion dollar company. We have never been through mass layoffs or downsizing since starting the company in 1967. We continue to expand our offerings for employment to meet the needs of our customers. Not only are we a stable company to join, but we promote from within the company. We want to keep great people and don’t offer our leadership positions outside of our company.
Have you hired NDSU grads in the past? What do you think it is about NDSU that makes them good candidates?
As of right now, LinkedIn tells me we have 23 alum or current students working for us. We have found that NDSU students have great experiences and skill sets and are given multiple opportunities to practice skills in real-life situations. Also, NDSU students are not afraid to do the extra things. The most successful people in our company don’t have the words “that’s not my job” in their vocabulary. Bison are willing to do whatever needs to be done for the team to be successful.
Do you hire people without business or technical degrees? Such as in the social sciences? Do they have a hard time in the working environment?
Many of our positions don’t have a requirement of a degree in a certain area. Most of the time is it related experience, or working their way toward a degree. As long as people are interested in our business and solving problems for our partners, they can be successful with us. We have a great internal training program, the Fastenal School of Business. This will help our employees develop the skills needed to be successful in their current position or desired positions.
What type of person would thrive in the company culture at Fastenal?
Anyone with cultural values similar to ours, Ambition, Innovation, Integrity, and Teamwork will be successful with us. If a person enjoys working with a team to improve situations and solve problems for our partners, they will be successful. They need to be self-motivated because they will be given the freedom to take risks and make mistakes.
Should someone only apply if they exactly fit the job description? For what positions is that more important?
No. We are looking to grow our teams in a diverse way. Sometimes people think they will not be cut out for a position or they don’t have the skills. Many times they learn that they may like a different position or that the skills they currently have will help them be successful and learn the skills needed. It is more important for some of our jobs at headquarters that are very focused on certain skills. Finance, accounting, IT, etc.
What would your advice be for a new grad or college upperclassman who is going to be looking for a job soon?
Network. Connect with as many people as you can to share your story and goals. Not everyone is a fit for Fastenal and Fastenal is not the best fit for everyone. Just like other successful companies, we want to find the correct seat on the correct bus for each employee. If it isn’t with us, it is better to help candidates realize that early and find appropriate opportunities.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Recruiters are there to help. Yes, we are competing for you and your skills, but we want you to find the positions and opportunities you want. We work with many other recruiters from other companies and have built a wide network of individuals who may be better employers for you.