Trust in Each Other

Being part of the Kennards Hire family means we have your back – even through the hard days – and we always make time to have some fun. 

“It’s a family orientated work environment where everyone goes home in one piece. We're not just here to hire equipment and make the customers job easy, we're here for each other and to ensure we all go home safely.”

That’s Paul Rhodes, Hire Controller from our Campbelltown branch in NSW. In his three years at Kennards Hire, Paul’s noticed something different about this company: people believe in the company’s culture and genuinely want to stay. 

“If you look at people at work or in the lunchroom and think about how long they’ve worked here – five, 10, even 30 years – it says a lot about the culture,” says Paul. “It’s a really good place to work because if it wasn't, the good people wouldn't stick around.”

Prior to joining Kennards Hire, Paul had never worked in a role where he interacted with customers. He’s a lifelong stutterer and has always been scared to meet new people or answer the phone. In fact, up until a few years ago, Paul couldn't place an order at McDonalds and had to get someone else to do it for him. 

That started to change the day he came into a Kennards Hire branch for an interview. Although he was ‘freaking out’ about the interview process – especially as his stutter gets worse in stressful situations, the interview became more of a conversation, allowing Paul to relax, feel comfortable and importantly, have the confidence to speak. “I guess they’re trying to get to know you and see if you’re going to fit in with the team and have the same values,” he says.

Branch Manager Matt Sawyer says, “It’s about having some banter and a laugh to help the interviewee relax and feel confident. It also helps us identify who’s likely to be a good fit culturally and live the Kennards Hire values.” 

From Matt’s perspective, Paul’s stutter was also a non-issue. “We didn’t even realise he stuttered at the start of the interview,” he says. Instead, the focus was on finding someone who shared our values, would show up on-time every day and be there for the team. 

“You can always teach someone about our systems, processes and the gear onsite,” says Matt. “However, the ‘soft’ skills of reliability, trust, a good work ethic and cultural fit are something you can’t teach.”

Paul’s induction into the Kennards Hire culture began on day one.  Along with training on the machinery and equipment, he was also introduced to culture and what makes the company tick. 

“They really believe in their values,” says Paul. “You can see it in the way people talk about this company and in the faces of those who’ve been here for decades.” 

He says it’s something that’s top-of-mind every day. About eight months into his role, he was servicing equipment and wasn’t wearing hearing protection. “I had another driver come past and say, ‘You need to put your hearing protection on as it's not something people take lightly here’.”

Despite his stutter, he’s also been ‘nudged’ into doing tasks outside his comfort zone, gaining confidence and competency.

“Before I started here, I was scared of answering the phone and didn’t want to talk to a customer,” says Paul. “Now, I can stand at the front counter and answer calls and emails and prepare quotes.”

It’s given him the confidence to know how to face difficult situations, especially with customers. “I've had conversations with customers at the front counter and Matt will be at his desk nearby and I know he’s listening to make sure I’m comfortable with the interaction,” says Paul. “He'll let me take that first step to try and sort it out, but if it does get that far, I know he'll back me up because I'm not going to learn if I don't do it.”

Matt says he’s witnessed a massive difference in Paul, particularly with his stuttering. “Paul's been thrown in the deep end and has had some hard conversations with customers. Yet, he’s held himself well and dealt with it, which is a great credit to him.”

He says the reason is Paul’s positive attitude and willingness to do whatever he’s asked to do.

“Paul will come in early, stay back if he needs to, is the first to put his hand up for an after-hours call out. That’s why he’s in the position he is – he shows initiative, is a team player and is everything we look for.”

 

Taking the time, leading by example

From Paul’s perspective, the support he’s received from Matt and the team at Kennards Hire has been incredible.

“He’s always taking the time and leading by example,” says Paul. “When I’ve been in a situation where I don’t know what to do, I know I can always ask because Matt’s got my back, even if I do something wrong.”

For Matt, it’s about giving Paul and the team enough latitude to do their jobs, even if mistakes are made. “I don't have to sit there and watch over their shoulders all day,” he says. “They’re not going to learn if I go in and fix the issue without having a conversation when things go wrong. You’ve got to let people learn from experience and empower them to make decisions.  And if they make a mistake, so be it, we’ll fix it.”

That means trusting his team to do what they need to do and encouraging them to ask questions, even if it means asking the same question 10 times! “I get the best out of my team because they learn to trust themselves and the process.”

Paul says that’s helping him to grow, develop and progress. “Everyone here is part of the team,” says Paul. “There’s a good spirit and everyone can have a laugh.”

It’s also helping build customer rapport. “We have customers who come in and only want to deal with Paul now, which is great because building those customer relationships is what you want,” says Matt.

 

With Kennards Hire You Can

For Paul, it all comes back to values and working in a family orientated work environment where everyone works together to go home safely.

“No two days are the same at Kennards Hire,” says Paul. “We’re here to hire equipment and make the customers job easy but we’re also here for each other and to go home safely.”

He says it’s comes down to trust – in himself, his team and the process. “If you’d known me 10 years ago and saw me today, you’d be shocked,” he says.

“There’s always something to learn and there's always a question to be asked. It’s a really good environment to be in and I'm not planning on going anywhere because with Kennards Hire, I got lucky.”