Issuu

Vol. 2 | ISSUE 8 | JANUARY 2018

A BIZNEVADA MAGAZINE

IN THIS ISSUE

SEE PAGE 8

BUILDING THE

CULTURE

Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis

see page 4

LETTER FROM THE

INTHISISSUE

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR

PUBLISHER

Corrine Casanova

R i c h a r d W. M o o r e

Employee recruitment, engagement and retention are crucial in today’s very competitive ever-changing business landscape. Job seekers are now being selective on where they choose to work and companies are taking notice of that.

Well, we have all made it to another year. We are off to 2018. In reflection, 2017 was a year of growth and prosperity for the state of Nevada and bizNEVADA experienced the same. One of the biggest surprises of the year was the community’s response to the needs of the region’s nonprofits, especially the EDDY House. Because of last year’s incredible response, the bizNEVADA team will be getting the word out more often, keeping you informed about the region’s non-profits and the issues they are dealing with.

Some friends of mine who work at a small publishing company in Carson City shared that the business owners built a gym on site and have hired a personal trainer to exclusively train employees three times per week during work hours at no charge to the employee. At Patagonia, employees get paid to volunteer at their favorite organization. Employees also receive free health insurance, have flex time and have a on-site childcare center.

While the past year was encouraging, we believe 2018 can be a tipping point for non-profits if we contribute. As publisher/owners, Chris and I would love to get your input; as business owners, executives, and managers in Nevada, you have your finger on the pulse. You are a critical partner, many of you already are quietly giving. If you know of an issue, or cause within our state that needs support or attention, we invite you to contact us though our website, www.biznveada.com, email your comments to info@biznv. com, or call me at 775-343- 8660. Here is to the new year!

While working on the stories in this issue I learned regardless of the size of your company or organization, there are creative things you can do that can make a difference with employees. In the article, How Important is Employee Engagement? you will learn about free or low-cost surveys that can help measure employee engagement. You’ll also discover how to nominate your company as the Best Place to Work.

VOL. 2 / ISSUE. 8 BizNEVADA PUBLISHING TEAM PUBLISHERS: Richard Moore and Chris O’Sullivan GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Thom Martinson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Corrine Casanova SALES DIRECTOR: Lora Enget PHOTOGRAPHER: Marcello Rostagni ADVERTISING: Lora Enget at lora@biznv.com

PG 4-7

Building the Patagonia Culture

PG 8-10

The Talent Gap: What Northern Nevada Growth Means to Area Businesses

PG 12-13

How Important is Employee Engagement?

PG 14-15

Biz Spotlight: The Man Behind Breakthrough Training

FEEDBACK/IDEAS We welcome your feedback and ideas regarding BizNevada. Send a message to info@biznevada.com

PG 16 PG 18

We Believe in [ ___ ].

PG 19

Keeping Your New Year’s Resolution is

The Value of Hiring a Nevada Licensed Contractor

Easier with WGU Nevada PG 20-21

Non-Profit Business Spotlight – ThinkFirst

PG 22-23

Creating a Better Work-Life Balance

PG 24-25

Calendar of Events - Jan/Feb

PG 28-29

Workers’ Comp Survival in the Age of the Employee

PG 30-31

Extension Courses | Employee Development Brings Bottom-line Results

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What Does Work/Life Balance Look Like at Patagonia? Human Resources Director, Elizabeth Cassidy and Meghan Wolf, District Environmental Coordinator, Northwest, provided a peek inside Patagonia’s 343,000 square foot global distribution center in Reno located on the Truckee River. Over 90 percent of items are shipped through here. As the Patagonia philosophy runs deep throughout the organization, as a hiring manager Wolf noted, “We are one of a kind. We instill a lot of trust and empowerment to our employees and it doesn’t work without everyone’s contribution and collaboration. This is not management from the top down. If you empower the employees, you trust that people will get the work done.”

Patagonia offers a flexible work environment. What that looks like depends on your position in the company. For example, in the retail store flexibility might look a little different than in the operations center. At times, the retail store will close for a day so team members can participate in a team day where they do a fun activity together. In the operations center, managers in the quality department have the option of coming to work anytime between 6:30 and 8am. During the summer season, there’s an option to work four 10-hour shifts too. Cassidy is always looking at ways to keep evolving. She explained, “Part of my job is to try and make it easy for people here at work because they are so busy with their lives. If they are keen on donating to an environmental group, they can do a payroll deduction complete with a company match. They also have the

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by Corrine Casanova A Patagonia onsite childcare center was created two years ago in the Reno location when nine pregnant women were about to go on maternity leave. The company saw a need and acted upon it even though the move required taking a portion of their retail outlet space. At their main headquarters in Ventura, the childcare center recently celebrated their 25th anniversary. Mothers receive 16 weeks of paid time off while partners receive 12 weeks of paid time off following the birth or adoption of a child. Healthcare is 100 percent paid for regardless of whether you are a full-time, part-time or temporary employee. Patagonia is consistently voted as one of the Best Places 4 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

to Work in Northern Nevada and their view of achieving work/life balance is one of the primary reasons why. But there’s other reasons too. Founder Yvon Chouinard, shared his business acumen in his book, Let My People Go Surfing: “Patagonia exists to challenge conventional wisdom and present a new style of responsible enterprise. We believe the accepted model of capitalism that necessitates endless growth and deserves the blame for the destruction of nature must be displaced. Patagonia and its 2,000 employees have the means and the will to prove to the rest of the business world that doing the right thing makes for a good and profitable business.”

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MISSION STATEMENT

“Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

ing for our retirement. They do company matches for our 401K. They even put money into the account even if the employees don’t. They make sure we are planning for our future even if the employee isn’t.”

Photo: Jeff Curley/Patagonia

option of volunteering for community based organizations during work hours and get compensated for it.” Recently, somebody inquired about a doggie daycare. Cassidy is exploring that.

What Does Patagonia Look for in Employees? As a retail store manager for 12 years, Wolf has done her fair share of hiring employees. “Basically, I hire smart people, whether or not they have retail experience doesn’t matter. It is more about how they work with people, how they liked the product and how they used it. People don’t have to be hardcore product users, just the ability to talk to people and those that are excited about the products. There is an understanding that we are cool company and we make a great product but it doesn’t work if everybody is not working hard on the back end. In our retail stores, we give people the

6 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

best service possible and treat people the way we want to be treated. Their success depends on them doing well and understanding our expectations. And we let them go. We don’t micromanage. We help and support. It all goes back to expectation and culture.”

For other companies that want to create a culture like this, Cassidy recommends asking a few questions like, “Who are you hiring? What are their passions and desires? What do they wish to achieve out of their work? What kinds of things are you going to support especially with the millennials who are new to the workforce? Based on this foundation, how do you plan to move forward? For new start-ups, you have a blank slate.”

Patagonia Perks In the Reno operations center, free yoga classes are available in addition to the organic cafeteria that is open from 7am-7pm six days a week. The café features a buffet where there is always vegan/vegetarian options. The cost is subsidized which makes it easy for employees to get healthy options. They pay with their employee badge and the cost is deducted from their paycheck. Cassidy continued, “The owners are thoughtful and want to make sure people are healthy and we are sav-

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According to a five-year forecast looking at northern Nevada’s regional growth between 2015-2019, our region can expect 52,400 new jobs by 2019. The EPIC Report predicted this 10 percent increase of brand new jobs to the area back in 2015 and we are well on our way to achieving that. This is a far cry from 2011 when Nevada had a 14.5 percent unemployment rate. Boasting a pro-business tax friendly climate, transportation advantages, outdoor recreation and an increasingly more diverse skilled workforce, northern Nevada is becoming a sought after place to both work and live. In addition to creating an infrastructure that works, locating and training a workforce for this rapid growth takes some foresight.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities Enter Valerie Cotta, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) workforce development program manager, who foresees the workforce challenges and opportunities this region will continue to face as more companies like Switch, Tesla, Apple, Amazon and Panasonic choose to be in Greater RenoSparks-Tahoe. Her position was created at EDAWN to connect the workforce organizations that were doing good things to collaboratively do great things together. The Workforce Consortium (co-led by EDAWN and the Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce) helps grow the workforce candidate pool by informing the community about in-demand jobs, associated training, and companies hiring, while removing workforce entry barriers for different populations.

by Corrine Casanova

8 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Washoe County School District, Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) partnered to create the Manufacturing LEAP career path, that creates entrance ramps to education and exit ramps to appropriate work that starts at the high school level, moves through college and can end at the university level as an engineering professional. In addition, GOED, TMCC and Nevada JobConnect developed training for in-demand manufacturing jobs for people with no previous manufacturing experience. TMCC teaches Panasonic Preferred Pathway Program, known as P3, for people interested in jobs at

the Gigafactory, the Hamilton Company or one of the hundreds of other regional manufacturing companies. P3 is self-paced and can be completed in as little as four to eight weeks full-time, or up to three months parttime. This allows currently employed people to train for better paying jobs while working. State of NevadaWorkforce Innovation (WINN) funded scholarships are available and it includes a guaranteed interview with Panasonic and the Hamilton Company upon graduation. To create visibility for our region, EDAWN teamed up with 12 consulting companies and asked them to write articles on different topics including workforce expansion, employee recruitment and how to retain top talent and become better leaders. These articles were disseminated through the EDAWN Executive Update, the community emails which summarize activities developments and resources. To receive the EDAWN Executive Update sign up at http://edawn.org/news-events/news/. Cotta’s job is continually evolving. “As regional industries diversify, our students, parents, teachers and professionals need to know about the change so they can be prepared. The 10 percent job growth in five years is a big demand on a community our size. Layered with the growth is a nationwide talent gap because of the larger number of baby boomers retiring and the smaller number of millennials joining the workforce. Additionally, the generational differences change the workforce dynamics. Also, nationwide there are not enough people with math skills needed for the current and future growth in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) jobs. Right now we are in a good position to take our challenges and translate them into our biggest opportunities.” According to Cotta, we have the opportunity to be ahead of the nation in creating ways to recruit, retain and engage employees. There are some northern Nevada businesses that are already taking innovative approaches to recruiting and retaining employees.

Creating Work Environments that Work Unique work environments help local companies find new ways to keep employees loyal. One of these companies is the Haws Corporation which moved its headBIZNEVADA MAGAZINE • WWW.BIZNEVADA.COM • 9

quarters to Sparks in 1996. The founder, Luther Haws, invented the original drinking fountain back in 1906. In addition to drinking fountains Haws also manufactures emergency drench showers and safety eyewashes. It’s a global company that utilizes a Results Oriented Schedule which encourages autonomy and accountability. Cotta describes it this way, “They believe their employees want to achieve, and work as a team, but need support to be successful. They have a focus on performance rather than time spent, so there is no need to monitor work hours or work location. Supervisors define the realistic work goals and schedules with their employees. Supervisors expect the employees to run the projects, and work with those who need to make it happen. The supervisor support to remove hiccups or barriers when they occur. It’s a very different environment. They don’t necessarily need employees in their chair from 9-5, they care about accountability and that the job gets done.”

Employee Retention is a Result of the Nevada Apprenticeship Project In 2015, TMCC was awarded an American Apprenticeship Initiative Grant which will help prepare apprentices with high-skilled, hands-on jobs. Both job seekers and employers can contact Nevada’s Apprenticeship Project at www.nvapprenticeship.org to learn about this unique State of Nevada, Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) funded program that provides non-traditional opportunities to both workers and employers. Companies of any size can create an apprenticeship program and hire for any in-demand job. At TMCC, the two most popular programs are for Certified Nursing Assistants and Industrial Mechanic Technicians. Both programs have candidate waiting lists from which companies may consider to hire an apprentice. The Department of Labor statistics show the average Apprentice retention rate is 91 percent.

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In downtown Reno, Eldorado Resorts, Inc, parent company to the Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus casinos opened a Family Medical Clinic in May 2017 for their employees and families. This is the only on site medical clinic at a northern Nevada resort-casino. They also promote heavily from within the organization. The Grove Collaborative provides affordable natural organic products delivered right to your door. Their philosophy is to create a team atmosphere in the workplace where accountability is key. While they want their employees working hard while at work they want them rested too. They do this by offering employees options to work four 10-hour shifts or three 12-hour shifts. Cotta explained, “If you ask employees would they prefer a four 10-hour shift, not everyone will say yes but a lot of people will. There are many things companies can do without major cost. By offering three 12-hour shifts companies immediately have access to a larger candidate pool, including students who have Fridays and the weekends off.” Creating part-time jobs is another way to increase your candidate pool to gain access to people who prefer to work part-time because of other obligations.

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According to Cotta social connection is often underrated in the workplace. “Some people think work is your work time and your human time is spending time with your family. Yet we are all human no matter what time of the day it is. When employees have a social connection at work, through events, challenges, and volunteering there is a much higher likelihood that they will stay. Social connections at work are incredibly valuable for both business retention and their employees’ well-being.” “Strategically, we are the right location for manufacturing and distribution. With the consumer trend to buy online and select next day delivery, and Greater Reno-Sparks-Tahoe’s ability to serve 60 million customer with cost-effective ground transportation, we will continue to see these industries choose our region.” she said. If you would like more information on workforce programs and resources to address the talent gap in your organization, join the Workforce Consortium on Wed. Jan. 17 from 10:30am to 12pm at the Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce.

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Get Clear About Your Employee Engagement

HOW IMPORTANT IS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT? by Corrine Casanova

According to Gallup’s latest State of the American Workplace report, 51 percent of the U.S. workforce is not engaged essentially meaning they are indifferent about their job. The report also showed that: •

•

ONLY ONE IN FIVE EMPLOYEES STRONGLY AGREE THAT THEIR LEADERS ARE SETTING GOOD DIRECTION 15 PERCENT STRONGLY AGREE THAT THEIR LEADERS ARE MAKING THEM EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THEIR COMPANY 13 PERCENT OF EMPLOYEES STRONGLY AGREE THAT THEIR LEADERS ARE EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING WITH THE ORGANIZATION

Culture Plays a Part It’s no secret that engaged employees drive productivity. Dan Barnett, a global consultant and speaker, addressed the role of culture in businesses. “Culture is fundamentally all about people. If you want to have employees that are engaged and empowered and really put their passion into their work, culture is going to be a huge part of that because in the end your culture affects everything. When you hire people to fit your culture they are going to be way more involved and engaged in doing their work.” When asked about what drives business culture, Barnett responded, “It’s what you recognize, what you reward, what you hire people for doing and what you fire people for not doing. That’s your culture in the end. So, if you want to build a culture built around certain core values that you care about, you have to stop and think. Am I recognizing that value? For example, at Enron, their core value was integrity. Their culture had nothing to do with that. Their culture was about one thing—20 percent growth every single year. And they didn’t care how they got it. People lied, cheated and cooked the 12 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

books to get that 20 percent and it destroyed that company. Their culture had nothing to do with integrity.” Jeffrey Benjamin, author, speaker and owner of Breakthrough Training, felt that the key to retaining and engaging employees is during that crucial hiring period. “As long as they have a good attitude you can pretty much train them to do anything, whatever that technical skill is required. If they don’t have a good attitude it is really hard to train someone into a good attitude. Ask yourself, are they positive? Do they have good energy? Do they have a good attitude? Someone can’t just work on changing their attitude around in 30 days and suddenly be different but they can spend 30 days or less on a technical skill,” he said. Benjamin is also a believer in organizations primarily being a learning organization first and foremost. For example, a construction company saying they are a learning organization that teaches skillsets and soft skills to employees and they just happen to construct buildings too. He believes that when businesses invest in their employees it makes the culture better and helps retain employees as they will automatically tie what they’ve learned to working at the company or organization. Having a clear direction is essential when forming a culture. That all boils down to the question, “What is your why? Why are you in business? What do you care about and why is it important?” Barnett noted, “People have to know why you are doing what you are doing and why they should care about it. There is always a why. You just have to think about what that is and then get clear about it. Once you know why you are doing it, what will it look like in the future? The more you look at that, the more your people will actually know what to focus on and help you get there. If they don’t know, they can’t help you that much. They will do their job differently if they actually know why and what it will look like in the future.”

There are companies like Gallup who provide anonymous surveys to companies for a small fee to measure employee engagement. In northern Nevada, the deadline is fast approaching for the annual Best Places to Work, hosted by the Northern Nevada Human Resources Association. There’s still time to get nominated as nominations close on January 26 and the winners will be revealed April 26. Even if your business isn’t nominated, it’s a simple process where employees take the anonymous survey which provides a quick snapshot of employee engagement at your business. Nominations take place at quantumworkplace.com/ best-places-to-work-in-reno.

Valerie Cotta, EDAWN workforce development program manager, sees employee engagement tools as a great way for employers to understand their employees needs and wants. She cautions, however, that if the employer isn’t ready to hear the feedback and do something about it, they shouldn’t do it. By doing nothing with the feedback, employee morale can take a dive. “To truly grow a company so it’s the best place to work you have to have the leadership that believes it and you have to have the belief that employees are not just a cost on your P&L. You have to believe that your employees are the core, the culture, are the history are the essence of your business and their knowledge and learning is why you are successful,”Cotta concluded.

2017 BEST PLACES TO WORK WINNERS INCLUDE: COMPANY

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INDUSTRY

Retail Trade Finance & Insurance Retail Trade Finance & Insurance Not-for-profit

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ally observe, you can tell what they really need to work on and focus on that. I don’t view myself as a speaker, rather a trainer. While a motivational speaker pontificates and shares information in the hopes you will do something with that information, as a trainer I provide information that is more focused on my client’s needs.” He gave the analogy of a personal trainer who is actively participating with their client by pushing them to succeed. Clients typically have the greatest intentions but need the push and an accountability partner. Benjamin provides precisely that. His goal setting training is one of his most popular and just like a personal trainer, he doesn’t share all the reasons why goal setting is important, but instead gets his clients selecting goals and then sharing those goals while he brings in the accountability aspect.

THE MAN BEHIND

BREAKTHROUGH TRAINING by Corrine Casanova

Chances are, if you live or work in Reno/Tahoe you probably have either met Breakthrough Training’s Jeffrey Benjamin or at least heard about him. With over 150 corporate trainings a year, most of which are local, he’s a familiar face in the Reno/Tahoe business community. While he’s traveled the world and has done work in places as far away as Dubai and Costa Rica, he prefers to conduct trainings in the state of Nevada. He shared, “I like to live in the same community that I build for personal development. I enjoy seeing that progress first-hand. I probably interface with 100 people a month who go through my trainings here locally. I can’t go anywhere without bumping into someone who has been through one of my programs or trainings. So, it’s very valuable in that respect because I’m also building relationships with my clients. When I travel to other places across the globe, I will most likely never see those people again.” Benjamin offers 12 different type of corporate trainings and has been in business for over 25 years. He also has free monthly Breakthrough Networking mixers that anyone can attend. At age 23, while a senior communications major at the University of Nevada, Reno, he started Breakthrough Training. He explained, “Ever since I was 18 I would go out and talk about personal achievement to anyone that would listen. I would get a list of non-profits and ask if I could speak about the topic of goalsetting for free. When I would show 14 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

up, they would typically ask me who I was. I would explain that I was their speaker as at age 18, I looked pretty young.” As he began building each of his 12 programs, he worked in the banking industry. At age 29, he decided he wasn’t going to spend any days over the age of 30 not doing what he loves every single day. And that’s when he began working at Breakthrough Training full-time. His love of personal development began at age 16 when he read, How to Take Yourself Apart and Put Yourself Together Again by Harold Morrow Sherman (published in 1971). Then he began devouring personal development books by the hundreds. Author Napolean Hill’s How to Think and Grow Rich helped Benjamin realize how fortunate he was to be working on his life’s mission and to know exactly what he wanted to do at such a young age. “This is all I will ever do. I have no desire to do anything else and been doing it for so long that it is so ingrained in me that I could do it with one eye closed and hopping on one leg. Plus, I’m a big believer in this as well. I am not the PowerPoint guy. What I enjoy doing is interacting with my clients and creating real life change,” said Benjamin. He prefers a training environment where there are about 24 people rather than public speaking to large crowds. He prefers this style so he can see what people’s individual needs are and then deliver on that. He explained, “It’s a real art and skill to be able to discover what someone needs. If you re-

While Benjamin has had employees throughout the years, he does not have any regular staff. “I create and do all own trainings. I am like a Picasso, I like to have my signature on those plus it’s hard in this particular business to duplicate yourself especially to the highest quality and standard that I have for my trainings. I like to control that quality as much as possible,” he concluded.

RENO’S COUNTRY CLUB

Jeffrey Benjamin is the founder of Breakthrough Training in Reno. He is the co-author of the Real Life Habits for Success book series and has a series of audio books. Contact him at BreakthroughTraining.com or at 775-337-1600.

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NEVADA STATE CONTRACTORS BOARD THE VALUE OF HIRING A NEVADA LICENSED CONTRACTOR

“I chose Hometown for my practice and for my

family.”

by Margi Grein When you are in need of medical care, are you more likely to seek out a licensed professional or casually seek help from someone operating out of their home? What is it about a license that adds value to how we select professionals to hire? While a license does not guarantee a better service necessarily, there is a certain expectation that the individual has demonstrated a standard level of competence for the work they are performing, and accepts responsibility for such work by having proper remedies in place, such as insurance policies. So why should our opinions about hiring contractors to perform repair or remodel work be any different? There are over 16,000 licensed construction companies in Nevada who employ thousands of workers to meet our state’s vast residential and commercial construction needs daily. The Nevada State Contractors Board not only licenses entities to perform various types of construction work in the state, but also upholds the laws and regulations that guide construction practices in an effort to best protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare. The most noticed benefit of hiring a licensed Nevada contractor license is in the aftermath of licensure. Contractor’s licenses help to even the playing field within the construction industry by ensuring all contractors, regardless of the size or scope of the work they perform, are held to an equitable standard. Licensed contractors acknowledge their responsibilities to uphold the laws of this state, including the provisions under Chapter 624 of the Nevada Revised Statutes and Nevada Administrative Code, building laws, labor laws, and lien laws, among others. They are committed to being held accountable to workmanship commensurate with industry standards, and understand the gravity of the consequences that can result from failure to uphold their contractual obligations. Furthermore, hiring a licensed contractor affords greater public protection because of the enhanced recourse options made available by the Board in circumstances where construction-related concerns arise during the scope of a project. These include protections for owners, who can file complaints with the Board related to substandard workmanship, including abandonment of a project; as well as other licensed contractors or suppliers who may find themselves in money owing disputes with a licensed contractor.

It is the Board’s authority and responsibility to properly investigate every complaint filed with its office. For workmanship complaints, the Board’s investigators may review all documented evidence available, perform a jobsite visit to assess the substandard workmanship allegations first hand, and then provide the contractor with a “Notice to Correct” identifying all validated workmanship items that need to be repaired or replaced within a given timeframe. This process is valuable for both parties because the owner is able to have their contract terms fulfilled with the assistance of the Board, while the licensed contractor is able to make good on the terms they agreed to without repercussion. In the majority of cases where issues are validated, licensed contractors are quick to make the necessary corrections, leaving all parties satisfied and the case is closed as resolved. But even in the minority of instances where a licensed contractor fails to uphold their statutory and regulatory responsibilities, the Board maintains the ability to take disciplinary action against the license, depending on the frequency and severity of the violation(s) at hand. The Contractors Board makes verifying a contractor’s license easily accessible on its website. Simply go to www. nscb.nv.gov, select the “License Searches” tab, and type in the 7-digit license number or company name. The website will provide a record of the licensed contractor, including the current status of the license (“Active” indicates the licensee is in good standing and able to perform work); bond information; company contact information; monetary limit; and a comprehensive record of any disciplinary actions that may have been taken against the licensee. You can also search for a specific license classification within your county, such as an electrician or plumber, and receive a list of all actively licensed contractors in your area. This information is intended to help consumers and business owners make informed decisions before hiring a company to work on their homes or buildings. Because, at the end of the day, a contractor’s license provides the protection and oversight of accountability, standardized expectations, and enhanced avenues for recourse from the Nevada State Contractors Board. These are the values of licensure, and the expectations that separate the professional workforce from an unlicensed individual. Margi Grein is an Executive Officer of the Nevada State Contractors Board. For more information, see nscb.nv.gov.

16 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

Dr. Nairizi sees patients with all kinds of different health insurance plans. Those patients with Hometown Health all seem to share the same story with him – they love their plan’s flexibility, reliability and coverage. Thanks to all of the positive experiences Dr. Nairizi has had with Hometown Health, it prompted him to get Hometown Health for his practice and employees. Beyond that, he chose Hometown for his own health insurance, too. With access to more providers and Renown Health’s network of care, Hometown Health is proud to be part of Dr. Nairizi’s practice, team and family.

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WE BELIEVE IN [ ___ ]. by Clare Christensen At the core of every quality company lies a deeply-rooted set of beliefs and values. It’s through those beliefs that a company maintains its integrity both outwardly and within its four walls. As a long-standing general contractor in northern Nevada, it has always been Clark/ Sullivan Construction’s goal to be steadfast in its efforts to provide a quality workplace for employees throughout its history and to maintain quality relationships throughout the region through its core values. Hanging on the walls throughout Clark/Sullivan’s main office in Sparks, signs describe the company’s values as people, collaboration, communication, innovation, community, competition and integrity. These values drive the work done by Clark/Sullivan and serve as a constant reminder to stay true to what the company stands for.

People

It takes great individuals to make great teams. We excel by developing our skills and having fun.

Collaboration

We do our best work working in teams. We compliment the strengths of designers and owners with construction prowess.

Communication

We are open, understanding and transparent. Our success lies in our ability to listen and respond.

Innovation

We offer solutions. We proactively create ways to reduce risk and increase value.

Community

We work hard for our families and our friends. We believe building a better world starts at home. 18 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

Competition

It’s great to have competition. It pushes you to do your best, so bring it on!

Integrity

We work consistently, honestly and safely. At the end of the day, we answer to ourselves. As described in the December 2017 bizNEVADA issue, Clark/ Sullivan is currently undergoing a transition of leadership, which has involved re-structuring of duties and new management. With the transition comes change, but the new leadership holds true to the values set forth by founding partner Bernard “BJ” Sullivan more than four decades ago. “I started my career with Clark/Sullivan 21 years ago,” said Vice President/Chief Estimator Jerry Hogan. “Although a lot has changed over those two decades, Clark/Sullivan has never faltered on its pursuit of integrity. Our open-book approach with clients has developed long-standing relationships formed on the basis of trust and honesty.” As CFO/CEO Kevin Stroupe would describe it, “I would rather the company make less money than sacrifice any of our core values. The partners are committed to doing our best to ensure our team members have a balance in their work and professional lives. We also want our entire team to make ethical and honest decisions even if they are not the most profitable decisions.” It’s with these beliefs that the partners at Clark/Sullivan will guide their team into the next chapter of the company’s story. Clare Christensen is the communications manager at Clark/Sullivan.

by WGU Nevada Nothing quite goes together like a new year and a new set of resolutions. According to recent studies, obtaining a higher education can contribute to a happier life. And, while some resolutions are easier to maintain and accomplish than others, continued education should definitely be one of yours. Lack of a flexible work, family, or other schedule shouldn’t prevent you from chasing your dreams and getting the credentials you need. By attending an online college with a competency-based model, accomplishing education goals are easier than ever. Western Governors University (WGU) is established in many of the western states, including Nevada, and is offering an added incentive for busy adults making resolutions to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the new year. The college is offering $500,000 in scholarships to new students with the resolve to create a new you. Those who apply to the online, nonprofit university by March 31, 2018, are eligible to apply for the New Year’s Resolution Scholarship, which provides up to $2,000 per student for up to 200 students across the nation. The New Year’s Resolution Scholarship will be applied at the rate of $500 per term, renewable for up to four terms, toward WGU’s already low tuition of about $3,000 per sixmonth term for most programs. Students enrolling in any of WGU’s 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are eligible to apply for this scholarship. Applications for this scholarship are being accepted now through March 31, 2018, and can be found online under Tuition and Financial Aid.

ful—real-world competencies developed in collaboration with employers. These ideals are perfect when thinking of the need within the state: teachers, business professionals, IT support, and health practitioners. Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, competency-based education allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. WGU faculty members work oneon-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction. While WGU’s degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competencybased learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their progress, saving both time and money. The New Year’s Resolution Scholarship offers students the opportunity to affordably pursue their career goals in the new year. Although this scholarship has specifically been created to help students with new year’s resolutions, there are many other scholarship opportunities available. When thinking of your new year’s resolutions, aim high. Education is more attainable than you think, and with the career potential in the state, isn’t it time for you to earn the degree you’ve been considering? WGU Nevada is an online, competency-based university designed to expand access to higher education for Nevada residents. For more information, see www.nevada.wgu.edu.

WGU Nevada offers degrees in its four major colleges: education, business, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Each of these colleges offer an assortment of bachelor’s and master’s degrees to catapult your career to the next level. Different from a traditional university, WGU Nevada is geared toward working adults who may already have some education in their prospective field. By allowing students to go at their own pace, the college can help individuals accomplish their goals faster than many other universities. Fully accredited, WGU uses an innovative approach to learning called competency-based education, which focuses on measuring learning rather than time spent in a classroom. Students earn their degrees by demonstrating mastery of the subject matter they need to be successBIZNEVADA MAGAZINE • WWW.BIZNEVADA.COM • 19

discussion about the anatomy of the brain and spinal cord. At this point she is joined by a VIP—Voices for Injury Prevention—speaker who shares their story about their own traumatic brain injury.

NON-PROFIT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT – THINKFIRST

An Ounce of Prevention by Corrine Casanova

We’ve all heard the adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure which essentially means it’s easier to stop something before it happens than to repair it after the damage is done. This statement couldn’t be more true when it comes to brain and spinal cord injury. In fact, an ounce of prevention may go much further than that. For example, in 2010, direct and indirect medical costs of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) cost $76.5 billion. Annually, about 1.7 million people here in the United States sustain a TBI, 52,000 of whom don’t survive.

participating in outdoor activities, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When somebody sustains a severe brain injury it not only impacts the person experiencing it, it also impacts their family, career and future. It is possible to spend $10,000 a day in the ICU after a severe injury. I would rather spend that money on the front end with prevention. We can make a far bigger impact by raising awareness of spinal cord and head injuries by educating, especially young people, about themselves and their brains.”

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, there are about 17,500 new spinal cord injuries each year (not including an estimated 5,000 who die at the scene of the accident). Since 2010, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of spinal cord injury, followed by falls, acts of violence and then sports/recreation activities which are nearly nine percent of all spinal cord injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CD), falls are the leading cause of TBI (about 40 percent of all brain injuries). Sports and recreational activities contribute to over 20 percent of all TBIs in teens.

While estimating how many people are being saved from sustaining injuries through the local efforts of Think First is difficult to do because you can’t put something into a statistic that never happened, Dr. Sekhon has recognized the strong community spirit when it comes to rallying around people who have sustained spine or brain injuries. A case in point would be the seven teens from Dayton and Carson City who were critically injured in a Nov. 9 rollover car crash.

Through his work, a local neurosurgeon, Dr. Lali Sekhon, has witnessed the heartache of indescribable loss, not only emotional and physical loss, but devastating financial loss too due to accidents and falls. He wanted to do something proactive about it, especially when it came to kids and teens. As a result, in 2011, he founded ThinkFirst Northern Nevada, a local chapter of the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation. He explained, “When it comes to any activity like alcohol and driving, distracted driving and

20 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

Getting the prevention message out to kids and young adults in the 15-24 age group is crucial as this group is at the highest risk for these types of injuries. Kathy O’Sullivan, a physical therapist who is the local chapter director of ThinkFirst Northern Nevada, goes to 12 local high schools, twice a year, to educate students about making smart, safe choices to avoid head and spinal cord injury prevention. These presentations are either held in classrooms or during a general assembly. A video, “ThinkFirst About your Choices” provides testimonies from nine people with brain or spinal cord injuries. O’Sullivan follows this with a brief

One of her VIPs is Tayler Dahlberg. In February 2014, he was in an off-road dirt bike race in northern Nevada and 3 ½ months later woke up from a coma in a hospital. He has absolutely no recollection of anything that happened that day of the race. While he wore all the protective gear and even took extra precautions, he was severely injured on the 50-mile track loop in the desert. Nobody will ever know what happened that day as there were no witnesses. After his extensive hospital stay, he eventually met O’Sullivan who was a physical therapist at Rehab Without Walls. After working together on Dahlberg’s recovery, she asked him about becoming a ThinkFirst VIP speaker. Dahlberg has been sharing his story with kids at high schools ever since with the goal of preventing spinal and head injuries. His rehabilitation period was about 18 months and he continues to work towards getting better. After he shares his story, kids will usually ask him how it felt to learn how to walk again and what are some things he can’t do today as a result of the accident. Through their prevention efforts, ThinkFirst also reaches out to the community through free helmet giveaways. Kids on Big Rigs and the Run for Education are two events where they have a booth where parents or teachers can bring children to receive an absolutely free, properly fitted helmet. Adults can also get a free helmet. So far, they have given away nearly 3,000 helmets with the help of donations from such compa-

nies as Renown and Sierra Neurosurgery Group. They’d like to expand those efforts and do more. Their actual cost is about $8 per helmet and they typically give out 500 helmets per event. With a large enough donation, organizations can have their company’s logo sticker on the helmets. If you would like to help finance a portion of the high school presentations which are about $1,300 per high school or $650 per semester, you can do that as well. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, donating or scheduling a presentation at your business, contact Kathy O’Sullivan at Kathy@thinkfirstnevada.org or go to www.thinkfirstnevada.org to make your donation.

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Other great tips from Davis: • • •

CREATING A BETTER WORK-LIFE BALANCE by Allyson Lambert

What if we re-charged ourselves as much as we charge our phones? That’s the question I set out to answer last summer when I began exploring the topic of work-life balance for business owners. As entrepreneurs, we have the ability to create our ideal lifestyle. However, the truth is, most of us overschedule, overcommit and drive ourselves into a coffee-fueled frenzy of emails and burn-out that no vacation, no matter how luxurious it is, can fix. As a fun experiment, I brought in the experts and started trying out different work-life balance tips and tricks. Here’s some of my favorites.

Establish Healthy Routines

Success lies in our everyday routines. Every day, I wake up at 5am and run five miles and then mediate under a palm tree, followed by a leisurely breakfast of quail eggs and organic French-pressed coffee… Just kidding! My mornings looked more like a hurricane of emails as I tried to simultaneously eat breakfast, apply make-up and have a dance party before dashing out the door to my first meeting (don’t ask). Eager to reclaim my life back, I started trying out different morning routines with my colleagues. We met up in the mornings, traded tips, and noted the difference these new habits made in our lives. At the end of the experiment, I felt calmer and focused to start my day. Things began to naturally fall into place when I took the time to “put myself first” in the morning.

Here’s some of our top picks to try: •

Meet up for a group run or hike with your coworkers or friends. Use this time to strategize and talk about goals. The extra motivation will help shape your day.

22 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

• • •

30 minutes of energizing yoga. Don’t have time? Try 10 minutes. Everything counts. Sip hot water with lemon. It’s an energizing way to wake-up. Take 15 minutes of quiet time to journal, read or plan your day.

Move More and Get Active in Nature

Take time in nature to explore, move your body, and rejuvenate. According to Danielle Litoff of Battle Born Health, balance starts with making yourself valuable and carving out downtime each day. When it comes to exercise, you need to move with joy. This means not forcing yourself to go to the gym if you hate the gym. If you’re strapped for time don’t say, “I have to go to the gym and walk for 30 minutes.” Instead, choose activities that you love such as yoga, dance class, soccer or simply getting out into nature. As a society, we’ve developed this mentality that more is better and strict routines will lead to success. However, mindfulness and listening to your body can go a long way in creating balance in your life.

Create a Digital Sunrise and Sunset

Limit technology use an hour before bed and an hour before you wake up. Nellie Davis, owner of Camp Out Yonder, a mindful techfree campout for adults based in the Sierra Nevadas, gave some helpful tips on establishing digital boundaries in your life. With her own family, she has a digital sunset and sunrise from 7:30pm to 7:30am each day. This means that phones and technology go off and they can spend quality time together as a family.

•

Don’t bring phones to meals Switch back to an analogue alarm clock Don’t hold phone when not using it (i.e. walking down the street) Don’t mindlessly scroll through your newsfeed while waiting in line

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Find new, creative spaces to work that refuel your creativity and passions My clients know that I have one rule in life. Don’t put me in an office. Gone are the days where you need to be in a windowless office with florescent lighting and recycled air (unless that’s your thing). You can create a hot-spot anywhere using your cellphone. This summer I tried out many spots, like working on the beach in South Lake Tahoe (a picnic table makes a great desk.) Think outside the box and find a way to make work fun. Take your team with you. Even the most “boring” tasks can be made fun by changing up the environment. You can also try walking meetings or pick a new creative spot to meet a client. Integrate life into your work and you’ll instantly have more balance.

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Choose a few of these to try and experiment with and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the overflow effect it can have in your life and your business.

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Allyson Lambert is a writer, actor and marketing consultant. She enjoys bringing creative strategy to businesses. You can follow her blog at allysonlambert.com.

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NCET JANUARY 17 2-4PM Biz Café: Randi Thompson Tax Reform: How Will It Impact You? Rancharrah JANUARY 19 5:30-8:30PM ADDY Drop-Off Party Insight Studio JANUARY 24 11AM-1PM Biz Bite: Kandis Porter Project Management: Tips and Tools Atlantis Casino Resort Spa FEBRUARY 14 5:30-7:30PM Tech Wednesday: Kimmie Candy 4855 Longley Lane

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Workers’CompSurvival

IntheAgeof theEmployee by Mike Menath During the Great Recession (2007-2012) there was one silver lining for business owners. They had a distinct advantage when it came to hiring quality employees. Jobs were so precious that an employer was in a position of strength when it came to carefully hand selecting a competitive team. Those business owners with cash in their pockets at the time were able to attract and retain top level talent to their firms. However; a quick glance at today’s unemployment numbers provides enough evidence to affirm the leverage pendulum has swung sharply in favor of employees. With the job pool shrinking at an alarming rate, finding excellent hires to fuel the growth in your business is getting more difficult each day. Additionally, there is a “bottom of the barrel” phenomenon where some businesses are having to contemplate much higher risk individuals than they were just a year ago. This is leaving businesses more susceptible to Workers’ Comp fraud than ever before, as unfortunately there are some who use the somewhat lax “no fault” provisions of the labor law to get extended time off complements of the system. Make no mistake about it, the core mission of Workers’ Comp is worthy and it makes perfect sense. If an employee is hurt while performing their job in the way they were trained, they should be compensated until they are healthy enough to return to the workforce. And it’s also an ethical requirement of businesses to provide the safest workplace environment possible for their staff. The challenge is in those gray areas. Did this employee truly injure their back while lifting a box at work? Or did the injury really occur over the weekend with a misfired homerun swing at the softball tournament? Most experienced business owners have their horror stories to share regarding Workers’ Comp. It’s hard enough to get in adequate revenues to cover payroll every other week. It’s all the more difficult to have to pay higher Workers’ Comp fees because of those who don’t even work on the job anymore. 28 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

Sadly, even a single carpal tunnel claim can be enough to push a small office to the brink. It’s even worse for those higher risk enterprises like construction where as much of 25 percent of payroll expenses can go into paying Workers’ Comp rates. So, what can a business owner do to lower their risks and costs for Workers’ Comp in the age of the employee? Here are three key suggestions:

Of course, for any business person, price is important. But, when it comes to Worker’s Comp insurance, it’s not the only consideration. The truth is that most of the options you’ll get in terms of pricing will all be in the same ballpark. The initial rates won’t vary that much from provider to provider. What will vary tremendously is the impact your insurance representative can have on lowering your rates over time. You’ll want to get the most experienced and knowledgeable professional possible to assist you with Worker’s Comp. They’ll be able to provide that third-party review of your practices. They’ll also be able to offer a wealth of wisdom in strategies helping you to increase safety practices thereby lowering your rates. Additionally, this professional will be a skilled advocate for your business in dealing with insurers, which is hugely important. When is the last time you gave your Worker’s Comp processes a thorough review with an insurance expert? In the age of the employee, there has probably never been a better time.

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Hire Slowly, Fire Quickly You’ve heard this phrase used often in terms of human resources, but perhaps it’s in regard to work safety where it is most critical. Most business owners will share that despite their best efforts, people don’t change all that much through the course of employment. You can provide individuals with safety education, and apply stringent rules until you’re blue in the face. But, most people come to your operation with either an instinct for safety, or a natural disregard. If you suspect there is someone on your team who is a high risk to the safety of your organization, you need to part ways with them sooner rather than later. One bad apple can not only spoil the whole tree, it can take it down entirely.

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Independent Set of Eyes Workplace safety is a team project. Rather than merely printing out work safety directives in an employment manual and calling it good, you need to put in place a comprehensive plan to proactively limit your risk. If your employees are involved in the process, they will be much more likely to own and implement the policies. Put together teams within your organization who will help create and monitor safety guidelines in every aspect of your business. This will have a profound effect. But, it’s critical you take it even a step further. Go outside of your team and bring in a third-party expert to teach the best practices other similar industries are using. They’ll also be able to share with you things you need to know that your employees may not feel comfortable bringing up themselves.

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Employee Development Brings Bottom-line Results By Extended Studies, University of Nevada, Reno Top-performing companies recognize employee development leads to bottom-line results by staying relevant and competitive in their industry and retaining experienced staff. Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno can deliver targeted courses at your site or ours—designed with your budget, goals and business in mind. In decades past, it was common for employees to spend their entire career with the same company. Loyalty was valued and it went both ways. Companies rewarded longevity and loyalty, and employees put company priorities before their own. Times have changed. It’s a job-seeker’s market, and employees no longer have that bond of loyalty. Consequently, businesses must rethink the role of continuing education in their corporate strategy if they want to retain employees. A recent survey conducted by the American Management Association found: “Employee development issues were of top importance for employees and helped to improve retention. By offering educational opportunities, employees are inspired to both serve you better in their current positions while also grooming them as skilled candidates for other positions within the company.”

30 • ISSUE 8 • JANUARY 2018

Who Benefits? Educational benefits go beyond boosting morale. Employees who are satisfied in their jobs and who feel valued by their employers are less likely to actively pursue other job opportunities. Retaining the most-valuable employees also can save the company money—replacing an experienced employee can be expensive. Overall increased job satisfaction makes employees more productive and reduces absenteeism. With Extended Studies’ extensive list of course options, businesses find everything they need to help employees gain vital skills. Who will benefit most? • • • •

Your company, its management staff and employees who recognize training and retention are key to bottom-line success Your executives and managers, who need to remain on top of trends, regulations and practices across areas of general management Key staff members who you want to grow into your next leaders Recently hired employees or graduates who are new to the workplace and need to enhance a degree with applied skills

• • • • • • • • • • •

Interviewing and hiring practices Management, leadership, coaching and supervision Marketing and communications Negotiation and conflict resolution Performance standards, evaluation and review Project management Public speaking and public relations Risk management Team building and motivation

“We have enjoyed the variety of courses that UNR offers,” said Brettine Morris, training manager for Great Basin Federal Credit Union. “UNR has worked with our credit union to make this program personal to our needs. It offers consistency for our future leaders. We find that going to these courses as a group has helped build a better leadership team and ownership of what we have learned together.” For more information about Extended Studies, visit www.extendedstudies.unr.edu or call 775- 784-4046.

Human Resources Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Mediation and Conflict Resolution Nonprofit Management Project Management Public Management Social Media and Digital Marketing Supervisory Management Leadership Business Software Gaming Management

Courses are taught by industry experts and University of Nevada, Reno faculty. Extended Studies instructors bring fresh perspectives on the latest trends, competitive tools and best practices. “The instructor’s use of real-world experience and actual situations made the class very interesting for the students,” said Greg Gulla, engineering manager at the Hamilton Co. who recently participated in a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt contract training. Scott Sommer, another engineering manager at the Hamilton Co., also found value in the training. “The course demonstrates a philosophy and a methodology for improving processes in your career and in your life,” Sommer said. Extended Studies courses cover a wide array of topics to meet industry-specific needs:

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Budgeting and financial management Building a continuous improvement culture Computer skills and graphic design Customer recruitment and retention Diversity and cultural awareness Employee relations, assistance and orientation Improving efficiency and decreasing costs

Design-Build CMAR, LLB NV CA (775) 355-8500 www.clarksullivan.com

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THE UNIVERSITY OF

REAL-WORLD SKILLS FOR REAL-WORLD JOBS. Increase your earning potential with an accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, IT, education, or healthcare.

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