Let’s face it. Job hunting is stressful. This is especially true for university grads entering the workforce with little experience. But what if you were able to land a job and have a successful career with one company—and never have to worry about going through the job hunting process ever again?
Enterprise Holdings’ promote-from-within culture encourages employees to grow with the company. At Enterprise, employees have the opportunity to change careers without having to change companies.
To support its promote-from-within culture, Enterprise bases promotions in large part on a manager’s ability to retain and develop their employees.
Craig Snelgrove, vice president and general manager of Enterprise Holdings’ operations in Toronto, started his career in the company’s Management Training program more than 21 years ago. Management Trainees get a hands-on experience that teaches them how to run a business, empower teams, and provide excellent face-to-face customer service.
Coming straight out of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Snelgrove didn’t have many expectations. He knew he wanted a career, but didn’t know what he was going to do when he “grew up.”
“My expectations were to learn something, make some friends, make a dollar, and see where it took me,” he explains. “It wasn’t a huge, long-term plan back in the day to say the least.”
What sold Snelgrove on the opportunity at Enterprise was the company culture.
“[It was] fast-paced, promote-from-within, competitive—those kinds of things connected with me,” he says.
Snelgrove started as a management trainee and, through a series of promotions over the years, worked his way up to his current position as general manager and vice president.
What keeps Snelgrove committed to Enterprise is its work culture. He likes the people and the company’s values. As a family-owned company, Enterprise manages its business with long-term sustainability and the interests of its customers and employees in mind.
In-house development at Enterprise
Enterprise offers a host of training opportunities, from on-site hands-on training, to more structured classroom-style opportunities. The company also holds competitions and offers rewards to keep employees focused, driven, and competitive.
“To support its promote-from-within culture, Enterprise bases promotions in large part on a manager’s ability to retain and develop their employees,” says Snelgrove. “It’s a competitive environment but, at the same token, everybody’s trying to help develop, train, and motivate the people that they work with to become stronger.”
He advises people who want to be successful with Enterprise to be coachable, passionate, committed, driven, and care about a long-term career. If they’re willing to learn about the business, they’ll have success.
“Don’t be looking for the next best thing,” says Snelgrove. “Put your head down, give it 110 percent, give it your all, and learn from any challenges you face. Then you’ll see rewards.”
The value behind growth within
By staying with the same company throughout your career, you become an expert in the industry and the company, says Snelgrove. He adds that finding a culture you love is the most important thing. Once you find that cultural fit, it’s better to work through challenges and move up over time instead of moving from company to company.