The Engine of a Great Place to Work

Roxana managed to compensate for the lack of in-person interactions and proved herself resourceful with the help of coaching from her area sales manager. She worked sprints with the aid of a Hilti field engineer, product manager and marketing manager to counter the competition’s offers and swivel back to a win-win approach. She delivered her ‘from-home work’ by phone, online or, whenever possible, via the jobsite manager. Her efforts paid off. Eventually, a clear no turned into a possible maybe and then into a resounding yes. What ended up making the difference? We asked the parties involved, and their answers were not surprising: working as a tight-knit team, doing one’s best within any given circumstances, and clearly focusing on delivering utmost value to the customer – all of this ended up fueling the ticket to success. 

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Macon Grup is a focus client in the building construction (BC) trade area. While most customers benefit from solutions in one or two fields (installation, fire protection, fleet management, etc.), BC customers have a wider scope. They typically run projects that can, potentially, leverage a multitude of Hilti solutions. This requires account managers to be both technically savvy and perceptive and compelling in the stories they tell. They also depend on engaging colleagues who can support with specialized expertise – early and often: from the start, more hands on deck is common practice with BC customers.

By 2020, when Roxana Gaita took over the Macon Grup account, a contract with Hilti hadn’t been signed. Much of the legwork had already been done, so it was a question of reevaluating the situation, with an even stronger focus on the client’s perspective. Roxana benefited from ticking other boxes as well: she is a civil engineer and she understands how to leverage teamwork. Where there’s a will, there’s a way is the mantra she lives and operates by.

Shining the light on internal processes

“The contact restrictions triggered by the pandemic felt like we were taking one step forward and two steps back. I had no choice other than to continuously adapt and innovate. My area sales manager witnessed this challenging twist to my journey and, being an experienced salesperson himself, he could not only relate to how I felt, but also to what the client faced – stifling delays, increased costs and uncertainty regarding cash flow. He coached me to be resilient, make the most of what I could control and to show empathy for the clients’ situation.

I realized that I could supercharge our support by placing even more emphasis on linking the customer with Hilti specialists. Based on that realization, my colleagues and I worked in agile sprints, coming up with offers that were better tailored to the needs of the customer. I caught myself thinking more than once: ‘So, this is what truly effective teamwork is all about.’ In addition, when I ended up tired and at my wits’ end, my colleagues cheered me up without rolling their eyes for having to meet for the umpteenth time. That’s really cool to experience! Far from making me feel less in charge, this safety net gave me much needed confidence and grit. Knowing I could count on my supportive and knowledgeable colleagues along the way made all the difference. That’s how I learned what ‘a great place to work’ really means. To the excitement of all of us, we signed the contract in the second half of 2022.

I asked my customer, what it was that flipped the switch? What caused them to say yes after having said no until now? Their answer: feeling heard and understood. Being there for them, on site or on the phone, with an eye on spotting improvement opportunities and guiding them to solutions without being overly pushy.”

The nurturing of one of the world’s best workplaces

“In the past few years, Hilti has ranked ever higher among the world’s best workplaces. Quite a few people started asking me what makes it ‘a great place to work’. To me, it all boils down to the culture and people. At Hilti, my development – as well as my colleagues’ – builds on strengths, instead of focusing on potential weaknesses. That’s not to say that we put on rose-colored glasses and ignore areas for improvement. But we act upon the wisdom that people thrive most when doing more of what they are good at, instead of fixating on weaknesses that may take a long time to correct or even eliminate. Our company values set a clear foundation: Regardless of one’s preferences and abilities, we all agree that courage, integrity, teamwork and commitment are the baseline for whatever we do.”