Matt Ransbottom on Hiring, Culture, and the People Side of Business
Leadership · From Student of the Game
Matt Ransbottom on Hiring, Culture, and the People Side of Business
Brad Noll opens this episode of Student of the Game with a book many business owners know, The E-Myth Revisited. Its point is that people often start businesses because they are good at a certain kind of work, then discover that running the business, including hiring, firing, marketing, and accounting, is a different skill entirely.
To help with the people side, Brad brings in Matt Ransbottom, an HR manager at OmniSource, now rebranded as Omni. Matt and Brad are both former IPFW athletes, a connection they discovered on a golf trip. "Once a Don, always a Don," Brad says. Together they talk through culture, values, hiring, and the transitions in between.
From Warsaw to the HR Department
Matt grew up in Warsaw, which he calls God's country, and pitched for IPFW. He studied organizational leadership and was drawn to the legal side of HR by a teacher who shared employment court cases in class. His first HR job was at Menards, and he later went back to grad school to study human resource development.
His path to Omni came almost by accident. His girlfriend, now his wife, suggested he move back to Fort Wayne, so to humor her he searched for HR jobs in the area. An HR generalist role at OmniSource came up. He applied, got a call a few days later, and has now been with the company, part of Steel Dynamics, for almost 12 years. He also coached youth baseball for six or seven years and teaches HR classes at Purdue Fort Wayne.
People tend to think HR is just hiring and firing, Matt says, but the part he loves is everything in the middle: culture, developing people, training, and working alongside managers. At Omni, HR is forward facing with employees. "When people tend to see you in a light that is positive, when you do have to have a difficult discussion with them, there was already some respect there," he explains.
“If you took this person to a baseball game, are you hoping that it goes to extra innings because you want to spend so much time with them?”
Matt Ransbottom
Hiring the Right People
Matt's first tip for a growing business is simple. "First, you need to know what you need," he says. Once the role is defined, the interview should focus on the values your company stands for. Some candidates are professional interviewers who hit every mark and then do not work out, so sticking to your values helps more than checking off a job description.
Brad shares how his team hired office manager David. Out of 12 or 13 applicants, each was asked to send a one-minute video naming the Noll Team core value they connected with most. David was the only one who chose serve others, which is the team's number one value. Brad says he still embodies it.
When it is time to choose between two strong candidates, Matt borrows advice from a former HR leader at the company. "If you took this person to a baseball game, are you hoping that it goes to extra innings because you want to spend so much time with them?" he asks. Or are you hoping it rains in the first inning? Brad offers the golf version: do you want to play 18, or are you hoping for a rainout after nine?
Letting People Go and Answering the Why
Matt is not a fan of firing fast. When someone leaves, he wants to know why. Did the company miss their expectations, or did they miss the company's? An exit interview can show what to improve on the front end of the next hire. "If you put so much effort into the front end of hiring somebody, you should have that care for them throughout their career," he says.
If you do need to let someone go, the person should never be surprised. They should know where they stand, and the reasons should be documented. Matt also stresses being fair and consistent so no one is treated differently based on favoritism, age, race, religion, sex, or origin.
Job descriptions make all of that possible. Brad describes the difference between delegation and abdication, then shares a four-quadrant exercise he learned from a realtor friend: sort every task by whether you love it and whether it is profitable, then focus on your highest and best use. Matt's practical points for small business owners:
- Define the role before you post it, including the hours and the specific duties.
- Write down expectations so you can hold people accountable fairly.
- Review job descriptions every year or two as roles change.
- Notice the people who go beyond the description and find ways to grow them.
- Value the steady people who do their job well, too. You need them.
- Take time to reflect each day or week on what went well and what did not.
Falling in Love With the Grind
HR is a cost center, Matt says, so the job is supporting the people who make money for the company. That means the phone does not stop, and he travels to facilities across several states. What he loves is that every day is different. His wife teases that he is always in HR mode, even at the company Christmas party, because he wants to talk with everyone.
He recently told a teammate who was feeling overwhelmed that a ringing phone is a good sign. It means people are leaning on her because she is adding value. Brad connects that to his playing days, when coaches pushed the players they needed most. He shares a philosophy he has adopted: average teammates want to be praised, good teammates want to be pushed, and elite teammates want feedback.
What Does Winning at the Game of Life Look Like in Your Career?
Matt says winning means not keeping score against others. People have told him to move on every two years to make more money, but he is proud of his 12 years at one company and grateful to work somewhere that holds him accountable. He remembers finishing school during the 2008 and 2009 downturn, when interviews were hard to come by, and wishing someone would just give him a chance. His advice is to be patient and stay with the grind, because sometimes the stars align.
Brad adds that winning looks different in different seasons of life. When it is time for flowers, Matt thanks his wife for her support, along with his family, friends, his HR team, and everyone at Omni and Steel Dynamics. As Brad likes to say, relationships win.
▶ Listen to the full episode
Winning with People: Mastering Team Culture with Matt Ransbottom, on Student of the Game.
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