When Mark Strippy was hired by the Ahola Corp. as vice president, sales and service, three years ago, he wanted to ensure the firm, which is known for printing paychecks and paying taxes, was also looked upon as a trusted community adviser.
Ahola, the largest independent, family-owned provider of payroll and human capital management in the country, has proven itself to be just that since the coronavirus hit.
“Many folks ask me what has changed as it relates to employee/employer relations,” Strippy says. “My comment is everything has changed. It begins with existing employees, and it’s all about the continuation or the building of your culture or organization.
“The landscape as we knew it one to two years ago has changed, and it’s not just from COVID-19. It includes regulatory changes, social unrest and the political climate.”
Recent Human Resource Trends
Ahola is advising small and midsize companies on how to manage remote employees and keep them engaged. Other trends include adjusting to recruitment and onboarding processes, which have gone from being conducted in person to almost 100 percent electronic, and how to build relationships through technology versus in person.
As a COVID-19 survivor, Strippy personally experienced the impact of working from home and dealing with stressors caused by the pandemic.
“There are an awful lot of pressures we face day in and day out just going through our lives,” Strippy says. “There are a lot of people who live their day in fear. It’s tough to come into work when you are worried about your own safety. We try to help people feel more comfortable in their day.”
It’s not just its clients Ahola, located in Brecksville, strives to support. It’s also competitors and nonclients. At the start of the pandemic, Ahola executive leaders decided they weren’t going to be just thought-leaders or translators of information for their clients. They wanted to be a resource center for Ohio because that is the Ahola way, according to Strippy.
“We are a family-owned business and are going to treat your family like our family,” Strippy says. “That philosophy of sharing, educating and being a part of the community is aligned with the reasons why Rheta and Chet Ahola started this business 53 years ago.”
While the future of work post-COVID-19 evolves, Ahola remains focused on its mission to empower organizations to succeed by allowing them to focus on what they do best while it handles payroll and human resources needs with accuracy, expertise and care.
“Our clients didn’t get into business to worry about this stuff,” Strippy says. “When COVID-19 hit, there were many question marks and confusion. The news cycle was quick, and there were different press conferences every day.
“Our job is to help the employers and employees of Ohio navigate the challenges they deal with on a daily basis. Our information is not behind a firewall just for our clients to see. That is not contributing to our community.
“A byproduct of being a resource center is we’ve generated new business and increased customer loyalty. Probably more important than new business, it’s created the brand we wanted in the business. Ahola is more than someone who can print your paycheck; we are looked at as a consultant,” Strippy says.
It’s the Ahola way that has carried on for three generations. Ahola is “sisu,” a Finnish word loosely translated as stoic determination, bravery, guts and resilience — all qualities needed to persevere in a post-pandemic work
environment.