Total Security Solutions: Proactively Identifying Strengths and Skills in New Hires
This article appeared in the October 2025 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.
Acclimating new employees into a company’s internal culture starts on the day they are hired — but recognizing candidates who have the passion to work with the team in such a manner, while also providing customers with outstanding service, starts long before that.
Employers that can proactively identify the strengths and skills needed for each particular role are likely to find more suitable applicants, and then structured training can help ensure the new employees’ success and job satisfaction.
Total Security Solutions (TSS) of Fowlerville — which designs, engineers, manufactures and installs customized bullet-resistant materials for commercial applications — has taken this concept to a new level by formalizing and streamlining this talent acquisition process, says TSS CEO Jim Richards.
“We have that training layered,” Richards explains. “It ramps up from the first 30 days and gets more detailed in the next 60. Then by 90 days, they’re off and running and have a full understanding of their department, their seat and the organization.”
During the first month, new hires meet team members and learn about processes, technologies and the company’s values and mission. Afterward, they use a structured outline to learn what each department or person does and how their own role blends into their processes.
“We give them ‘look fors’ to check off,” Richards says. “We are making sure we are intentional on that by having modules built for them in advance. We want them to make the human connection and also make sure they understand what they’re trying to observe and learn, rather than not knowing what they’re seeing and doing. We try to lay the foundation ahead of time, such as, ‘This is what the Aluminum Department does, this is what you will see, and this is why it’s important.’”
Chief People Officer Christine Sermak, a former high school principal and 2024 Manufacturing Talent Champion, has been credited for solidifying TSS’s training programs into “Total Security Solutions University.” TSSU was intended to bring Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) principles to life, a circular model based on the core components of Vision, Data, Process, Traction, Issues and People.
However, TSSU soon morphed into numerous training courses and classroom experiences that focus on EOS as well as leadership, teamwork and communication skills. Through her coaching, Sermak also focuses on the development of meaningful relationships and promoting the use of emotional intelligence concepts with a goal of enhancing teamwork and efficiency.
“The people on our team have really driven results for us — people buying into the culture, buying into that growth mindset, the willingness to learn and the willingness to try new things,” Richards says. “It’s made it fun for me, as the CEO, and it’s been really nice to see people grow, develop, ask questions and challenge themselves on a daily basis.”
“I’m a firm believer that a business only grows as people grow,” he adds, “so having people that embrace that growth mindset is critical.”
Structured training processes have enabled many businesses to ensure their team members understand their roles, are more engaged in the internal culture, and feel empowered to offer ideas to help move a company forward.
Learn More About Our Gamechanger
Headquarters: Fowlerville
Web: tssbulletproof.com
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