2023 Dynamic Dozen Top Human Resources Professional: Lindsay Bauer

The right culture for the right people in the right place at the right time. That’s what Lindsay Bauer is juggling as director of people and culture at Keep Supply. She says it’s working, pointing to Keep Supply’s 10% turnover rate amid 85% employee growth in the past year. The industrial equipment supplier anticipates doubling in 2023, which means Bauer will have a lot more people to direct. She’s prepared for the task.

“My role as director of people and culture with Keep Supply is to help protect the amazing culture this team has built while helping them continue a steep growth trajectory,” Bauer says.

Her role includes recruiting new employees and managing benefits to creating Culture Club initiatives and providing professional and leadership development. Bauer stays on top of labor laws by attending local events and through plenty of reading. She calls herself a “one-stop people and culture shop,” and that’s a lot of pressure. However, she also says it’s rewarding to develop a workplace environment where people thrive.

“I’m so honored to be in a position to protect a healthy culture,” she says. “So often, cultures are broken before top leadership knows it. It is so hard to gain back the trust and loyalty of a team once you’ve lost it. Working in such a transparent and supportive environment maintains a strong level of trust and camaraderie.”

An important aspect of culture building is hiring the right people. One bad seed multiplies, she says, and can impact engagement for the entire team. In a March internal survey, Keep Supply employees reported 90% engagement. Bauer intends to keep that number going.

However, the hiring process is just the beginning, Bauer says, and keeping a new employee engaged and supported is vital to long-term success and retention. Support must continue throughout the duration of employment, not just after someone is settled. To that end, Bauer oversees the Keep Supply Culture Club. She plans monthly birthday lunches, provides free snacks and beverages for staff, offers an on-site massage therapist, and schedules once-a-month appreciation events.

Bauer was a consultant for Keep Supply before getting hired full time in September 2022. Her first project was to develop a 401(k) plan and human resources information system. Additionally, she updated the benefits package with Higginbotham Insurance Agency Inc., through which she saved Keep Supply more than $100,000 annually while lowering the maximum out-of-pocket medical cost by $2,000 and increasing the dental benefit by $1,000. As of Jan. 1, there was 100% engagement in the benefits program.

“Our team is thrilled to have Keep look out for their long-term financial success,” Bauer says, adding that playing The Great Game of Business has become a key part of company culture. “Working together, the leadership team and I greatly improved the effectiveness of our practices from 2022 into 2023. We have also implemented more in-depth financial literacy training. This work continues to strengthen the culture of trust and intentional growth we are working to maintain.”