Local Hero- South County
A hero is someone who generously gives to a bigger cause for the benefit of others and that is exactly how the Goodwill store manager in South County, MO lives her life. Latrice Clayborn is working to enrich her community by offering a fun and safe place to work and shop. Her mantra is to, “have fun with what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
After years in the for-profit industry, Latrice decided in March of 2008 that she wanted to work for an organization that gave her the opportunity to make a difference. Looking for a way to give back to the community her friend suggested MERS/Goodwill.
Latrice knew that Goodwill was a great fit for her skills and passion, and immediately started an employee recognition program to identify employees who go above and beyond. The program has led to a cross-training program that allows employees to learn multiple skills needed to run a store efficiently. The effect on her employees has been amazing. The program has helped recruit eight new managers out of her store because employees have expressed the desire and shown the initiative. She has promoted two more assistant managers and four lead associates.
“Whoever comes through, I understand their walk of life so it is easy to reach out and extend a helping hand by establishing a relationship that will get people get back into the workforce,” said Latrice. “I love getting people back into the workforce and at some point I realized that I needed to do that.”
Latrice takes the time to get to know her employees and invest in their lives. New employees that come to work at the South County store often do not want to leave when their training is done because they have built such strong relationships with Latrice. As a result customers can feel the family atmosphere when they shop at the store.
“Employee moral is extremely important,” says Latrice when asked about the most rewarding part of her job. “Managers need to show employees that they are appreciated, feel valued and know they are needed.”
Latrice currently holds a B.A. in Organizational Studies from University of Missouri-St. Louis, and her continual push for success has driven her to pursue a MBA at Fontbonne University. She insists that her achievements are because of her employees.
“If your employees are happy and feel confident then your success rate is limitless,” said Latrice.
