In our Employee Spotlight blog series, we’re helping you get to know the talented folks who work here at Trucker Tools. In this newest installment, we’re introducing you to Jason Smith who joined Trucker Tools a little over a month ago as a human resources generalist. Jason is an Arkansas native who previously worked for law firms in the greater Little Rock, Ark., area. When he’s not working, Jason enjoys relaxing at home, dinner with friends and traveling.
Introducing Jason Smith, Trucker Tools’ HR Generalist!
Name: Jason Smith
Title: HR Generalist
Current Town: Little Rock, Ark.
First Concert: Justin Timberlake
Favorite Pastimes: Binge watching shows on Netflix or Hulu, dinner with friends
Bucket List Travel Destinations: Singapore, South Korea
Fav Movie: The Giver
Fav Vacation Spot: Fairfax, Va.
Jason’s Work at Trucker Tools
“As an HR generalist, my job entails a wide range of duties including processing payroll for the company, overseeing employee benefits and being involved in the full employee lifecycle from onboarding new employees when they join to offboarding them when they leave,” Jason said. “My work centers on making sure that members of our team get their paychecks and can access their benefits, as well as working with leadership to see how we can better support our employees and retain them for the long haul.”
B.T.T. (Before Trucker Tools)
“Prior to joining Trucker Tools, I did HR for a corporate law firm headquartered here in Little Rock, Ark.,” Jason shared. “Before that and shortly after graduating from college, I was in an HR position at a criminal defense law firm. I came to Trucker Tools because I wanted to branch out into a different field and do something a little bit different. I’m still green in my field, so I wanted to find out what else I could dive into.”
Why Trucker Tools?
“One of the things that I like most about Trucker Tools is that everyone seems very inviting and willing to help others where they can,” Jason said. “It’s a breath of fresh air to know that I can reach out when I need assistance or maybe a second set of eyes and it’s received in a positive way. I also love the collaboration here. Even though everyone has their own duties and tasks, everyone works well together. It’s a strong collaborative environment. I like the fact that I can work remotely, too. This is my first remote position and even though I don’t have any plans to move at the moment, it’s comforting to know that I can relocate anywhere in the country and still have the opportunity to be a part of an amazing team.”
Jason’s Life Outside of Work
“Anytime I get this question, I always wish I could answer it with something like hiking, bike riding, or something outdoorsy and physical,” Jason said. “The truth is I’m a couch potato at heart. I enjoy being able to lay on my couch and binge watch shows off Netflix or Hulu with my friends. I mainly like mysteries or something that keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what’s going to happen next. I do enjoy going out to eat with friends every now and then and going on spontaneous trips not too far from where I live.”
Jason’s Hero and Mentor
“I have had probably a handful of people truly influence my life but the one that comes to my mind is my mom,” Jason shared. “I always credit her for me being where I am today because she offers such a good support system. She’s my rock in the tough times and she’s my cheerleader during the good times. It’s nice to have her there to guide me and give me advice where she can.”
What Jason’s Coworkers May Not Know About Him
“From the sixth grade to senior year of high school, I was heavily involved in band playing the trumpet and the flu horn,” Jason said. “I was involved in marching band, jazz band and symphonic band, and I also participated in band competitions. I don’t really play either instrument anymore but maybe I’ll come back to it someday. I did have a love/hate relationship with band just because it was very time consuming and could be stressful.”
Jason’s Bucket List
“The main thing on my bucket list for now is I would like to travel more,” said Jason. “I had the opportunity to visit Japan when I was a sophomore in college. Having that experience kickstarted my interest in visiting other countries. I really want to visit Singapore to see what the culture is like over there and how it compares to Japan. South Korea also is on my list. I have a friend over there who teaches English and it’d be nice to go visit them and have them show me around.”
Check out our previous employee interview, “Employee Spotlight: Alex Matheson, Software Engineer for Trucker Tools.”
