Waste Connections’ Warren on Finding Your Way and Empowering Others

Darren Warren started at Waste Connections from the bottom, right out of high school. And through what has so far been a 15-year journey he has held multiple supervisory roles with the company, from entry level managerial positions to site manager on up to his perch today as district manager.  Every job led to the next “great adventure.”

In this Q&A, the Waste360 40 Under 40 Award recipient illuminates on that career journey. He discusses developing people, servant leadership, the safety culture at Waste Connections, and more.

Waste360: What are your core responsibilities and which ones do you love most?

Warren: I believe my core responsibilities today are developing people.  I have 15 direct reports, then about 120 employees who report to them.  Development of leaders is critical in our business as it’s the only way we grow. 

Outside of developing people a bunch of my responsibilities fall on running “the business,” which consists of five districts all within an hour drive from Carlsbad, New Mexico. Each district has its own designated manager who oversees the day-to-day efforts.  I try to focus on revenue growth; how to handle the additional volume; and building customer relations. 

With a decentralized company my other priorities include recruiting, safety, equipment management, and profit and loss overview for all five districts. 

Ensuring the sites are staffed with salary-level and hourly-level employees is a constant focus. We can’t grow if there are not people to assist us in growth.  Our culture is so important to us it may take months of interviewing the same candidate for a leadership role.  This includes multiple interviews with myself and my staff at different districts.

I love the development of talent more than anything!   I love to watch a person succeed in business and life.  If I’m able to assist in their success in either of those metrics, I consider that a win!

Waste360: Safety seems so important in the waste world. What’s the safety culture like at Waste Connections?

Warren: Safety is not just a word; it’s a way of life.  We teach the motto, “Inspect what you expect.”  All of my supervisors and hourly employees are engrained in the safety culture at their facilities.  The objective is everyone leaves work how they came to work.

Since equipment (yellow iron & over the road semi’s) is such an essential part of our business it is monitored closely.  These machines are also the largest contributing factor to our expenses.  If we can manage their condition by making needed repairs, inspecting often, performing preventive maintenance, and training our operators on how best to operate these machines we will continue to post acceptable EBITDA numbers. 

Waste360: What do you feel is the most important thing that you can give to the people who report to you?

Warren: I feel the most important thing that I can give my team is confidence. Confidence can be built many different ways.  I feel letting them know when a job is done well and also letting them know when a job could have been completed differently is essential.  The only way to allow them to make the best possible decision is to empower them!   By simply providing risks and boundaries, doubled with a little one-on-one working experience with a leader, I hope to empower them to assess the situation and make the best call. 

People with confidence in their scope of work walk differently and talk differently. These are the people I want in front of our employees. These are also the supervisors that are building up one’s confidence in the field.
Waste360: When did you realize that waste management was for you?

Warren: I believe the waste industry found me vs me seeking it.  I started off in the industry about 20 years ago.  I jokingly say I’ve been in the industry my entire adult life. I had small, odd jobs here and there through high school and college.

My waste industry job put me through college the first five years while I was studying Culinary Arts.  I worked at an Exploration & Production oil field waste disposal site.  My first duties were sweeping floors and cleaning, then I moved into the scale house and receiving aspect, heavy equipment operating, and then saltwater injection well operations.

After graduation, I worked in a restaurant and still at the same waste district.  One thing led to another as I was laid off from the restaurant so decided to commit myself to the waste business.  I was already working part time in the waste field and thought I’ll just go do this until … well, the “until” turned into the next 15 years. Shortly after that, the industry in my town took off, which led to a fun and exciting learning experience, then to management and so forth.  Today, I am 15 years passed that point. It has been a great ride.

Waste360: Who in your career has most influenced you?

Warren: I have three great mentors that all happen to be employed through Waste Connections.  Each one of them has mentored me in a different way.  They have taught me their ways but left it to me to determine my way. They have provided guidance on day-to-day decision making as well as life in general.  These mentors have helped guide my career path and my life path. My career path is a testament to them as leaders.  It’s a testament to the Waste Connections culture as well. 

Waste360: How did you climb to where you are now?

Warren: I simply started from the bottom. Right out of high school, through college, and then on to my adult career.  Through my 15-year journey with Waste Connections I have almost held every hourly-level job there is, each supervisor title from entry level to site manager and then to district manager.  Every job led to the next great adventure. Every title led to the stepping stone I’m standing on now.  

I believe having knowledge of what our people go through on a daily basis helps in my decision making and development of leaders today.  I often ask leaders to spend time in the field, “boots on the ground” to get a better understanding of what our reality is. Most of our hourly employees are in the field operating heavy equipment, driving semi’s and managing the grounds.  It can be hot in New Mexico in the summer, upwards of 110 degrees.  Conditions are dry and dusty with flat ground as far as the eye can see. Our folks are in the thick of every weather event because volume rolls in and is treated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Waste360: What’s unique about working for Waste Connections?

Warren: There are many reasons why Waste Connections is so unique; however I will touch on three.  1)Waste Connections believes in a servant leadership approach. We are here to serve our people because without them we have nothing to manage. They empower us leaders by operating a 2)Decentralized company, which means I have the freedom to run my business. My division office is there as a resource when needed but ultimately the trust is given to run and maintain a successful business.

3)And, lastly, many big companies preach “safety;” however, they may not live and breathe safety like the culture sets forth at Waste Connections. As I mentioned earlier, safety is our number one value, which is what we try to live up to it.