Raul Cribelis’ “Win-Win-Win Strategy”: Building ADT’s First Bilingual Team

In this Life at ADT Blog, we’re joined by Raul Cribelis, Director of Workforce Management and Emerging Business. Over his nearly 25-year tenure at ADT, Raul has been instrumental in driving numerous initiatives. His most significant achievement is the creation of ADT’s first bilingual team, underscoring how ADT empowered him to take ownership of solving a problem, and his commitment to helping the community, ADT customers, and the company.

Passion for ADT’s Mission

Raul has spent 2+ decades at ADT, a tenure marked by his passion for ADT’s mission and his role in it. “I’ve been with the company going on 25 years now, and I have loved literally every minute of it,” Raul shares. His responsibilities have been extensive, including optimizing workforce management strategies, ensuring smooth and efficient team operations, and overseeing the performance and development of various teams. “At ADT, we are protecting people’s lives, protecting people’s properties, and providing peace of mind – there’s not a price that you can put on that. I’m so proud to work at ADT and it’s why I’ve stayed for as long as I have. At the end of the day, when I go home, I know that I was part of a group that was creating a positive impact on our customers,” Raul explains.

Recognizing the Need for a Bilingual Team

Raul’s journey toward creating ADT’s first bilingual team began with a critical observation. He noticed the significant amount of time that ADT was spending using translation services to communicate with their Spanish-speaking customers. “We were spending a lot of resources on translation services, and our Spanish-speaking customers weren’t getting the quick and effective communication they needed,” Raul recalls. This inefficiency highlighted the need for a dedicated bilingual team to provide effective communication, and Raul recognized a way to do it. “I saw what I called a win-win-win solution,” he says.

Win #1: Supporting the Community

Raul identified the first win in giving back to the community. “We had a Spanish population of people that were looking to get into corporate America but struggled because they did not really command the English language very well, so they were working odd jobs, or at a McDonald’s, or in janitorial services,” Raul explains. “I helped give the community and people who needed a job, an opportunity to come to work for ADT, an amazing employer.”

To build this team, Raul looked into his community, seeking individuals who were not only bilingual but also shared the vision of better serving ADT’s diverse customer base. He hired agents with varying levels of language proficiency, including those who needed further development. “We brought in individuals with a basic foundation in both languages and focused on training them to improve their skills,” Raul explains.

Win #2: Enhancing Customer Service

The second win focused on improving customer service. Raul saw the value in having bilingual agents to assist Spanish-speaking customers more effectively. “We are now able to take better care of our customers who were calling in need of support, especially when responding to alarm situations. Now, they don’t have to wait for someone to translate for them. This was important because at ADT, every second counts,” Raul states. By reducing the reliance on translation services, the team was able to provide faster, more efficient support, enhancing the overall customer experience.

Win #3: Saving Resources

The final win was financial. By creating a bilingual team, ADT could reduce the amount of time and money spent on language line services. “We were able to save money so we could spend it on enhancing other aspects of the customer experience,” Raul explains. This cost-saving measure allowed ADT to reallocate resources more effectively, further benefiting the company and its customers.

Developing and Empowering Employees

Raul’s commitment to his team extended beyond hiring; he focused on their development and growth. “I also hired a few individuals who had the basic foundation to carry out a conversation, but they didn’t command the language well. To help improve their experience and the customers,’ I knew I needed to immerse these individuals into English-speaking roles so they could perfect their language,” Raul shares.

One notable success story involves a former judge from Colombia who fled her country and worked in janitorial services in the United States. “She barely commanded the language, so I said to her, ‘I’m going to bring you in, and I want you to get better at this because I think you need to pursue your career in law, which is what you studied for,'” Raul recounts. Under his guidance, she improved her English, stayed with the team for about two years, and eventually resumed her legal career.

A Passion for Employee Development

For Raul, leadership is about more than managing tasks; it is about developing people. “My passion has always been about developing people. It’s about being engaged with your employees – not just your direct reports – but all the way down to the frontline level. Getting to know them on a personal level, seeing what they need, what they desire, understanding what their goals and objectives are,” he says.

Raul emphasizes the importance of providing a “North star” for employees who might lack direction. “I can tell you countless stories of employees that I worked with who came from broken families. They were just working. They didn’t really have a North star. They didn’t have a goal. They didn’t know exactly what they wanted to do, and kind of sitting down with them, getting to know them, coaching them, convincing them to go to school, take advantage of our tuition reimbursement program, and then later on receiving invitations to attend their graduation – that’s what it’s all about for me, from a leadership standpoint,” Raul shares.

Raul credits his success to the supportive environment at ADT and the leadership of Amy Root, the Vice President of Operations Service Centers. “We share the same passion… our core foundation is our employees, and we take care of our employees. If we do that, everything else will follow,” Raul asserts. This shared vision has helped create a workplace culture that values diversity, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Raul Cribelis’ journey at ADT is a true “win-win-win” story. By creating ADT’s first bilingual team, he enhanced the customer experience, improved efficiencies, all while supporting the local community. His dedication to developing talent and fostering an inclusive environment has made a lasting impact, ensuring that ADT remains a workplace where everyone can succeed.