Labor Solutions: July 2001, TEACHING THE TROOPS: Team Training

"Our customers expect quality," stressed Gail Havron, vice president human resources, The Morrell Group, Atlanta, Ga. "We can’t send an untrained crew out. If we did, that would do a lot of damage."

With more than 300 employees, The Morrell Group mostly services large accounts, such as corporate headquarters, hospitals, upscale retail centers and resorts. These accounts are divided into seven different divisions: grounds maintenance, installation, seasonal color, irrigation, arbor care, technical services and water management systems.

With so many services, delivering quality requires adequate training for crews and managers. As such, the company put together a three-part training program that consists of an orientation session to familiarize employees with company policies, equipment training, a defensive driving course and a certification level system.

There are typically 16 to 18 certification levels within each group, Havron explained. A new employee starts at the first level and can move up to level 18, which is for top-level supervisors. Within each level is a series of prerequisites, including voluntary classes, which are held on Fridays. Advancement to the next level depends partly on attendance, and since crews usually work four 10-hour days, they are able to attend the two-hour classes.

The training is self-paced and crew-level employees receive pay raises as they move through different phases. The management trainee program consists of 13 modules, which focus on topics to help managers work with crews, other maintenance groups and the safety committee chariman. Managers also are required to attend time-management and computer skills classes, and read management-focused books.

"The point is that they not only get an in-depth knowledge of their own group, but the company as a whole," Havron stressed.

At smaller landscaping firms, the programs might be less formal, but training is still critical. C.J. Bramer, vice president of operations, Mountain West Environments, Steamboat Springs, Colo., said the quality of training directly relates to company success. "This is a dangerous profession and your profits are based on efficiency and quality," Bramer stressed. "Without training, I don’t think you’ll get either one of those two things."

At the beginning of each season, his company holds a formal training session, where employees introduce themselves and review administrative policies. Then, the company focuses on its work policies and procedures to ensure employees know the "Mountain West Way" to landscape.

"There is also an afternoon or a full day of in-field training that gives hands-on examples of how we do things such as install irrigation and run equipment," Bramer said.

In addition to the formal training session, weekly training and safety meetings are held during regular work hours.

When Bob Rennebohm bought Heard Gardens Ltd., Johnstown, Iowa, 10 years ago, the three-employee company had no training program. "The training program was something I implemented to ensure our growth and success," Rennebohm explained. "There was no hesitation on my part to implement a training program, and I tried to provide a well-rounded, wholistic approach to training."

The training program for the 40 employees at Heard Gardens focuses on crew supervision. "We want to be sure the employees know how the business runs so they can appreciate the value of getting a job done on time," Rennebohm noted. "We don’t just train on installation techniques, we train on a whole spectrum of things."

During the peak of the season, the company holds weekly training sessions for supervisors during work hours that last for 15 minutes to one hour, and cover not only installation topics, but also financial growth and profitability. In the off-season, the company pays for the supervisors to attend conferences held by industry associations.

Rennebohm also implements peer critique. "We’ll take crew supervisors out and let them walk through a job site," he remarked. "We’ve found that to be beneficial because they can be critical in a constructive way."

This feedback contributes to the ongoing training process and allows employees to learn from inefficiencies. Employees who grow and learn at a business are more likely to stay there, Havron said, adding that since The Morrell Group implemented their training program six years ago, employee turnover has reduced.

"We've found that we need to do whatever it takes to find new employees, develop them and keep them," Havron related. "Trained employees have confidence in themselves and feel better about their work."