BY DONALD DUNPHY No one hires employees with the expectation of firing them. Nonetheless, you will be required to let staff go at some point, and getting this very unpleasant task right is crucial. Legitimate reasons to let an employee go include unethical behavior, poor job performance, excessive absences and even sexual harassment. It can also be that your work ...

Today, finding a quality workforce means getting creative with your approach BY KATIE KUEHNER-HEBERT In the era of the Great Resignation, hiring the best candidate—and then making sure they’ll stay—has become more critical than ever. Three pest control company executives recently shared their best practices for both recruitment and retention, especially during this most competitive time for quality talent. “Getting ...

Sarah Thomas-Clark, vice president of Thomas Pest Services, Inc., based in Schenectady, NY, is a third-generation pest control professional. Thomas-Clark worked for her father’s business before establishing her own with her husband in 2010. Her grandfather and uncle also owned their own pest control companies. With this long history in the business, Sarah understands the opportunities and challenges that come ...

NPMA’s Workforce Development Program launches new member website With 260 employees serving 17 counties in North Carolina, Terminix Triad has grown by leaps and bounds since the family-owned business opened in 1932. But like many businesses, it’s currently experiencing growing pains. Juanita Ellis, vice president for human resources and business strategy, said Terminix Triad would like to hire 20 additional ...

Ensure your company culture and hiring practices send a clear message of inclusion Had it not been overshadowed by COVID, 2020 and 2021 might have been seen as the era of diversity and inclusion. While it may not have gotten the headlines of the pandemic, these related workforce issues created opportunities and expectations for companies in any field—and pest management ...

NPMA’s Workforce Development Program provides a wealth of resources for job seekers and employers Andrew Richardson was 21 and had just returned from a two-year mission in Brazil when a friend told him about a job opportunity in a field he had never considered—pest control. Fast forward 20 years, and Richardson is the founder and chief executive of Edge Pest ...

“Finding good employees” is at the top of almost every pest management professional’s list of most challenging aspects of running a business. As companies grow or as employees come and go, some owners and managers may have days when they believe that all they do is hire and train new employees. Don’t expect things to dramatically improve in the next 10 ...

When good employees are hard to find, don’t forget to recruit women Few 11-year-old girls write a list of their life goals and even fewer list their top goal as working in the family pest control business. In fact, Stacy O’Reilly, owner of Plunkett’s Pest Control, may be the only 11-year-old girl to have set her sights on running a ...

Strengthening your company culture and onboarding practices while working remotely John Myers, President and CEO of Rentokil North America, had a bit of a head start when the pandemic forced many of his workers home. About six years ago, his company moved its email, calendar and contact platforms to Google because of the “ability to share documents and collaborate at ...

An employee handbook is a critical HR tool for every pest management company, but too often the development of the handbook is seen as a cumbersome project that takes up time that could be used to build the business.However, the lack of an employee handbook could end up creating more costs for your business in claims against your company or loss ...