Basic Training

At Pacific Landscape Management, class begins at 5 p.m., twice a week. The agenda: irrigation repair strategies and preparation for pesticide licenses exams.
 Nearly 90 percent of the 20 seasonal and 10 full time employees at the Portland, Ore.-based landscape company take advantage of these optional sessions. Led by Elias Godinez, the company's production supervisor and director of employee development, the extra educational opportunities not only show an investment in employees, but a commitment to high standards, he said of the sessions.

 "When I look at the room at 5 p.m. and people are I and sitting down and starting on that training program - and it's on their own time - I realize how motivated this group of people is and how appreciative they are of that opportunity," said Bob Grover, president.
 

And employees recognize this training and join the Pacific Landscape team because of these growth opportunities, Grover pointed out, noting that Godinez's former position at TruGreen as a regional training and staffing manager earned him a solid reputation as a valuable industry teacher. "It's amazing the number of skilled people that come to us from TruGreen or other landscape companies, and having someone like Elias who is well respected in the industry was a huge selling point in our organization," Grover added. "People wanted to be trained and wanted those opportunities."
 

Besides the "extra credit" after-work training, Godinez heads up the in-field training program, which focuses on hands-on training. Concentrating on developing people's individual skills, Godinez helps new employees and foremen learn necessary tasks, following up with them daily to lend a hand, answer questions and check on progress. "He is a field problem solver," Grover described.

 This intensive training is important for any landscape company's success, and cultivating a well-trained, responsible workforce paves the way for future growth. Employees' fulfillment in their jobs feeds the company culture, Grover said. "As we develop key managers, I might be willing to grow aggressively to feed the careers of the people who work at our organization," he said.
 
STEP-BY-STEP. Developing employees starts from day one, when new Pacific employees are introduced to the work culture. "The first day, there is a lot of information," Godinez admitted. "I will cover the function, the company, safety and operation, and troubleshooting. It's obvious they won't learn all of that in one day, but the rest of the week I will meet them out in the field and then we will do hands-on training."

 After employees learn how to operate equipment properly and safely, Godinez gives them a written test to ensure they understand the lessons. This also holds them accountable for the information, he pointed out.

Here are some of Godinez' tips for implementing an effective training program:
· Familiarize new employees with a company orientation before jumping into equipment basics.
· While explaining each piece of equipment, also talk about its function and cover necessary safety measures. "Some new employees have never worked with this type of equipment before and that first day is a good day to tell them as much about safety as you can," he suggested.
· Reward employees for proper equipment use and keep a distance while observing in the field if technicians show they are competent. "I notice if you are looking at them closely they can get a little nervous. If I see they are doing fine, I will watch them from a distance so they don't see that I am standing right in front of them. Everyone gets nervous having two eyes watching what you are doing."
· Always think safety. "Make sure your employees think safety all the time," Godinez stressed.
· Test employees on each piece of equipment reviewed during training. "Then, you can send them out in the field and not worry about them as much," he pointed out.

Training, alone, serves as a key incentive for employees - most workers who discover their managers are willing to teach are more than willing to learn, Godinez said. "It's amazing to see their faces," he related. "They are eager to get out there and work. Having a training program doesn't just help promote employee safety, but it also motivates."

The author is Managing Editor - Special Projects for Lawn & Landscape magazine.