The success of your pool route business is rooted in how well you manage time, customer service, and staff. Field services businesses can often need help hiring and keeping quality employees on the team due to the nature of the job being primarily seasonal. Not only can it be difficult to maintain good staff year around, but it can also be challenging to take the time to adequately train and onboard new employees amid busy schedules and time limitations.
While salary plays a significant role in employee job satisfaction, the primary reason people leave a job is the lack of professional opportunity and career advancement. Small businesses must be able to train employees and help them progress in their careers to have a high staff retention rate, which is fundamental to the company’s long-term success. Here are four team training tips for long-term pool route success.
Invest In Your Team Through Mentoring
One of the best team development methods is creating an environment where more senior employees mentor the junior employees. Mentorship supports newer staff and builds company pride in your senior staff. Building mentorship into your onboarding process will show your investment in your team and commitment to excellence in your services.
Understand The Goals Of Your Employees
It is crucial to understand your employees’ goals right from the start. Only some people that apply to work for your pool service route will have the same goals, and knowing what type of employment each is seeking will help you hire a well-rounded team. Some people want a summer job while on break from school, and others may have management goals. Knowing your employees’ goals will help you navigate your company’s short-term and long-term aspects.
Train Employees Based On Their Goals
Knowing employee goals will help you build a strategic training method. Suppose an employee’s goal is management or ownership of a pool service route. In that case, you can train them accordingly, whereas if another is looking for one season of work, you tailor their training to meet that specific skill set rather than spending time with business management. Training high-quality team members in managing your pool route may allow you to expand your business sooner rather than later.
Provide Feedback And Ask For Feedback
The ability to learn and adapt is critical to running a successful pool route business. To successfully train pool service employees on the job, provide feedback regularly. Let your team know how they are doing and where they can make strides to do better. If an employee is doing a great job, praise them publicly and establish a reward system. When an employee needs support, use the moment as a learning opportunity.
Also, ask your staff to provide you with feedback as well. You can offer your employees surveys so they can remain anonymous, and you can create space in team meetings for discussions. Your front-line workers can be significant assets for you to improve customer service, save time, and ultimately grow your pool route business.
Final Thoughts
Owning and operating a successful pool route business relies upon your ability to hire, train, and maintain high-quality employees. These four training tips will help you create a professional culture in your company that values employees and their goals and ensures your pool route will succeed.
