The skilled labor shortage has been a perennial concern for the pool industry. Now, with the demand for business up by all accounts, it’s more important than ever.
We asked our Top 50 Builders this year how they were addressing the problem. Their answers ranged from hiring more subcontractors to cross training employees and/or implementing new technology to free up their employees’ time so they can work on more important things.
But one answer was repeated again and again: The key was to retain the excellent people you already have.
How have these companies done that? It lies in establishing a positive company culture. This is something our Top 50 Builders have taken seriously.
First and foremost, “pay them what they’re worth,” says Doug Mayhall, head of All Seasons Pools, Spas & Outdoor Living.
Ronald Fronheiser of Fronheiser Pools agrees. “Providing benefits that many other companies do not, such as 401k, health insurance, paid vacation, and year-end bonuses are standard for us.”
But that’s just the beginning. “We focus on developing and broadening our employees’ skill sets,” says David Hobaica at Easton Pool & Spa. “We meet with each employee to identify a career path specific to their talents and future goals.”
Fronheiser further says, “We have a strong culture of taking care of our employees and treating them with respect. Although this sounds so simplistic, making employees feel valued has been the key to retaining employees.”
Some builders reward their staff by providing extra perks. Matt Gohlke, of Gohlke Pools, offers his staff money management courses, free flu shots, team basketball and volleyball games, free haircuts every two weeks, a lounge and game room used for pool, darts and ping-pong tournaments, and most impressively, has a full-time mechanic on staff to service employees’ vehicles at cost. “We have done our best to create a workplace culture that people want to be a part of,” he says. “The results have been incredible.”
Another perk? “After a certain amount of tenure, we will build an employee their personal pool at cost,” says Cascade Custom Pools’ Hank Thompson.
But beyond the perks, what’s vital is that the core values between the employee and company align, says Ed Gibbs of Gib-San Pool & Landscape Creations. “A culture built on core values that are paralleled between the employee and the company is really the magnet and the anchor. … Make sure that those core values and your culture are really a definition of who you are.”