Staffing Secrets

At Western Pest Services, a commitment to legendary customer service begins with a remarkable commitment to employees.

“We put a tremendous amount of energy into hiring the right kind of people and then training and mentoring them,” says Tom Walters, general manager of Western. These efforts are apparently paying off: Many of the company’s employees have been with the company for more than 10 years. Forty-five technicians and managers have been with Western for more than 15 years.

The company also prides itself on its low employee turnover ratio, around 18 percent. “Low turnover of employees equates to low turnover of customers,” says Dick Sameth, vice president of Western. “When we compare our turnover rates with other companies on a confidential basis, our turnover rates are substantially lower than almost anyone we talk to.”

Much of Western’s success in the areas of employee recruitment and retention can be directed to the company’s innovative programs designed to bring high-quality applicants through the doors, and then keep them there.
Steven Petouvis is director of human resources for Western, managing the hiring, compensation and benefits program of its 800 employees. He is also responsible for the company’s unique employee recognition programs, including its prestigious “Circle of Excellence” and “Technician of the Month” awards.

Petouvis joined the company in 1986. At that time the company employed 450 people, but it had no dedicated human resources department. “What was very attractive was (Western President) Bob Sameth’s commitment to a freestanding human resources department that was part of the management committee,” Petouvis said. “It was a good match. I felt I could bring a lot of things to the table.”

Three years ago the company also created a full-time staffing manager position, naming Jeff Palko to the post. Formerly Palko was on the company’s commercial sales team and his background was in the retail pharmaceutical industry in management and staffing. “It was a very fortuitous decision for us,” Bob Sameth said. “He made the switch just when the employment situation was becoming very tight.”

Petouvis said that in the last couple of years, when unemployment dropped to record lows, it has been tough recruiting and attracting people. “A lot of people don’t want to change jobs or are afraid to change jobs,” Petouvis said. But, he adds, the pest control industry has a great story to tell. “Although some people may not be interested in the pest control industry, once we get their attention and make them aware of the opportunities that are available in this industry, they’ll seriously consider a career in pest control.”

RECRUITMENT. One secret to the com-pany’s successful recruitment efforts has been a multi-pronged referral program, which has been effective. Petouvis says the company fills about 60 percent of its jobs from referrals. “We’re recruiting 12 months out of the year,” he says. The company hires and fills about 80 positions annually.

Walters says the majority of new technicians are found through referrals from existing technicians. And employees have an extra incentive to make referrals: the company compensates employees for successful referrals: Employees receive half of the bonus award when the employee is hired and half after 180 days.

Western also has a unique “Gem Card” (seen at left) program that is used to attract potential employees. Under the program, employees are encouraged to carry and distribute special business cards to people they encounter in various service industries who provide excellent customer service. If they’re impressed with how they’ve been treated, they give the person a “Gem” card stating “Career Opportunity Available For You!” It contains contact information for the company.

Palko came up with the idea, which has been particularly effective. “It’s been in place three years and we continue to get a number of excellent referrals from the program every month,” Petouvis said.

Walters agrees. “Some of our best employees have joined the company through the Gem Card program.” Trying to recruit people into the pest control business isn’t always easy, he says. “That’s why it’s so beneficial if you can recruit potential employees on a proactive basis, which is what we’re trying to do with the Gem Card program.”

Western also has created a formal college intern program, and does college recruiting at several colleges each year. Palko visits eight to 10 colleges throughout the East Coast. “His job is to attend job fairs and make college recruitment trips,” Petouvis said. “He meets with faculty and students on a more personal basis and makes them aware of the opportunities that are available at Western.” The company is typically recruiting for sales positions, entomologist positions, management trainees or summer interns.

Palko also started the com-pany’s internship program three years ago, and it’s grown each year. This year Western hired its sixth summer intern. Interns can work in just about any area of the business. “We try to custom-tailor the assignment to an individual’s interests,” he said. Typically the interns rotate through a number of assignments over the summer months to obtain a variety of experiences, Petouvis said. “A lot of this is for the student,” he said, “for them to learn about the company, and about careers in pest control.” Petouvis said the program not only helps find future employees, but it also helps Western’s presence on the college campuses where it recruits. “Students who have a good experience with our program will go back and talk to other students,” he said. “That’s a benefit for us because on college campuses, the field of pest control is not very well known.”

Other recruitment methods Western uses include its Web site and job opportunity hotline. Job postings are posted on the Web site and are also advertised on the hotline. The phone number is advertised in the newspaper. “We’ve been using it for three years,” Petouvis said of the hotline. “We’re pleased with the amount of responses we’re receiving. We get a broad cross-section of applicants.”

The company’s Web site has been in place since 1998. The company also has a presence on such sites as Monster.com and Hotjobs.com. Petouvis says the company fills as many as one-third of its jobs through the Internet.
Tying all of its recruitment efforts together is the company’s special recruitment newsletter, which Palko started, and is distributed to employees three times a year. The newsletter is designed to keep employees informed about what the company is doing in terms of recruiting, and also to remind employees about what they can do. “It’s just there to keep this in front of everyone on a regular basis,” Petouvis said.

With all of its components, Western’s referral program has been an important staffing tool, Petouvis says. “This referral program has been very successful for us, not only in terms of the numbers of people we’re bringing in the door but also the quality of the people.” 

RECOGNITION. When it comes to employee recognition, Western also has a number of innovative programs for its employees. One such program is the company’s annual Circle of Excellence Awards, which culminates in the Circle of Excellence weekend. Being named to the Circle of Excellence is one of the company’s highest honors.

All employees in the company are eligible for the program, and every job category has certain performance criteria to qualify for the award. Winners and their significant others are treated to a weekend trip which includes a Friday night cocktail reception and awards banquet where the winners are recognized with a pin and a plaque. On Saturday, attendees enjoy tours, another cocktail reception and dinner and entertainment. About 75 employees are typically honored, and the company’s owners and management committee also attend. Past destinations have included Newport, R.I.; New York City; Washington, D.C.; Annapolis; Baltimore; and Williamsburg, Va.

“We spend in excess of $100,000 for the weekend,” Petouvis said. “From feedback we get from people that attend, they consider it one of the year’s highlights and a very unique and enjoyable weekend.”

Two other competitive awards programs Western sponsors are its Office of the Month and Technician of the Month contests. In the Office of the Month contest, each office is ranked according to their performance in areas such as productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, sales growth and client retention.

Scores and rankings are posted each month, and the office with the highest score each month wins. The contest then culminates in the Office of the Year Award, which goes to the office with the highest score at the end of the year.

“It is truly a distinction to be honored as office of the month,” Walters said. Each month’s winning office receives a plaque. The office of the year receives a trophy, a plaque, and an evening of dinner and dancing for its staffers and their spouses. “It’s a really fun contest and we get a lot of enthusiasm,” Walters said. One added benefit of the contest, said Walters, is that it drives the company’s major initiatives down to the street level. “It really is a team effort,” he said.