By Neal Glatt

While labor continues to be the biggest challenge for every company in our industry, the dynamic has wildly shifted this week.  For the past 5 years or so, just finding people to apply for jobs has been a herculean task.  But starting this week, the labor problem will be entirely different for contractors.  Here’s how to solve it.

The labor problem as we know it used to be all about recruiting effectively.  With 14.7% unemployment in April, the highest ever recorded in US history, contractors started to see an increase in applications for jobs.  But just this week, the “bonus” $600 per week ended, meaning that we can expect a tidal wave of potential employees to hit the market.  

With so many businesses at limited operating capacity, contractors have a great opportunity to hire employees.  But now the labor problem is not where to find people, but how to get them working effectively as quickly as possible.  Clearly, onboarding has never been as crucial as it is now.

Bringing on new employees from outside the industry presents challenges far beyond basic hiring paperwork.  Training needs to cover not only company specific policies, but an introduction to the industry as a whole including landscape maintenance, landscape construction, safety, resources, snow management, and more.  But how do you find the time for this level of training?

Fortunately, we can help.  Our course, New Hire Onboarding covers everything new employees need to know from their first day on the job.  With 13 modules of about 15 minutes each, learning can occur from any device when it’s convenient for everyone.  Best of all, you can save 30% on your new hire training by using code ONBOARD at checkout through the month of August.

If you’re already thinking ahead to winter, don’t miss our virtual training event presented by Snowfighters Institute.  Limited to 100 companies, you can train an entire team of up to 10 people for only $49 per company.  The Virtual Bootcamp, presented by Ventrac, will occur from September 1-15 and registration opens August 17.  Join the waitlist below!