BRIAN PAIGE
WORKFORCE RECEIVES BEACON DEVELOPMENT AWARD
BRIAN PAIGE
WORKFORCE RECEIVES BEACON DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Ensuring Success in Attracting Top-Flight Talent in Snow Ops
By Neal Glatt , CSP , ASM
With the winter season upon us , most snow and ice management companies will agree that their biggest challenge remains to find a qualified labor force to perform the work successfully . Desperate providers will address this issue in an endless race for increased pay , signing or attendance bonuses , or other financially intensive programs that deplete profitability . But professional companies recognize there must be a better way to ensure successful snow operations than this .
The reality is that the right training systems and programs can enable a snow company to hire anyone , regardless of experience , and transform them into a winning team . When a company has a bullet-proof process for preseason , preevent , in-event , post-event , and post-season operations , along with the tools and key performance indicators necessary , it will succeed with employees who have no previous experience . This allows them to hire untapped labor pools wo are willing to work because they ’ ve been overlooked in the general market .
In fact , the best employees on the front lines are often those who were formerly incarcerated , immigrated from other countries , experienced long-term unemployment , or retired from other work . Fortunately , the nature of snow removal often . Fortunately , the nature of snow removal often exempts crews from the security checks , customer interaction and appearance concerns that would otherwise keep many people unemployed . The only problem keeping companies from capitalizing on potential workers is their ability to train them in three major areas .
Orientation Workers who have never experienced winter work before must have all the basics explained to them . To start , they must hear why the mission of what snow and ice management companies do every storm is so critical – that this industry does nothing less than save lives every time there is inclement weather . Inspiring workers toward a higher calling is key to winning engagement .
Managers must also explain all the expectations around storm management to new employees . What to wear , transportation , hours worked , breaks , hydration , and nutrition , and personal preparation all need to be explicitly explained to an inexperience workforce . In addition , communication protocols , client expectations , and team expectations must all be laid out clearly . This requires operations teams to have a clear plan for every weather event before it snows and a checklist to make it come alive for new employees .
Snow Preparations In snow and ice management , nothing ever goes to plan . Professional snow management companies prepare for this by endlessly creating and troubleshooting hypothetical scenarios . Levi Jett , of Jett Facility Consultants has brilliantly formalized this process through his Mock Storm Training System , where entire snow events are acted out from start to finish to prepare teams for whatever may occur .
This type of preparation requires operations managers to have historical weather data in multiple forecasts leading up to an event as well as contextualization of the issues that strike teams . Preparing for each mock storm advances a team that much closer to identifying and shoring up issues in the hypothetical before they materialize in the field , where no second chances are given by clients who expect the highest levels of competence . Time invested here always pays dividends mid-season .
In The Field There is little time afforded to get hands-on with equipment to practice the actual start-up and operation of various pieces of equipment . But site walkthroughs and operator training should always involve physical tasks that help field crews commit to memory the nuances of each piece of snow equipment .
This can be done any time in advance of weather for which time is permitted . While fall clean-up operations often compete , there is no reason not to begin this before leaves fall in early September when crews are available and the weather is preferable . All that is required is advance planning .
If your team wants to learn more , consider attending a Snowfighters Institute where attendees are given all of their checklists , participate in a mock storm , and get hands-on with equipment . Best practices of recruiting , leadership , and weather tools are also covered . A Snowfighters Institute will be offered this May in Milford , MA . Stay tuned for details or visit SnowfightersInstitute . com
MALP Newsline | Winter 2023 13