Building Your Training Empire: From Blueprint to Success

Liisa Andreassen

You can transform your pest management team’s potential with a strategic approach to training that sticks—no matter your company’s size. Training programs often start with a bang but fizzle out like ant bait that’s lost its appeal. So, what’s the secret to sustained success? It’s a well-planned strategy that keeps your team engaged and your management committed. And it’s critical to company success because it:

• Ensures that your technicians have the latest knowledge and skills
• Enhances problem-solving abilities.
• Promotes safety.
• Improves customer satisfaction.
• Reduces turnover and associated costs since a well-trained team is more likely to stay longer.

Training That Never Stops

Scott Hornemann, field training/quality/safety director at Adam’s Pest Control, a 138-person company in Minnesota, says its training approach aligns with a core element of the company’s culture: nurturing ongoing learning and personal development.

“As training director, I have the pleasure of witnessing continuous learning in action every day,” he says.

Here are some examples (and no, it’s not all about sitting through formal training sessions):

• University-based integrated pest management training courses: Self-directed study for those who love to learn at their own pace. 
• Advanced technician training: Mostly self-directed online study for those ready to level up.
• Micro-learning: Adam’s uses a microlearning creator tool to develop free, interactive, group-based microlearning experiences for job- and service-​specific training.
• On-the-job training: Mentors personally guide the employee through a new service or account.
• NPMA resources: NPMA has a comprehensive learning center with continuing education units (CEUs) available in 40 states, not to mention its in-person conferences and events, where CEUs are also offered.

As part of the company’s ongoing training program, technicians at Adam’s are asked to reflect daily on three questions:

What does it look like when you deliver an excellent, above-and-beyond service?

What does it look like when you deliver an “eh, it’s fine” kind of service?

What does it look like when you fall short and deliver a subpar service?

Most importantly, there is another question that Adam’s asks: How do each of these scenarios feel to the recipient—whether that’s a customer or a co-worker? If you were on the receiving end, what would your takeaway be? Take a moment to reflect: Did I do the best I could?

When it comes to new hires, Adam’s provides:

A comprehensive timeline of the new hire training process so everyone knows exactly what they’ll learn each step of the way.

A complete list of skills they need to know and by when. This starts in the classroom with state licensing requirements and continues to the skills needed for their particular position. The list is checked off as they master each skill.

A checklist for a trainer/mentor to gauge what the trainees will need to know to be proficient at their position. There are quizzes and tests along the way to prove that trainees know/have the skills needed to progress to the next level; these include hands-on tests and online multiple-choice and true-false tests.

Lily Torres, director of human resources, CERTUS, a 600-person company headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and operating on both coasts of the U.S., says its strategic approach to training begins with a comprehensive onboarding experience that includes a message from the CEO, an introduction to annual company goals, and targeted educational resources.

“Our onboarding program has been transformative, reducing the need to revisit fundamental training topics and enabling team members to focus on job-specific content,” she says.

From there, each role has a tailored learning path: Technicians dive into product knowledge for processes such as mosquito control and termite baiting and for field service technology, while sales professionals focus on sales methodologies and customer management programs. Resources are also mobile-friendly, making them easily accessible in the field.

This year, CERTUS—which includes such brands as Las Vegas Pest Control, PURCOR Pest Solutions, and Responsible Pest & Scorpion Control—will enhance its learning management system (LMS) with hundreds of new courses, custom content created in-house, and recognition badges to celebrate milestones and encourage ongoing learning. A Leadership Academy is also in the works to improve leadership skills and nurture emotional intelligence. It will occur biannually and include one-on-one coaching and group sessions, virtually and in person.

“In today’s world, it’s important to start a needs analysis to ensure that your training is addressing the systematic, not symptomatic, issues,” says Leila Starwich, director of people operations at Sprague Pest Solutions, a 300-​person company based in Tacoma, Washington. “It’s critical to provide training that adapts to a fast-paced society, which includes micro-learning, just-in-time training videos, and traditional methods such as in-person training and LMS modules.”

Role-based learning paths have also proved effective, as each team member gains a deep understanding of responsibilities, compliance expectations, and growth opportunities. This approach boosts both individual performance and job satisfaction.

All companies tend to revisit their training program at least once a year, and Starwich says a company has to be proactive and look to the future—even seven to 10 years down the line.

“The strategic plan and training program need to support each other and work parallel,” she says.

The Adam’s training program continues to evolve with new ideas and generations entering the market, and Hornemann finds that people will dictate how you teach. Some methods stay; others change.

Overcome Pushback

Sometimes, getting buy-in from operations teams can be a challenge. Training costs money and takes time away from production. There has to be a good return on the investment, Starwich says.

The programs need to show that they will deliver personnel with more market expertise, yield fewer mistakes by newer employees, and give customers reassurance.

“Show you can retain customers, and you’ll have a program that the CFO wants to invest in,” Hornemann says.

At CERTUS, coordinating with subject matter experts (SMEs) can be challenging. That’s why it has established clear timelines and expectations and follows a structured course-development process that keeps everyone aligned. Key steps in the process are:

• Discovery call: Identifying objectives and setting clear expectations.
• Kickoff meeting: Outlining the course structure and roles.
• Course outline proposal: Drafting the framework for SME feedback.
• Branding and content drafts: Developing and refining content based on feedback.
• Final upload and automation: Ensuring the course reaches the intended audience through LMS automation.

Keep the Team Engaged and Committed to Training

Once on board, it’s important to keep the team committed to training. These practices help:

• Involve the team in problem solving. Results from these conversations include increased ownership in finding solutions and encouragement of innovation.
• Maintain regular communication. Talk with your people all the time, not just when there’s a problem. Make note of how the person prefers to communicate (e.g., in-person meeting, email, etc.)—not all methods are created equal.
• Offer learning opportunities. CERTUS courses span topics such as compliance, customer service, leadership, and safety. All are designed with adult learning principles to build on the knowledge learners already have. Its LMS is structured around continuous feedback and allows the company to adjust and align teaching with organizational goals. Content is presented in a variety of formats—videos, walkthroughs, webinars, and e-learning courses—keeping it fresh and relevant.

Overall, creating a resilient training program for your pest management team is not just a matter of implementing good practices; it’s about fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. By setting clear objectives, customizing content, engaging your team, leveraging technology, and securing management commitment, you can build a training strategy that sticks—one that elevates your team’s performance and ensures sustained success.

Is Training Really What’s Needed?

Elizabeth Bicer, NPMA director of workforce development, says companies shouldn’t assume that training alone will help them reach their business goals. Leila Starwich at Sprague Pest Solutions agrees and suggests a needs analysis be done first. What problem are you trying to solve? 

“When you focus on measurable business goals, you can take a big-picture look at why goals aren’t being met and identify the barriers,” Bicer says. “Nobody loves completing required training, especially if it doesn’t solve a problem or support the individual’s goals.”

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Ask yourself: What do my managers need to do to reach a goal? Make a list of actions and determine what information or behaviors need to be adopted to successfully execute those actions. Next, decide if training is the answer or if it’s something else, such as making a process simpler to follow, developing more regular performance check-ins, or creating an incentive program that rewards success.

For example, some company-based talent management programs lack critical information to effectively communicate specific job expectations and how they support the company’s business goals. Consider this example:

• Job role: Service manager
• Business goal the job supports: Assists the branch manager to achieve monthly performance goals
• Sample of experience requirements: Successful conflict resolution, effective communication, ability to provide training, excellent customer service skills

It’s unclear what the monthly performance goals are and how they’re measured. More specific monthly performance goals could include measurable outcomes such as:

• 100% service technician employee retention
• 10% increase in total sales
• 5% increase in the number of new customers under contract

Once the goals are clearly articulated, the requirements of the job—and any subsequent training, upskilling, and evaluation—can become more focused.

“If training is what they need, design the training to allow participants to practice the new skill or behavior that supports the achievement of business goals,” says Bicer. “Try to avoid an information dump; nothing is worse than drinking from a firehose of information and then being expected to perfectly execute in an applied way.”

Helpful Tools and Resources

Check out this seven-step checklist before creating or overhauling your training program: bit.ly/moore7steps. It’s laser-focused on identifying business goals first.

For smaller companies, NPMA has a six-hour online new-hire training for service technicians: npmapestworld.org/newhire.