Investing in Our Greatest Asset

Faye Golden, Cook's Pest Control Inc.

As I travel across the country meeting with pest management professionals, one theme consistently emerges: Our industry’s strength lies in its people. The quality of service we provide, the trust we build with customers, and the future of our businesses all depend on having skilled, motivated teams who are equipped to excel.

This issue of PestWorld focuses on what I consider the cornerstone of our industry’s future: team development. The challenges of attracting and retaining talented professionals have never been more pressing, but we have incredible opportunities to innovate in how we build and strengthen our teams.

In our lead article, we explore how forward-thinking companies are revolutionizing their recruitment strategies. I’m particularly intrigued by the emerging concept of paid tryout periods—an approach that could transform how we evaluate and onboard new team members.

But recruiting talent is just the beginning. Our second feature delves into the crucial “human side” of pest control. Technical expertise, while essential, is just one piece of the puzzle. The work being done by NPMA’s Employee Recruitment and Retention Committee to identify core competencies is helping us understand what truly makes a successful professional in our industry.

Rounding out our focus on team development, we examine how to create lasting training programs that deliver real results. Whether you’re running a family business or managing a large operation, the principles of effective training remain the same: Engagement, commitment, and strategic planning are key to building programs that stick.

As we face the opportunities and challenges ahead, I’m convinced that our investment in people will determine our success. The strategies and insights shared in this issue provide a road map for strengthening our teams and, by extension, our entire industry. I encourage you to explore these resources and consider how you might implement them in your own organization.

Together, we can build teams that don’t just meet today’s challenges but are prepared to tackle tomorrow’s opportunities.