Landscape Management, October 2013

32 BUSINESS PLANNER 2014 Lead È V È K Construction foreman big crew Construction foreman Opportunity paths are suggested typical but dont necessarily need to follow the order above Wages and positions have been changed for confidentiality continued from page 30 3List your requirements Define your standards for each position To move up to a B level laborer you need to take a first aid course To be a stonemason apprentice you must register in an apprenticeship program To be a foreman you must become a Landscape Industry Certified Technician Whatever your firms criteria are put them in writing to give your staff a clear road map Ensure youve got a plan for which training expenses if any your company will cover e g employees do the course on their own time but youll reimburse the cost of the course after completion 4Make your goals their goals I believe strongly in employee incentives especially at the foreman level Hourly wages put the company and its staff at odds The longer jobs take the worse for the company but the better for the staff If we want to inspire performance we must create incentive systems that reward staff for achieving company goals Keep your goals objective Bonuses given without transparency for how theyre calculated are forgotten faster than theyre spent Objective goals are based on criteria such as beating sales or production targets estimated hours and a target sales to wages ratio total sales divided by total wages LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET OCTOBER 2013 5Stick to it You need regular feedback and reinforcement Have a performance review at least once a year with written objectives and give your staff a copy Come back to that document during the next review Share information such as how the company is doing relative to our bonus or incentive goals Discuss it in meetings Put a chart on the wall at the shop Without regular reinforcement this will be just another change that didnt work THE RESULTS Better hiring Your opportunity tree diagram is an ideal tool for hiring Show prospects the opportunities for growth in your company Youll excite the right kinds of employees and drive the wrong kinds to find work with your competitors Better motivation Without an opportunity system staff will lack drive and motivation Visible opportunities clear criteria incentive systems and wage ceilings work together to provide strong incentives for improvement Better culture Everyone knows whos moving up and why They know the expectations you set Raises and promotions are earned on merit not just time served Better accountability Youre putting the responsibility on your employees to develop themselves Youve provided the framework Its up to your staff to take advantage of it Better responsibility Delegate work easier by making certain roles and responsibilities part of your opportunity criteria Inspire others to sweat the small stuff so you can focus on the big picture Better sales Our employee training program has played a role in our sales presentations to customers with high standards for health and safety Better profit Worried about rising costs because of raises Consider this A raise of 1 an hour will cost you about 125 an hour after taxes benefits etc Thats 1250 a day If that employee is just 10 percent more productive as a result of his training engagement experience and attitude then youve added 40 a day in productivity assuming a charge out rate at 40 an hour 10 hours a day The difference is even bigger if hes installing materials Hell install 10 percent more material a day as well Defining opportunities for your staff is just as important for your company as it is for them Hiring key people off the street is like handing the keys to your business to a stranger A few mistakes can cost you a lot of money in a short amount of time Given the industrys turnover successful companies must be focused on developing their talent Current employees know your systems and procedures You know their strengths and weaknesses Its a win win for the company and employees LM Bradley president of TBG Landscape in Brooklin Ontario and co founder of the Landscape Management Network can be reached at mark@ golmn com SAMPLE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FLOWCHART Maintenance foreman big crew Maintenance foreman Laborer A construction Lead hand Laborer A maintenance Lead hand Incoming new employees Horticulture tech certified Landscape horticulture tech C 22 hr 20 hr 18 hr 16 hr 14 hr 12 hr Laborer B Laborer C Summer Student Landscape horticulture tech A Landscape horticulture tech B