How GLC Sets Expectations with New Team Members
Last week was an exciting one at Grunder Landscaping Co: Our H-2B workers were finally approved and they arrived for their first day back on Monday. This year it's been difficult to find team members, and we've had to onboard lots of new people, including our returning H-2B workers.
When we onboard new team members at GLC, we're setting expectations early and we give team members the basic skills and information they need to get out and start to work.
My best tips for setting expectations early on are:
- Focus on the basics. Team members should know and understand your company culture and the behaviors that are acceptable and unacceptable. They should also know where to find what they need, and what's expected of them daily. Our 4 Core Values are the basis of this: Quality, Leadership, Teamwork, and Profitability.
- Pair up team members. Team leaders at GLC are responsible for training their direct reports while they're driving and on jobsites. Most of our skill training happens on jobsites.
- Always emphasize safety. We don't want anyone getting hurt at work, and we are extra watchful of new team members. Team leaders make sure their teams know how to safely operate any equipment before asking them to do it.
- Correct and learn from mistakes together. Mistakes are a learning opportunity, and can reveal training that should've been done earlier. If there's a task team members aren't doing correctly, do a training on the right way to do it.
- Never, never tolerate bad attitudes. Just remember, whatever you allow you encourage. Having new team members around existing team members with positive, can-do attitudes is the best recipe for success.
Later this month, Vince Torchia and I will do a deeper dive into onboarding and training your teams. Join us live on July 15, 2021 and again on January 13, 2022, or watch the recordings the week after. We'll cover how to structure trainings to be memorable and effective, what topics we cover at Grunder Landscaping Co., and how we're constantly working to make our training program better in 3 live, online sessions.
Have a happy Fourth of July, we'll talk to you again next week!
Have a happy Fourth of July, we'll talk to you again next week!
Marty Grunder
President & CEO
President & CEO
The Grow Group & Grunder Landscaping Co.