By Alicia Stephens 
In today’s tight hiring market, companies need to place more emphasis on education to retain and develop their own employees as well as to recruit and hire new staff. Many in the pool and spa industry are taking an innovative approach to retaining and finding new employees by focusing on “human capital” from the individual worker’s perspective.
Companies that make significant investments in training and education are building their workforce more systematically. Employees who are learning are more likely to be engaged and want to stay. In addition, potential employees who are considering a particular job are looking for the “investment” a company is willing to make in them as employees.
Employees who are learning and love their jobs are also more likely to “tell-a-friend” and potentially recruit new employees to the business. Building experience or education-based “human capital” is good for employees and good for pool and spa businesses. Education, whether it be through classes, hands-on-training, or cross-training within the organization is an important part of solving the challenges of a tight labour market.
The ‘benefits’ of education
When discussing the benefits the company offers, today’s employers need to focus more on the satisfaction of working at the pool and spa business. The compensation package offered should include more than discussing salary or hourly wages, but also the learning investment the company will provide its team of employees. It is important to stress the benefits that employees want and need. For companies, investing in the education and long-term growth of their employees has become more important than ever. Continuing education is one of the best investments pool and spa businesses can offer employees to help hire and retain talent.
Industry specific, classroom training
While in-person training is coming back, online and virtual options continue to be an asset for educating not just new employees, but also veteran staff. The “all the time, any time access” is in line with the new generation of pool care professionals that are entering the business today. Many of them experienced much of their education in a variety of digital formats, and they are most comfortable in front of a screen. This a huge part of planning for the future state of education. Instead of trying to force them away from screens, companies can use that to their advantage. Today’s advances in online training allow pool and spa service professionals to take courses online from the convenience of their phone, tablet, or desktop computer. Employees can now take a course while sitting in their truck between jobs or in the breakroom when retail store traffic is slow.
