Recruiting, employing and retaining U.S. military veterans was one of many hot topics at last October’s PestWorld in Seattle, and for good reason. With a post-9/11 veteran unemployment rate more than 1.5 percent lower than the national average, State of Washington veterans are finding their way in today’s workforce — and Tacoma, Wash.-based Sprague Pest Solutions is doing its part.
Sprague is actively recruiting veterans to continue a tradition of veteran-hiring, which, according to a recent press release, has been part of the company’s culture for decades.
“Nearly a third of our employees are veterans or have ties to the military,” says Leila Haas, PHR, Sprague’s director of human resources. “We have a strong track record of hiring veterans, and having them thrive and succeed in pest management careers.”
Haas says many veteran’s skill sets makes pest management a good fit for a post-military career. This includes the ability to self-motivate, strength of character, critical thinking skills, and the ability to be productive both individually and in a team setting. These traits are transferable between the military and a high-end service industry like pest management.
“We look for individuals with strong people skills and competencies to learn and adapt quickly,” says Haas, who adds that previous experience with pest management is not required. “Veterans also have a strong sense of accountability and that makes them a good fit for pest management.”
According to the Sprague release, another area where veterans and the pest management industry share a common bond is training. Veterans are accustomed to participating in ongoing training and using the latest technology to get the job done. This, Sprague believes, mirrors the training and certification requirements pest management technicians are required to have.
Within Sprague’s ranks Haas points to two success stories where veterans have found their niche in pest management. In Sprague’s Tacoma service center, Tom Erber, a veteran with more than 20 years of on-the-job experience as a pest management technician, continues his service in the Army Reserves. Similarly, Charles Enebrad has worked his way up the ranks and was recently named manager of the Spokane, Wash., service center.
Sprague operates in five states — Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Colorado — and can place veterans in urban or rural locations protecting a variety of local, regional and national businesses.
For more information contact info@spraguepest.com or visit spraguepest.com/content/careers.
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