Key benefit: Work/life balance

Illustration: Leo Michael

As we compiled the cover story package for this issue, a common theme emerged as a solution to the labor shortage facing the pest control industry (and other markets) this year. It’s not just about the money, although competitive wages certainly help.

Rather, it’s about fostering a work environment where employees feel respected and heard. It’s about company leadership remembering we all should be working to live, not living to work. Employees need flexibility to pick up a sick child at school, take an ailing parent to a doctor’s appointment, or deal with the four-hour window for a plumber to arrive to fix a problem at home. The ideal workplace also continually educates its employees so they can bring the latest knowledge to do their best on the job, and empowers them to make decisions to provide solutions on the spot if there’s a problem.

As an owner, you may think nothing of putting in 60 hours a week because your business is your “baby,” and while it’s a lot of work, it’s also rewarding. But you shouldn’t expect your employees to feel the same. Your employees are not the “parents,” but they can (and should) be the “caretakers” of your business. Remember, your business is only as good as your worst employee. Provide an environment that means your “worst” is still an all-star by any other measure.