Truly Nolen focuses on 3 areas of career development

PHOTO: ALONZODESIGN/DIGITALVISION VECTORS/GETTY IMAGES

In the pest control industry, the effectiveness of your service largely hinges on the skills and knowledge of those representing your brand. As the first point of contact with customers, well-trained representatives not only deliver high-quality pest management but also enhance customer satisfaction and safety.

Investing in training and development is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in our ever-evolving industry. At Truly Nolen, we are not only investing in software that helps facilitate training and development, but also investing in our trainers. In fact, we recently promoted Justin Wichman, who has been with our company since 2015 and was most recently our management-in-training coordinator, to our newly created people development manager position. Threre are critical areas on which we are focused:

1. Onboarding with a career in mind. A robust onboarding process should introduce new hires to your company culture, values and mission. This foundational knowledge sets the stage for more specialized training. At Truly Nolen, we are continuing to evolve our onboarding program with classes focused on career pathing and each new team member’s leadership potential. We also organize regular “Getting to Know You” gatherings where first-year team members meet leaders throughout the organization from specialized trainers to the executive team. We have found fostering these relationships can build a culture of development-minded teams.
2. Communication training. Equipping your representatives with strong communication skills is also important because their technical knowledge, along with their interactions with clients, can significantly impact your company’s reputation. At Truly Nolen, we are developing communication workshops teaching active listening, empathy and conflict resolution skills. Communication skills are critical at every level — both internally and externally.
3. Safety awareness. Safety should always be a top priority in pest control. Ensure your representatives are well-versed in safety protocols to protect themselves and clients by conducting regular safety training sessions. This year, Truly Nolen invested in Azuga software, gamifying our normal emphasis on driver safety within our internal #HomeSafe campaign. We also require every team member to participate in monthly safety training, targeting no accidents.

Never one-and-done

Fostering a culture of continuous improvement is key to development. This can be achieved by setting personalized training goals for each representative, creating development plans that include acquiring new skills or certifications and implementing a feedback mechanism for regular evaluations. Investing in technology and resources can further enhance training efforts.

At Truly Nolen, I am proud to see the career arc that so many of our leaders have journeyed. CFO Matthew Wild started as a part-time intern. COO Justin Bellet and Marketing VP Greg Bohne each began as managers-in-training at the branch level. Lance Washington, director of franchising and acquisitions; began in door-to-door sales. Emily Cruz, our area manager for El Paso, Texas, and New Mexico, began as a branch administrator. These are just a few examples of Truly Nolen team members who have had an extraordinary career arc, and with our people development manager focusing on this type of development from a level we have not done before, I believe there will be more people in the future following similar arcs.

Finally, investing in training and development is not just about compliance; it is a strategy for success. By focusing on comprehensive training in pest control methods, customer service, and safety protocols, you enhance the capabilities of your representatives and, in turn, the reputation of your business. A well-trained team leads to satisfied customers, reduced turnover, and a stronger bottom line. Make training a priority, and watch your business thrive! If you want to be a part of building a career with us, I invite you to see where our openings are across the country.