11 - Labor & Staffing
Wisconsin golf course maintenance departments provide full-time and seasonal work for a diverse workforce across the state. Talent acquisition is conducted through collaborating with local municipalities, school systems, workforce development boards, and community programs.
Engaging educational institutions is a priority. Whether through supporting scholarships for local college students or hosting field trips for elementary, junior high, and high schools to explore golf courses from a science, math, biology, and learning perspective – these levels of engagement are important to begin to develop future generations of golf maintenance professionals. Superintendents frequently hire students from local schools and universities for full-time or part-time employment and internships. A BMP in this process is creating a system for continuous labor supply through developing multi-level local and state relationships to secure an active labor pool. Through creation of a working system, the ability to secure qualified job candidates becomes turn-key, saving both time and financial resources.
Once employees are hired, it is crucial to create a culture of inclusiveness, teamwork, learning, training, and professional development. This is important for reducing turnover, creating motivation, and increasing productivity.
In Wisconsin, seasonal hiring ramps up during summer months, which can be met with labor shortages. Labor supply is influenced by demographic, economic, technological, educational, and societal factors. BMPs provide strategies for overcoming labor shortages and minimizing training and recruiting costs, plus lowering turnover and associated expenses.
Golf courses in Wisconsin enrich the livelihoods of individuals and drive economic impact through workforce development and job creation.
Regulatory Considerations
Regulatory requirements and guidance pertain to wages, work hours, licenses, safety training, and more. Every employer shall post in a conspicuous place upon its premises, a workplace poster regarding federal and state laws. Requirements may be found at: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/workplace-posters/.
Additional resources:
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Equal Rights Division enforces Wisconsin’s wages, hour requirements, and licenses: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/
Wisconsin Civil Rights and Labor Standards: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/laborstandards/laws.htm
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov
Wisconsin Labor Standards: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/laborstandards/
OSHA training: https://www.osha.gov/training/outreach
GCSAA labor guidance: https://www.gcsaa.org/advocacy/compliance/labor
Department of Labor youth and labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/youthlabor
Golf courses must work in synergy with state and federal agencies to ensure compliance in all areas of equal rights including labor standards and civil rights. Promoting awareness, educating on state and federal laws, including minimum wage laws, and engaging staff regularly helps ensure a safe, compliant environment. Safety practices and OSHA training must be kept up to date. Written and accessible operating standards, employee handbooks, proper workplace injury reports, PPE, and worker’s compensation programs should also be in place.
Best Management Practices
Adhere to all federal and state hiring regulations and requirements
Provide ongoing OSHA and safety training; post required signage
Communicate written operating standards in multiple languages and through various formats
Educate on PPE and proper safety precautions when operating equipment or handling chemicals
Understand current golf maintenance labor data, including expenses, retention, and turnover rate
Develop relationships within the community through a variety of school and government-based programs to diversify workforce
Utilize social media, newspapers and other platforms to communicate opportunities and ongoing workplace culture
Lean on multiple recruiting pipelines to integrate diversity and inclusion into hiring practices
Sponsor events, host meetings with key community influencers including school administration, chambers of commerce, parents
Promote workplace culture through social media and digital platforms
Utilize the Wisconsin Job Center to post positions at the single-largest source of qualified candidates - http://www.wisconsinjobcenter.org/recruiting/
Understand and explore H2B process for seasonal employees
Create interview processes using internal teams, multi-step screening processes, EEOC compliant interview questions, and tracking or rating systems to ensure the best quality hires
Develop an effective, formal, and consistent onboarding process to help employees acclimate to the work environment
It is important to have a growth and development plan for each and every employee, one that they have a voice in creating and are excited about
Utilize OTJ services from workforce development boards to create entry level training for new hires; incorporate mentoring with team members
Create a statewide Apprenticeship program with unified standards that can be adopted at the facility level; where students may take courses related to the profession as a way of enhancing what is being learned on the job
Develop relations with the local school systems, vocational schools, community colleges, and universities; provide continuing education opportunities
Build relationships with post-secondary institutions to offer continued education and training through certificate programs, 2- and 4-year programs and masters programs
Recruiting and Hiring
When recruiting a team, it is important to find the right person, not just fill a seat. Finding the right person can require time and expenses, however filling the position with the wrong candidate costs even more. The Human Capital Benchmarking Report from the Society for Human Resource Management indicates that the average cost-per-hire is $4,129.00.
Reference for average cost-per-hire:
Understanding Golf Course Labor Data
It is important to understand existing workplace culture, barriers, and operational data. Conduct an operational audit through a third party or input data from monthly tracking systems including digital job boards, GPS tracking systems, time studies, and other performance metrics such as engagement surveys. Once annual data is entered, it should be designated as the baseline year to measure against in subsequent years.
Utilize Multiple Resources for Recruiting
Creating structured hiring systems including recruitment, interviewing, and onboarding will boost the quality and quantity of leads, plus improve efficiency. Hire individuals from specific target groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. Connecting with vocational rehabilitation programs, veteran-based programs, JobCorps, and underrepresented segments will help improve diversity and inclusion.
Identify potential employee candidates using:
Public workforce systems
Vocational rehabilitation
Veteran-based programs
School systems
Chamber of Commerce
Ex-Offender programs
Retirees
Staffing agencies
H2B
Public Workforce Systems: Local Workforce Development (LWD) Boards
The DWD provides a public workforce system that supports local and regional economic development, plus the education and training of Wisconsin’s workforce. There are 11 LWD boards in Wisconsin. These government funded programs help employers recruit, develop on-the-job training and financial reimbursement programs, and provide access to job fairs and job seekers.
Additional information:
https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com/presentation/Employers/Default.aspx
Vocational Rehabilitation
Recruit and retain employees with disabilities through Wisconsin’s Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). This no cost program provides additional talent pipelines to recruit qualified workers, build diversity, connect golf courses to experts on the American Disabilities Act, and to access workforce planning resources.
At any given point, DVR has 16,000 individuals with potential candidates who want to work.
Additional information:
https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dvr/
Veteran Programs
The Vets Ready Employer Initiative serves to encourage employers to build a support system within their workplace, hire and retain more veterans, and connect to veterans in the community and their families. Every year the DWD will recognize businesses who have gone above and beyond for the veteran workforce. Businesses are separated into three categories – small, medium, large – and either receive a gold or silver certification.
Additional information:
https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com/veterans/
The DWD is committed to advancing employment opportunities for Wisconsin veterans through targeted business engagement, service and commitment to the veteran community.
Additional information:
https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/veterans/
School Systems
Golf course superintendents are uniquely positioned to provide career development and exploration opportunities. School systems provide valuable resources for recruitment. Superintendents should reach out to guidance counselors, work-study and co-op coordinators, and athletic coaches to reach students for potential employment. Volunteering for career awareness programs as early as kindergarten will help build relations. Also connect with career and technical education programs or centers, in addition to local affiliates of organizations like Future Farmers of America (FFA). These BMPs help to create talent pipelines through youth outreach and development opportunities.
Additional information:
Chambers of Commerce
There are 265 Chambers of Commerce in the state of Wisconsin. These organizations provide exceptional networking opportunities for golf course superintendents to share employment opportunities, participate in outreach events, and conduct meet-and-greets. These organizations can provide opportunities to meet with influencers in the community, civic organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions), and industry-centric conferences as well.
Additional information:
https://www.wmc.org/chamber-of-commerce/local-chambers-of-commerce/
Create a Positive Interview Process
Gut instinct alone isn’t a reliable predictor of successful work performance or job retention. Interviews are the best tool when making strategic hiring decisions.
Create an interview team including HR and assistant managers or key staff
Create a grading system to rate candidates that ensures a consistent process
Understand acceptable and unacceptable inquiries for interviews and employment applications through the EEOC guidelines
Ask behavioral interview questions that can reveal how a candidate’s past performance can predict future performance
Use STAR method to create a consistent interview process (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
Communicate with job applicants every step of the way and treat every applicant with the same care and consideration as a cherished customer
The candidate experience throughout the hiring process is a vital part of creating a great employer brand
References to EEOC guidelines: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws-guidance-0
Retention
Retaining employees impacts bottom-line results, an average cost to replace a worker is 30 percent of the annual salary. Retention also directly impacts the quality of management throughout the organization. It is important to track turnover metrics regularly to establish retention goals, improve communications with management staff, and help control or reduce costs.
Onboarding
The onboarding process should be an ongoing process, rather than a one-day or one-week “event”. Create a team to design an onboarding process that is customizable and relevant to a changing workforce. Consider different approaches for the various segments of the team.
The goal of any onboarding process is to help employees acclimate to the work environment, so they can value and recognize the opportunity, which helps result in employee motivation, productivity, job satisfaction, and loyalty.
Additional resources for calculating turnover costs: https://www.shl.com/en/customers/turnover-roi-calculator
Training
Upskilling the workforce will pay dividends for as long as employees stay in business. Employees who bring value and are assets will leave if they stop learning and growing. Training leads to longevity more than it results in turnover. Employees value opportunities for personal development and growth often as much as they do a salary increase.
On-the-Job Training (OJT)
OJT can be developed internally or alongside the local workforce development boards for new hires focused on safety training, introductory job skills, and employability skills. OJT provides an opportunity to align mentors with new team members. In addition, developing these programs offers reimbursement opportunities for employers to help compensate for the costs associated with training and loss of production for newly hired employees.
OJT can assist employers who are looking for well-trained staff with specialized skills.
There is an ability to receive up to 50 percent of wages reimbursed for OTJ training. Seek assistance from a professional workforce consultant to learn more.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeship offers a unique workforce solution for both employers and job seekers. Employers provide on-the-job training, while also receiving related instruction. This is customizable training to the needs of employer in comparison to traditional post-secondary education and internships.
Youth apprenticeship can be offered to juniors and seniors in high school for one or two-years. During the apprenticeship, students take courses related to the profession as a way of enhancing what is being learned on the job. Youth apprenticeship is a great way to build talent pipelines from youth into skilled and credentialed journey workers. In addition, work study programs can be utilized to connect students to career pathways and college credit programs.
Reference for additional information: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/apprenticeship/
Continued Education
States support workforce development through various grant programs facilitated by partners, including community colleges. Connect with local community college staff to learn about services and potential collaboration. Be flexible and integrate employees into on-the-job training, whether through internal or external programs.
The following post-secondary institutions offer turf, landscape, or horticulture programs.
Fox Valley Technical College
1825 N. Bluemound Drive
Appleton, WI 54912
P: 920-735-5600
Gateway Technical College
3520 30th Avenue
Kenosha, WI 53144
P: 262-564-2200
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI 53706
P: 608-263-2400
www.turf.wisc.edu
Milwaukee Tech College
700 W. State Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
P: 414-297-6282
University of Wisconsin - Platteville
1 University Plaza
Platteville, WI 53818
P: 608-342-1491
University of Wisconsin - River Falls
410 S. 3rd Street
River Falls, WI 54022
P: 715-425-3911
