Rental Careers
October 2006
New ARA brochures help illustrate rental as a viable and exciting career choice
BY Connie Lannan
Connie Lannan is marketing manager for the operations division of the American Rental Association, Moline, Ill. She can be reached at (800) 334-2177, ext. 228, or e-mail connie.lannan@ararental.org.
Unless you’ve grown up in the industry, you might not be aware that rental can be a dynamic career choice.
Cindy Hovis, recruitment project manager with Sunbelt Rentals in Charlotte, N.C., has found this to be true when she talks to those who are transitioning out of the military. "Rental is not on their radar. I have to educate them," she says. "I’ve never run into anyone who understands the size and scope of our industry."
Whether recruiting technicians, sales staff, event coordinators, office personnel or managers, many recruiters from the large, national rental companies have to educate prospective candidates not only about their company but also the overall industry.
To help fill this information gap and illustrate how large the rental industry is, its growth potential and the types of careers the industry has for talented candidates, ARA has undertaken a first — the development of recruiting brochures specifically designed to help members tell the story that rental is a career choice, not just a job.
ARA was joined in this effort by working groups of members from small, medium and large rental companies who wanted to help tell the rental story to potential job candidates.
Together, the groups helped develop three different brochures — one targeting service technicians, one offering an overview of all job areas in the general equipment rental industry and one focusing on career opportunities in the party and event rental field.
The three brochures are necessary because "we are recruiting different types of individuals for different types of skill sets," says Doug Fleury, marketing manager at Rebel Rents in Temecula, Calif., and a member of the general equipment and service technician working group. "People don’t understand our business. They are not aware of how big an industry we are and the benefits we have."
Michael Reil, recruiter and human resources trainer with Modern Group, based in Bristol, Pa., and another member of the general equipment and service technician group, couldn’t agree more. "The best thing to do is define the industry. We accomplished this through this effort. These brochures are going to educate the general applicant to the scope and size of our industry and help an applicant see that we have a pretty far-reaching industry. There is money to be made and careers to be developed in this industry."
With the theme, "Work in rental. Own your future," the brochures focus on the different experiences candidates can have in this industry, the various job possibilities, career-path opportunities, the growth of the industry, information about ARA and the scholarship program offered through the ARA Foundation.
While developing the brochures, the working groups were focused on one goal — helping job candidates know that rental is a viable career choice. "Everyone has the same intention of attracting a diverse work force," says working group member Maureen McFarlane, PHR, communications specialist-human resources at United Rentals in Greenwich, Conn. That is why it was important to develop a visually appealing brochure that showed all of the different aspects of the rental industry, she notes.
The tone of the brochures emphasizes that career focus, adds Delores Crum, CERP, owner of Austin Party Central in Austin, Texas, and a member of the party and event working group. "I like how the brochures emphasize the excitement, that this is a growing and dynamic industry, that employees can be thoroughly engaged in what they do, that we show the different levels of opportunities and have quotes from real people who have experienced career advancement. In the party and event brochure, I also like how we introduce the Certified Event Rental Professional (CERP) program."
By highlighting these different aspects, the brochures can help recruit good candidates to the industry, which is a must, she says. "Your employees are the backbone of your organization. It doesn’t matter what systems you have in place or what inventory you have. If you don’t have good employees, you can’t be successful. These brochures can help them [prospective candidates] see rental as a career."
To help spread the word about the career possibilities in the rental industry, ARA will be sending these brochures to vocational schools, colleges and military bases, according to Carla Brozick, ARA director of education and training. "These are important venues that will help enhance the overall awareness of the industry."
All ARA members are encouraged to use these brochures as stand-alone recruiting pieces or as complements to their existing marketing and recruiting materials, Brozick notes.
"These brochures were developed for our members to use when they recruit candidates. We were so fortunate to have great working groups for this project. Together, we were able to design brochures that can help all of our members recruit good candidates to the industry," she says.
ARA members will be receiving a technician, general equipment, and party and event brochure polybagged with the October issue of Rental Management. Members who would like additional copies may order them by filling out the form enclosed in the polybag or by calling ARA Member Services at (800) 334-2177.
Connie Lannan
Saturday, October 7, 2006
ARA Article Finding, attracting & retaining good employees
Finding, attracting and retaining good employees
You can have the perfect location and the best equipment, but the right people are a company's most important asset
BY Wayne Walley
Wayne Walley is editor of Rental Management, the official magazine of the American Rental Association, 1900 19th St., Moline, IL 61265; (800) 334-2177 or (309) 764-2475, ext. 253; fax (309) 764-2747; e-mail wayne.walley@ararental.org
Those who own or manage rental businesses almost always say the No. 1 concern is finding good potential employees and convincing them to join the rental industry. Once someone good is hired, the next concern is how to retain them.
This quandary impacts everyone in the rental business, from the independent single-location business to the national chains.
"One of the fundamental things you need for a rental business is people. You need people to repair equipment. You need people to deliver equipment. The biggest portion of labor in the rental industry often is related to mechanical and delivery. This is a very important portion of labor because it is a touch point with the customer," says Michael Kneeland, executive vice president, operations, United Rentals, Greenwich, Conn.
United Rentals has more than 14,000 employees working at an estimated 760 branches in North America. In several ways, the company has strived to perfect its job-search techniques using everything from job fairs to online job boards.
"We do fill our jobs, but we are always looking for the best of the best," says Craig Pintoff, United Rentals’ vice president of human resources.
"Rental is a customer-service industry. We hire a lot of service technicians every year and what we do is utilize many tools. We promote from within, taking people in the yards and moving them into technician roles. We recruit from vocational schools and the military. A lot of employees surprisingly come from online job boards. Recruiting in the 21st century has changed for all of our roles," he says.
Competition for qualified applicants, however, is fierce. Manufacturers, distributors, construction companies, auto shops, airlines and more are all looking for people to fill similar positions.
"We’re always recruiting," says Doug Fleury, marketing manager for Rebel Rents in Temecula, Calif.
"We’ve done job fairs and Web postings. We have our Web site for people to apply for a position. We also do referrals in our company. If an employee recommends someone and that person comes to work for us, we give a reward for that," Fleury says.
"The challenges that our industry has in recruiting are not something that can be solved overnight. We are finding challenges in finding qualified people," adds Kenny May, director of recruitment and retention at Sunbelt Rentals in Charlotte, N.C.
"This is especially true for field operators including drivers, mechanics and sales professionals. I think that the rental industry has not been a career choice for many candidates that we are now trying to recruit. Many of our employees indicate that they fell into the industry. It wasn’t a conscious career choice. We have to build awareness so that candidates understand the career opportunities they have in this growing industry," May says.
Many rental businesses have turned to the military, vocational schools, high schools, colleges and universities as specific recruiting grounds for employees, but the results are mixed because those seeking positions do not understand what the equipment rental business is.
"When we recruit at schools or at a job fair, students and candidates often ask, ‘What do you do?’ We have to do a better job of marketing career opportunities at all levels. We can all individually raise awareness of opportunities for the companies we work for, but a concerted effort through the industry will have a greater impact. The industry needs a concerted effort," May says.
In response to this need, the American Rental Association is spearheading the industry’s first comprehensive ongoing recruitment effort starting this month.
The association has developed special recruiting brochures to help rental businesses better describe and promote equipment rental career opportunities. One brochure targets service technicians while another offers an overview of jobs in the general equipment rental industry and another focuses on career opportunities in the party and event rental field. Rental businesses can order copies of the brochures by calling ARA Member Services at (800) 334-2177.
The ARA is launching a new online rental career center, www.RentalCareers.com, as a Web site for rental businesses to post job openings and for those seeking employment to post résumés.
An ARA-facilitated working group of members also addressed the issue of standardized position descriptions for technicians. The now-complete descriptions outline different levels for service technicians and are expected to be a tool to help rental operators recruit new technicians to the industry.
Despite difficulties in finding qualified applicants, several people say one of the keys to retaining good employees is being more selective and hiring the right person in the first place.
"Our managers are realizing there’s more to the retention of employees at the front-end of the hiring process," May says. "The first thing is to hire the right person, at the right time, in the right position. We have built career ladders based on competencies for all of our positions in the field to drive success and to change behavior and mindset with our workforce. There are traits, skills and behaviors we look for not only during the hiring process, but also in building development and training programs. To that end, we have revamped our performance management program in terms of how we evaluate employees and how employees are accountable for their development through the program. Managing our talent is critical."
When asked about retaining good employees, almost everyone says the key is creating a way for people to learn, grow and build a career. Kneeland says United Rentals’ recipe for keeping good employees includes compensating people for their abilities and showing them how to develop their career.
"No one wants to do the same thing for the rest of their life. We also offer portability to move from location to location. We also have spent time and effort on employee engagement. We had ‘Town Hall Meetings’ for 8,000 hourly employees with management talking about issues. We want to find ways to be engaged because the customers also touch drivers, outside mechanics and yard personnel," Kneeland says.
"How you attract people and keep them is to offer them a career," says Daniel Kaplan, founder of Daniel Kaplan Associates in Morristown, N.J. Kaplan, who was the head of Hertz Equipment Rental Corp. from 1982 to 1997, says the situation of finding good employees has improved as the rental industry has become bigger and more professional.
"People want to get ahead and they have to believe there is a career path if you want to keep them. How high or how far someone can go is the glue that can keep good employees. The national rental companies can offer this, but it is more of a challenge for the independent with one store," Kaplan says.
As a consultant, Kaplan would advise rental companies to "hire an educated person and I don’t just mean a person with a college education but someone who can hold an intelligent conversation and close a rental. You need to hire people you can promote."
Charlie Neffle, owner of All Occasions Event Rental in Cincinnati, agrees that creating a career path is important for the rental industry to be able to attract better employees.
"You need an industry where people come in, learn new skills, grow and move through the ranks of management. For us in the party and event side of the business, the certified event rental professional (CERP) program is a great tool," Neffle says.
"Young people today like to see a career path and they like to learn. You have to give them new things to learn and new challenges. We have the partyCAD system. Typically three people here knew the software. Now, we’ve opened it up for all event consultants to learn it," he says.
Another Neffle secret to retaining employees is to provide a nicer work environment. For example, the dishwashing and laundry area at All Occasions Event Rental is air-conditioned.
"We are proud that we have long-term staff members. We have a couple of people who have been here 26 years and some who have been here 20 years," he says.
Fleury says Rebel Rents provides employees with benefits, a 401(k) plan and more. "We have a good work environment. We have rewards and training. It’s all aimed to retain the people we have," he says.
"We are aware that service technicians are hard to retain. The money they can make here, they can make elsewhere. Once someone is in the door, however, we try to make them happy by doing other things. We have defined who we are looking for. Our expectations are higher and we have the same problems recruiting, but we have less turnover and we are getting better employees," he says.
Some of those "other" things include what Fleury calls a "gold star" program. Any employee, he explains, can award a gold star to another employee. The employee who gets the gold star also gets $20 and an entry into a drawing that happens twice a year.
"We pick someone and send them on a special weekend trip with cash. If someone does a good job, no matter if they are on the same level or below, you can give that person a gold star," he says.
As for retaining good employees, United Rentals aims to offer people a career path and training. Pintoff says technicians are eligible for $1,000 per year to be used for outside vocational technical assistance.
In addition, United Rentals is focused on training managers to be better leaders. "People leave because they don’t like managers or they don’t trust the managers. We make sure we have good people leading the shop and leading the branches," Pintoff says. "People also need to learn and feel they are developing. We provide clearly defined career paths with opportunities all the way up to regional vice presidents who started as service technicians. There is a path to take if you are ambitious enough," he says.
"Every mechanic and service technician has to know what it takes to get to the next level. We have e-learning opportunities and live training and we have instituted a mandatory mid-year career performance evaluation to talk about career development," Pintoff says.
As everyone in the rental industry does more to find, attract and retain good employees, the hope is that the effort will result in a greater pool of good employees.
"We’re raising the bar and I think the rental industry in general is doing the same thing. As the industry gets more sophisticated and as you polish your image, you ask for better people and you recruit better people," Fleury says.
You can have the perfect location and the best equipment, but the right people are a company's most important asset
BY Wayne Walley
Wayne Walley is editor of Rental Management, the official magazine of the American Rental Association, 1900 19th St., Moline, IL 61265; (800) 334-2177 or (309) 764-2475, ext. 253; fax (309) 764-2747; e-mail wayne.walley@ararental.org
Those who own or manage rental businesses almost always say the No. 1 concern is finding good potential employees and convincing them to join the rental industry. Once someone good is hired, the next concern is how to retain them.
This quandary impacts everyone in the rental business, from the independent single-location business to the national chains.
"One of the fundamental things you need for a rental business is people. You need people to repair equipment. You need people to deliver equipment. The biggest portion of labor in the rental industry often is related to mechanical and delivery. This is a very important portion of labor because it is a touch point with the customer," says Michael Kneeland, executive vice president, operations, United Rentals, Greenwich, Conn.
United Rentals has more than 14,000 employees working at an estimated 760 branches in North America. In several ways, the company has strived to perfect its job-search techniques using everything from job fairs to online job boards.
"We do fill our jobs, but we are always looking for the best of the best," says Craig Pintoff, United Rentals’ vice president of human resources.
"Rental is a customer-service industry. We hire a lot of service technicians every year and what we do is utilize many tools. We promote from within, taking people in the yards and moving them into technician roles. We recruit from vocational schools and the military. A lot of employees surprisingly come from online job boards. Recruiting in the 21st century has changed for all of our roles," he says.
Competition for qualified applicants, however, is fierce. Manufacturers, distributors, construction companies, auto shops, airlines and more are all looking for people to fill similar positions.
"We’re always recruiting," says Doug Fleury, marketing manager for Rebel Rents in Temecula, Calif.
"We’ve done job fairs and Web postings. We have our Web site for people to apply for a position. We also do referrals in our company. If an employee recommends someone and that person comes to work for us, we give a reward for that," Fleury says.
"The challenges that our industry has in recruiting are not something that can be solved overnight. We are finding challenges in finding qualified people," adds Kenny May, director of recruitment and retention at Sunbelt Rentals in Charlotte, N.C.
"This is especially true for field operators including drivers, mechanics and sales professionals. I think that the rental industry has not been a career choice for many candidates that we are now trying to recruit. Many of our employees indicate that they fell into the industry. It wasn’t a conscious career choice. We have to build awareness so that candidates understand the career opportunities they have in this growing industry," May says.
Many rental businesses have turned to the military, vocational schools, high schools, colleges and universities as specific recruiting grounds for employees, but the results are mixed because those seeking positions do not understand what the equipment rental business is.
"When we recruit at schools or at a job fair, students and candidates often ask, ‘What do you do?’ We have to do a better job of marketing career opportunities at all levels. We can all individually raise awareness of opportunities for the companies we work for, but a concerted effort through the industry will have a greater impact. The industry needs a concerted effort," May says.
In response to this need, the American Rental Association is spearheading the industry’s first comprehensive ongoing recruitment effort starting this month.
The association has developed special recruiting brochures to help rental businesses better describe and promote equipment rental career opportunities. One brochure targets service technicians while another offers an overview of jobs in the general equipment rental industry and another focuses on career opportunities in the party and event rental field. Rental businesses can order copies of the brochures by calling ARA Member Services at (800) 334-2177.
The ARA is launching a new online rental career center, www.RentalCareers.com, as a Web site for rental businesses to post job openings and for those seeking employment to post résumés.
An ARA-facilitated working group of members also addressed the issue of standardized position descriptions for technicians. The now-complete descriptions outline different levels for service technicians and are expected to be a tool to help rental operators recruit new technicians to the industry.
Despite difficulties in finding qualified applicants, several people say one of the keys to retaining good employees is being more selective and hiring the right person in the first place.
"Our managers are realizing there’s more to the retention of employees at the front-end of the hiring process," May says. "The first thing is to hire the right person, at the right time, in the right position. We have built career ladders based on competencies for all of our positions in the field to drive success and to change behavior and mindset with our workforce. There are traits, skills and behaviors we look for not only during the hiring process, but also in building development and training programs. To that end, we have revamped our performance management program in terms of how we evaluate employees and how employees are accountable for their development through the program. Managing our talent is critical."
When asked about retaining good employees, almost everyone says the key is creating a way for people to learn, grow and build a career. Kneeland says United Rentals’ recipe for keeping good employees includes compensating people for their abilities and showing them how to develop their career.
"No one wants to do the same thing for the rest of their life. We also offer portability to move from location to location. We also have spent time and effort on employee engagement. We had ‘Town Hall Meetings’ for 8,000 hourly employees with management talking about issues. We want to find ways to be engaged because the customers also touch drivers, outside mechanics and yard personnel," Kneeland says.
"How you attract people and keep them is to offer them a career," says Daniel Kaplan, founder of Daniel Kaplan Associates in Morristown, N.J. Kaplan, who was the head of Hertz Equipment Rental Corp. from 1982 to 1997, says the situation of finding good employees has improved as the rental industry has become bigger and more professional.
"People want to get ahead and they have to believe there is a career path if you want to keep them. How high or how far someone can go is the glue that can keep good employees. The national rental companies can offer this, but it is more of a challenge for the independent with one store," Kaplan says.
As a consultant, Kaplan would advise rental companies to "hire an educated person and I don’t just mean a person with a college education but someone who can hold an intelligent conversation and close a rental. You need to hire people you can promote."
Charlie Neffle, owner of All Occasions Event Rental in Cincinnati, agrees that creating a career path is important for the rental industry to be able to attract better employees.
"You need an industry where people come in, learn new skills, grow and move through the ranks of management. For us in the party and event side of the business, the certified event rental professional (CERP) program is a great tool," Neffle says.
"Young people today like to see a career path and they like to learn. You have to give them new things to learn and new challenges. We have the partyCAD system. Typically three people here knew the software. Now, we’ve opened it up for all event consultants to learn it," he says.
Another Neffle secret to retaining employees is to provide a nicer work environment. For example, the dishwashing and laundry area at All Occasions Event Rental is air-conditioned.
"We are proud that we have long-term staff members. We have a couple of people who have been here 26 years and some who have been here 20 years," he says.
Fleury says Rebel Rents provides employees with benefits, a 401(k) plan and more. "We have a good work environment. We have rewards and training. It’s all aimed to retain the people we have," he says.
"We are aware that service technicians are hard to retain. The money they can make here, they can make elsewhere. Once someone is in the door, however, we try to make them happy by doing other things. We have defined who we are looking for. Our expectations are higher and we have the same problems recruiting, but we have less turnover and we are getting better employees," he says.
Some of those "other" things include what Fleury calls a "gold star" program. Any employee, he explains, can award a gold star to another employee. The employee who gets the gold star also gets $20 and an entry into a drawing that happens twice a year.
"We pick someone and send them on a special weekend trip with cash. If someone does a good job, no matter if they are on the same level or below, you can give that person a gold star," he says.
As for retaining good employees, United Rentals aims to offer people a career path and training. Pintoff says technicians are eligible for $1,000 per year to be used for outside vocational technical assistance.
In addition, United Rentals is focused on training managers to be better leaders. "People leave because they don’t like managers or they don’t trust the managers. We make sure we have good people leading the shop and leading the branches," Pintoff says. "People also need to learn and feel they are developing. We provide clearly defined career paths with opportunities all the way up to regional vice presidents who started as service technicians. There is a path to take if you are ambitious enough," he says.
"Every mechanic and service technician has to know what it takes to get to the next level. We have e-learning opportunities and live training and we have instituted a mandatory mid-year career performance evaluation to talk about career development," Pintoff says.
As everyone in the rental industry does more to find, attract and retain good employees, the hope is that the effort will result in a greater pool of good employees.
"We’re raising the bar and I think the rental industry in general is doing the same thing. As the industry gets more sophisticated and as you polish your image, you ask for better people and you recruit better people," Fleury says.
ARA Article Rental Careers Providing Opporunity 10-06
Rental Careers
October 2006
Providing opportunity... filling a need
ARA’s extensive Rental Careers initiative aims to help bring more qualified candidates to the rental industry
BY Wayne Walley
Wayne Walley is editor of Rental Management, the official magazine of the American Rental Association, 1900 19th St., Moline, IL 61265; (800) 334-2177 or (309) 764-2475, ext. 253; fax (309) 764-2747; e-mail wayne.walley@ararental.org
The American Rental Association has embarked on the most extensive campaign ever to promote the rental industry as a career choice for people attending vocational schools, technical schools, colleges and universities.
The effort had its beginnings about a year ago when key ARA members asked the association to take the lead in raising awareness and helping create a unified message to attract employees to the rental industry.
"The rental industry has been fragmented," says Michael Kneeland, executive vice president, operations, United Rentals, Greenwich, Conn.
"ARA represents the industry, which consists of a broad audience of more than 12,000 rental operators. Collectively, we need to be willing to support the ARA," Kneeland says.
ARA stepped up to the challenge, working with member businesses during the past year to identify needs and to create a plan of action.
"ARA needs to be the organization that defines the dimension of career opportunities. We set out to describe the potential of the rental industry and what we accomplish," says Christine Wehrman, ARA’s executive vice president and CEO.
"People may not identify the industry automatically for career choices. The industry has grown up over time and remains a growth industry. ARA intends to establish the validity of the industry with potential employees and to demonstrate that the equipment rental business is an astute career choice. This industry has a wealth of career opportunities available. We stack up well against the competition," she says.
The ARA effort includes the development of recruiting brochures to help rental businesses better describe and promote equipment rental career opportunities. The three brochures — one targeting service technicians, one offering an overview of all job areas in the general equipment rental industry and one focusing on career opportunities in the party and event rental field — may be ordered by calling ARA Member Services at (800) 334-2177 (see story on page RC18).
The ARA’s new rental career center Web site, www.RentalCareers.com, went live on Oct. 2 and offers an opportunity for rental businesses to post job openings and for those seeking employment to post résumés (see page RC10).
An ARA-facilitated working group of members also addressed the issue of standardized position descriptions for technicians (see story on page RC13). The descriptions are expected to help recruit new technicians to the industry in addition to creating a career path for those already in the industry.
"You need to create career paths and demonstrate it is a ‘rental career’ instead of just a job. You need an industry where people come in, learn new skills, grow and move through the ranks of management," says Charlie Neffle, owner of All Occasions Event Rental in Cincinnati.
"The rental industry has a compelling story to tell with great growth, great career opportunities and opportunities for promotion," adds Craig Pintoff, vice president of human resources for United Rentals.
"We do fill our jobs and we are always looking for the best of the best. People may not know about the rental industry right off the bat, but once they hear the story, it is very compelling and it is easier today to sell that opportunity. We are in competition for qualified people with car dealerships and the equipment manufacturers. We have to make our story compelling," Pintoff says.
United Rentals’ Kneeland is particularly encouraged by ARA’s effort to facilitate an industry standard for job descriptions.
"Standards mean we are talking the same language when classifying a position. Potential employees get mixed signals if different people try to attract them and everyone talks in different languages. When you talk about airline mechanics, it is a professional atmosphere. If you look at the auto industry, there are professional mechanics and technicians," he says.
"How many high school graduates think about rental as a career opportunity? Do people in trade schools think about the rental industry? We have to put rental in the customer’s minds and also show people there is an opportunity for them to advance and grow if they join the rental industry," he says.
"We need to build awareness so candidates say, ‘Rental is where I want to be,’" adds Kenny May, director of recruitment and retention at Sunbelt Rentals in Charlotte, N.C.
"There just aren’t many qualified candidates right now who are aware of the opportunities in the rental industry. We recruit from many sources that include the military, trade schools, high schools, colleges and universities and we always have students who come up to us and ask, ‘What is it that you do?’ I think that most rental companies are struggling with this in the same way, so a concerted effort by the industry makes more sense," May says.
"We are hopeful that candidates will gain a better understanding of rental as a career. This concerted effort is proactive and unique and we, as employers, expect more qualified candidates to choose from as a result. Our biggest challenges are finding qualified drivers and qualified mechanics. These are the two positions with the highest rate of turnover and least amount of qualified applicants," May says.
Wehrman says the ARA’s involvement started with a working group to standardize position descriptions for service technicians, but those involved in the group felt the ARA should go further and take the initiative in building the image of the industry from an employee perspective and building awareness of career opportunities.
"We do have a very difficult time attracting people and I believe it’s the awareness," says Doug Fleury, marketing manager for Rebel Rents in Temecula, Calif.
"I’ve been in the business for 30 years and it has evolved quite a bit. Larger companies project more of a professional image, but it is the awareness factor. People ask what I do and I say, ‘I’m in the equipment rental business,’ and they don’t know what I’m talking about. If I say ‘I work for Goodyear and sell tires,’ they would know what I do," he says.
Fleury says everyone who works for Rebel Rents — assistant managers to sales staff — is always recruiting.
"We just want our fair share of the talent pool and we are not getting that right now. We’ve done job fairs and Web postings and we have our own Web site for people to apply for a position. We also offer referrals. If someone who works for us recommends someone to work for us and they are hired, we give a reward," he says.
The ARA plan includes targeting military centers, technical schools, high schools and universities with information to reinforce the equipment rental industry as a career option whether a person’s background is agriculture, military, technical school, community college or other training.
"This program will achieve a clear identity of the rental industry for potential employees to evaluate as they choose a career. Our vision is that ARA can provide the opportunity for our member companies to more easily recruit employees and give those businesses the launching pad to personalize their company’s recruitment employment, placement and retention programs," Wehrman says.
October 2006
Providing opportunity... filling a need
ARA’s extensive Rental Careers initiative aims to help bring more qualified candidates to the rental industry
BY Wayne Walley
Wayne Walley is editor of Rental Management, the official magazine of the American Rental Association, 1900 19th St., Moline, IL 61265; (800) 334-2177 or (309) 764-2475, ext. 253; fax (309) 764-2747; e-mail wayne.walley@ararental.org
The American Rental Association has embarked on the most extensive campaign ever to promote the rental industry as a career choice for people attending vocational schools, technical schools, colleges and universities.
The effort had its beginnings about a year ago when key ARA members asked the association to take the lead in raising awareness and helping create a unified message to attract employees to the rental industry.
"The rental industry has been fragmented," says Michael Kneeland, executive vice president, operations, United Rentals, Greenwich, Conn.
"ARA represents the industry, which consists of a broad audience of more than 12,000 rental operators. Collectively, we need to be willing to support the ARA," Kneeland says.
ARA stepped up to the challenge, working with member businesses during the past year to identify needs and to create a plan of action.
"ARA needs to be the organization that defines the dimension of career opportunities. We set out to describe the potential of the rental industry and what we accomplish," says Christine Wehrman, ARA’s executive vice president and CEO.
"People may not identify the industry automatically for career choices. The industry has grown up over time and remains a growth industry. ARA intends to establish the validity of the industry with potential employees and to demonstrate that the equipment rental business is an astute career choice. This industry has a wealth of career opportunities available. We stack up well against the competition," she says.
The ARA effort includes the development of recruiting brochures to help rental businesses better describe and promote equipment rental career opportunities. The three brochures — one targeting service technicians, one offering an overview of all job areas in the general equipment rental industry and one focusing on career opportunities in the party and event rental field — may be ordered by calling ARA Member Services at (800) 334-2177 (see story on page RC18).
The ARA’s new rental career center Web site, www.RentalCareers.com, went live on Oct. 2 and offers an opportunity for rental businesses to post job openings and for those seeking employment to post résumés (see page RC10).
An ARA-facilitated working group of members also addressed the issue of standardized position descriptions for technicians (see story on page RC13). The descriptions are expected to help recruit new technicians to the industry in addition to creating a career path for those already in the industry.
"You need to create career paths and demonstrate it is a ‘rental career’ instead of just a job. You need an industry where people come in, learn new skills, grow and move through the ranks of management," says Charlie Neffle, owner of All Occasions Event Rental in Cincinnati.
"The rental industry has a compelling story to tell with great growth, great career opportunities and opportunities for promotion," adds Craig Pintoff, vice president of human resources for United Rentals.
"We do fill our jobs and we are always looking for the best of the best. People may not know about the rental industry right off the bat, but once they hear the story, it is very compelling and it is easier today to sell that opportunity. We are in competition for qualified people with car dealerships and the equipment manufacturers. We have to make our story compelling," Pintoff says.
United Rentals’ Kneeland is particularly encouraged by ARA’s effort to facilitate an industry standard for job descriptions.
"Standards mean we are talking the same language when classifying a position. Potential employees get mixed signals if different people try to attract them and everyone talks in different languages. When you talk about airline mechanics, it is a professional atmosphere. If you look at the auto industry, there are professional mechanics and technicians," he says.
"How many high school graduates think about rental as a career opportunity? Do people in trade schools think about the rental industry? We have to put rental in the customer’s minds and also show people there is an opportunity for them to advance and grow if they join the rental industry," he says.
"We need to build awareness so candidates say, ‘Rental is where I want to be,’" adds Kenny May, director of recruitment and retention at Sunbelt Rentals in Charlotte, N.C.
"There just aren’t many qualified candidates right now who are aware of the opportunities in the rental industry. We recruit from many sources that include the military, trade schools, high schools, colleges and universities and we always have students who come up to us and ask, ‘What is it that you do?’ I think that most rental companies are struggling with this in the same way, so a concerted effort by the industry makes more sense," May says.
"We are hopeful that candidates will gain a better understanding of rental as a career. This concerted effort is proactive and unique and we, as employers, expect more qualified candidates to choose from as a result. Our biggest challenges are finding qualified drivers and qualified mechanics. These are the two positions with the highest rate of turnover and least amount of qualified applicants," May says.
Wehrman says the ARA’s involvement started with a working group to standardize position descriptions for service technicians, but those involved in the group felt the ARA should go further and take the initiative in building the image of the industry from an employee perspective and building awareness of career opportunities.
"We do have a very difficult time attracting people and I believe it’s the awareness," says Doug Fleury, marketing manager for Rebel Rents in Temecula, Calif.
"I’ve been in the business for 30 years and it has evolved quite a bit. Larger companies project more of a professional image, but it is the awareness factor. People ask what I do and I say, ‘I’m in the equipment rental business,’ and they don’t know what I’m talking about. If I say ‘I work for Goodyear and sell tires,’ they would know what I do," he says.
Fleury says everyone who works for Rebel Rents — assistant managers to sales staff — is always recruiting.
"We just want our fair share of the talent pool and we are not getting that right now. We’ve done job fairs and Web postings and we have our own Web site for people to apply for a position. We also offer referrals. If someone who works for us recommends someone to work for us and they are hired, we give a reward," he says.
The ARA plan includes targeting military centers, technical schools, high schools and universities with information to reinforce the equipment rental industry as a career option whether a person’s background is agriculture, military, technical school, community college or other training.
"This program will achieve a clear identity of the rental industry for potential employees to evaluate as they choose a career. Our vision is that ARA can provide the opportunity for our member companies to more easily recruit employees and give those businesses the launching pad to personalize their company’s recruitment employment, placement and retention programs," Wehrman says.
Sunday, October 1, 2006
ARA Article Where to Find Qualified Employees 10-06
Rental Careers
October 2006
Where to find qualified employees
You have job openings and are in search of qualified employees. The proverbial question is: "How do you find the right candidates?" For years, employers relied on the old standby of putting an ad in the paper. While this is still a good option, many rental companies are supplementing this tactic with others that offer an even more expansive outreach to a potentially larger candidate pool.
"Recruiting is like uncovering rocks," says Kenny May, director of recruitment and retention at Sunbelt Rentals in Charlotte, N.C. "We may try 10 different sources to fill one position. It’s the nature of the beast."
Below are just a few of the diverse ways rental companies are trying to recruit candidates:
Employee-referral programs — "Our No. 1 goal is to promote from within," says Craig Pintoff, vice president of human resources at United Rentals in Greenwich, Conn. "If we can’t match an internal candidate with a job, we look outside."
Many rental companies have implemented employee-referral programs. United Rentals, Sunbelt Rentals, the Modern Group and Rebel Rents have such programs in place, offering incentives for employees who refer good candidates to work for their respective companies.
An employee-referral program is a natural recruiting tool, notes Bruce Lafky, United Rentals’ director of service and maintenance operations. "Some of our most successful recruiting comes from referral."
Job boards — Job boards are growing as more and more people are becoming Internet-savvy. Not only are they time-saving, but they also offer an economical way for employers and job seekers to connect. ARA is launching its own job board this month that will help rental companies expand their reach for finding good candidates. It also will allow job applicants to see specific jobs that are available in the rental industry (see stories on pages RC10 and RC12).
Job fairs — Job fairs are another way to let prospective candidates know about your company and the positions you have available. There are many job fairs available that target a wide range of prospective candidates, from those transitioning out of the military or graduating from college, vocational or technical schools to those who have been outplaced because of company downsizing or for other reasons.
To find job fairs in your area, contact your local Chamber of Commerce, community groups, area high schools, colleges and/or vocational or technical schools. You also can do a Google search online by typing in "Job Fairs." You’ll find numerous listings that can point you in the right direction.
For more information on job fairs that target those who are transitioning out of the military, see the story on page RC16.
Military — Recruiting directly from those who are leaving the military is something that more and more rental companies are directing significant time, effort and resources into doing. "We found that the leadership skills offered by those who have been in the military are a great match for our company," Pintoff says.
For Cindy Hovis, recruitment project manager with Sunbelt Rentals, military recruiting is her main focus because those transitioning out of the military come out with a "great work ethic, discipline and training," she says. "Plus, turnover is lower."
Pintoff and Hovis feel this is an area that hasn’t been fully tapped by the rental industry. "It’s a huge pool of qualified candidates," Hovis says. "They are out there. They are trained and looking for jobs."
For more information about recruiting new employees from the military, see the story on page RC16.
Vocational and/or technical schools — Many rental companies have found that by building relationships with vocational and technical schools, they can reach many students who are being trained in the exact jobs that are so needed in the rental industry.
Michael Reil, recruiter and HR trainer with Modern Group in Bristol, Pa., has strong working relationships with technical schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
United Rentals also has developed such relationships with schools on the national, regional and state levels, Lafky says. "You have to go where they are. It’s where you really get people excited about the industry and show students the value we bring to the table. Education and training: It’s what gets them [students] excited. They want to work for a company that will invest in their success."
Lafky is a strong proponent of going into the high schools to let students know early on about the career potential that rental offers, especially as a way to tell students about the job opportunities for technicians. "It will require us to promote this technical trade as a discipline and vocation in the high school years," he says.
Multipronged approach might be needed — All those interviewed for this story use a variety of methods to help them recruit qualified candidates. "I’m trying to find the right people in the right place at the right time," May says. "We don’t want to not uncover a rock" to find talented people.
October 2006
Where to find qualified employees
You have job openings and are in search of qualified employees. The proverbial question is: "How do you find the right candidates?" For years, employers relied on the old standby of putting an ad in the paper. While this is still a good option, many rental companies are supplementing this tactic with others that offer an even more expansive outreach to a potentially larger candidate pool.
"Recruiting is like uncovering rocks," says Kenny May, director of recruitment and retention at Sunbelt Rentals in Charlotte, N.C. "We may try 10 different sources to fill one position. It’s the nature of the beast."
Below are just a few of the diverse ways rental companies are trying to recruit candidates:
Employee-referral programs — "Our No. 1 goal is to promote from within," says Craig Pintoff, vice president of human resources at United Rentals in Greenwich, Conn. "If we can’t match an internal candidate with a job, we look outside."
Many rental companies have implemented employee-referral programs. United Rentals, Sunbelt Rentals, the Modern Group and Rebel Rents have such programs in place, offering incentives for employees who refer good candidates to work for their respective companies.
An employee-referral program is a natural recruiting tool, notes Bruce Lafky, United Rentals’ director of service and maintenance operations. "Some of our most successful recruiting comes from referral."
Job boards — Job boards are growing as more and more people are becoming Internet-savvy. Not only are they time-saving, but they also offer an economical way for employers and job seekers to connect. ARA is launching its own job board this month that will help rental companies expand their reach for finding good candidates. It also will allow job applicants to see specific jobs that are available in the rental industry (see stories on pages RC10 and RC12).
Job fairs — Job fairs are another way to let prospective candidates know about your company and the positions you have available. There are many job fairs available that target a wide range of prospective candidates, from those transitioning out of the military or graduating from college, vocational or technical schools to those who have been outplaced because of company downsizing or for other reasons.
To find job fairs in your area, contact your local Chamber of Commerce, community groups, area high schools, colleges and/or vocational or technical schools. You also can do a Google search online by typing in "Job Fairs." You’ll find numerous listings that can point you in the right direction.
For more information on job fairs that target those who are transitioning out of the military, see the story on page RC16.
Military — Recruiting directly from those who are leaving the military is something that more and more rental companies are directing significant time, effort and resources into doing. "We found that the leadership skills offered by those who have been in the military are a great match for our company," Pintoff says.
For Cindy Hovis, recruitment project manager with Sunbelt Rentals, military recruiting is her main focus because those transitioning out of the military come out with a "great work ethic, discipline and training," she says. "Plus, turnover is lower."
Pintoff and Hovis feel this is an area that hasn’t been fully tapped by the rental industry. "It’s a huge pool of qualified candidates," Hovis says. "They are out there. They are trained and looking for jobs."
For more information about recruiting new employees from the military, see the story on page RC16.
Vocational and/or technical schools — Many rental companies have found that by building relationships with vocational and technical schools, they can reach many students who are being trained in the exact jobs that are so needed in the rental industry.
Michael Reil, recruiter and HR trainer with Modern Group in Bristol, Pa., has strong working relationships with technical schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
United Rentals also has developed such relationships with schools on the national, regional and state levels, Lafky says. "You have to go where they are. It’s where you really get people excited about the industry and show students the value we bring to the table. Education and training: It’s what gets them [students] excited. They want to work for a company that will invest in their success."
Lafky is a strong proponent of going into the high schools to let students know early on about the career potential that rental offers, especially as a way to tell students about the job opportunities for technicians. "It will require us to promote this technical trade as a discipline and vocation in the high school years," he says.
Multipronged approach might be needed — All those interviewed for this story use a variety of methods to help them recruit qualified candidates. "I’m trying to find the right people in the right place at the right time," May says. "We don’t want to not uncover a rock" to find talented people.
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