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
