Small Scale, Big Impact

How do successful independent pest control businesses turn their size constraints into hiring advantages? Real-world examples from thriving small operators demonstrate how targeted HR practices can transform workforce management from an administrative burden into a strategic business advantage. 

Liisa Andreassen

Small pest control businesses face unique human resource challenges that differ significantly from those of their larger counterparts. There is a dual reality in HR management for independent operators—balancing limited resources with the critical need for quality personnel. Here are four common challenges faced by pest control businesses, plus tried-and-true solutions. 

CHALLENGE NO. 1: LIMITED RECRUITMENT ABILITY 

Melanie Matthews, president of Modern Exterminating, a South Carolina pest control business with three locations, says the company’s size often affects hiring, but it’s figured out ways to combat that. For example, it would love to “hire ahead” when a good candidate comes through the door, but that’s not always possible. To meet this challenge, the company has created a support services department that hires and trains people across all departments, ensuring a solid pipeline of candidates as opportunities arise.  

“Someone might perform a wildlife exclusion one day and a termite treatment the next. This helps when emergency absences occur,” she says. 

King Jones, CEO of CT Pest Solutions in Connecticut, agrees that developing multiskilled employees helps meet the recruitment challenge. He suggests creating simple steps and processes for each task type.  

“Involve staff in the process of creating these standard operating procedures [SOPs] because they’ll bring a practical perspective,” he says. “Spend time training and going through each step. Then, deliver this training in different forms, from hands-on to slideshow presentations. Creating goals and/or benchmarks can help, too. Ask for feedback, and remember, everyone learns differently.” 
Will Weaver, president of MD Weaver, works with clients in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. He finds that during busy seasons, his company needs to get creative when it comes to recruitment. For example, it uses “reach out” features on job posting websites such as Indeed to attract people working in other industries such as carpentry, HVAC, and landscaping services. Next, it offers informal meetups in the field to see if the pest control industry is a good fit for potential hires. 

“Also, emphasizing that no prior experience is required and that we handle all initial training and licensing sets us apart compared to other trades,” he says. 

MD Weaver also develops multiskilled employees by getting different areas of the company talking to each other. For example, it recently had its client care and billing teams meet to walk through each other’s daily responsibilities. This helped staff identify ways to streamline processes and support one another more effectively.

“We actively promote cross-department collaboration,” Weaver says. “For example, our billing team works closely with the service team to coordinate commercial collection visits. Our client care or service team works with our sales team when contract-related issues arise. This kind of routine collaboration helps employees broaden their understanding of the business and develop complementary skills.”

MD Weaver also identifies opportunities for internal mobility where possible. “When employees move between departments, they bring valuable skills with them. A technician transitioning to scheduling brings firsthand knowledge of pest issues, enhancing their ability to support clients over the phone. Similarly, a scheduler moving into account management brings strong software proficiency and deep client insight, making them effective in their new role,” he says.

More solutions: Recruit year-round, say our experts. Post on multiple job platforms. Offer existing employees an employee referral incentive. Recruit part-time or seasonal technicians. Be flexible. And create a career page on your website and use social platforms.

CHALLENGE NO. 2: COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT WITHOUT DEDICATED HR STAFF

Matthews says that Modern Exterminating will be 70 years old in October. “And when I came on board in 2019, there were no official HR practices and it was the wild west,” she jokes. “For example, people were using all of their PTO time and still taking paid days with no oversight.”

Over the last six years, Matthews’ team has worked to create an HR management program that brings accountability, legality, and success for the company and every employee.  

“QualityPro was a driving factor in putting many of the policies and procedures in place,” she says. “In 2020, we issued our first company handbook, and since then we’ve continued to bolster our HR practices, creating professional, honest, and dependable values.” 

As a result, Modern has significantly increased the quality of employees hired, increased revenue, and built a culture that is safe, accountable, and equitable for every person. 

QualityPro was also a big help to MD Weaver. It helped the company establish its SOPs, and the QualityPro framework guided it in developing a compliant hiring process with all the correct forms. It also provided Occupational Safety and Health Administration toolbox resources for new and current employees. NPMA’s partnership with SEAY Consulting also helped to provide expert guidance for unique HR situations. 

“We continue to refine our operational checklists for covering employee onboarding, accident response, termination procedures, etc.,” Weaver says. “For any company looking to set up their HR protocol, building the foundation is the hardest part. Once you have a handbook and general HR SOPs in place, it’s easier to build off that.” 

More solutions: Leverage technology. Use HR software to automate tasks, organize information, and streamline HR processes, and keep things simple, says CT Pest Solutions’ Jones. Meanwhile, Modern has an HR company on a monthly retainer and uses an employee tracking system. Its vice president of operations is the primary contact for HR-related management, and she works closely with those resources to ensure the company stays compliant.

 
CHALLENGE NO. 3: WEAK RETENTION INCENTIVES 

Jones says that growth opportunities don’t always have to be in the form of promotions. Employers can offer learning opportunities, licensing, flexible schedules, a better work-life balance, rewards and recognition, positive company culture, or team-building activities. “Creating a more engaging and purposeful work environment will help encourage employee retention,” he advises.  

At MD Weaver, providing incentives for sustainable growth is the best way to benefit both the company and the team. It aims for 15% to 20% annual growth and continues to create new roles and advancement opportunities for motivated employees. To support this momentum and reward team efforts, it offers a companywide growth bonus program that is designed to incentivize hard work and give staff the chance to earn more as they grow together. 

Matthews says her company offers a monthly retention bonus to all employees and works daily to maintain a company culture that encourages retention. For example, it uses an employee engagement and recognition platform that focuses on recognizing employee achievements and boosting morale to reward field technicians. It also has a dedicated online communications channel for “kudos.”  

A competitive salary structure and learning opportunities also help retain Modern’s staff. “We recently restructured our salaries to provide department leads, so there are growth opportunities to prepare for future positions as the company grows,” Matthews says. 

Naturally, employees are also encouraged to take advantage of any and all learning opportunities offered by NPMA and its state organizations. “We’re growth-minded and continually evaluate where someone may fit into that future so that we can begin now to prepare them for that role,” she says. 
More solutions: At smaller businesses, retention starts with asking for feedback early on. You want to nip any negative feelings in the bud and make corrections quickly. 

CHALLENGE NO. 4: OVERLY COMPLICATED DOCUMENTATION SYSTEMS

At Modern, Matthews says it keeps processes simple by maintaining a drive for SOPs and policies. 
Weaver adds that there’s much you can do with a Google or Microsoft form. “We use these forms for vacation requests, incident reporting, staff reviews, recording of meeting notes, and many operations-based items such as vehicle inspections,” he says. 

“With the power of a QR code on the wall, it creates a very easy way for employees to report or record information and creates a centralized place for all this data to feed to. Wherever one of our technicians or admins may be on a given day, this data is submitted the same way and to the same place.” 

More solutions: Do double duty. For example, Modern uses service management software for its client relationship management and finds it’s also ideal for storing service documentation. 

TURN SIZE CONSTRAINTS INTO HIRING ADVANTAGES 

For employees, being part of a small business has clear advantages over larger competitors, including:  

• A family-like culture
• Flexible schedules
• Diverse growth opportunities
• Agile decision-making
• A more personalized work experience
• Being part of building a great organization

In fact, many of these businesses find that their smaller size is actually a hiring advantage.  

“In this age of mergers and acquisitions, there are fewer local/family-owned pest management companies, and many applicants seek a closer-knit management structure,” Weaver says.

So, when you have strong HR practices, you can create a thoughtfully managed system that easily goes head-to-head with larger pest control companies. 

NPMA Resources for Your HR Toolbox  

NPMA is dedicated to helping small pest management companies overcome recruitment, training, and retention challenges. 

Through its Workforce Development Program, NPMA provides a comprehensive suite of resources that include ready-to-use templates designed to streamline hiring processes, compliance guidance to help businesses adhere to industry standards and regulations, and professional development opportunities. For example: 

• HR templates can be customized for high school career day presentations, job descriptions, marketing and sales, and more.
• NPMA websites such as pestcontroljobs.com and careers.pestcontroljobs.com drive public awareness about industry careers.
• New partnerships continue to target diverse audiences for healthier talent pipelines.
• NPMA’s Military Hiring Program attracts and encourages military service members, veterans, and military spouses to engage in a pest control industry career.

Overall, NPMA equips businesses with the tools they need to thrive. For more information about NPMA’s Workforce Development Program and its resources, visit npmapestworld.org/workforce.