these Open Championship Clubs choose to relief grind - Pitchcare

2. The “threat” scenario
If the above (it’s free) reason fails, you
can always use the “if we don’t approach”
this involves stating what might happen
if a key member of staff were to leave
and that skills gap became vacant.
3. The “money saving” scenario
The argument here would be it’s an
investment to help keep staff and means
we won’t have to pay contractors in
future. It costs a lot of time and money
to replace staff (interviews, adverts etc.),
so keeping good staff happy and
motivated can be a smart move. Also,
some training can actually save money,
e.g. getting someone trained in heath
and safety might save a lot of money
buying in consultants to do risk
assessments etc. each year.
4. The “Conditional” scenario
This is where we put conditions on the
training e.g. has a claw back contract if
they leave after the training. This will
help show that the money will not be
wasted and is in fact an investment by
both sides.
Making the need for training clear
A good way of doing this is to have self
development plans for all staff based on
their job role. These can be submitted to
management as a training plan for the
team. Management can then see your
reasons for the training being proposed,
and what impact it will have if the
training takes place or does not take
place. If we look at the training plan
below you can see how this might work.
Keeping staff after training
Employers often state that, “once we’ve
trained them our staff leave us”. This,
indeed, is a risk, but we can look at that
later. These employers are more than
happy, at the same time, to poach a
replacement member of staff from a
nearby club (who has been trained at that
club’s expense), therefore, what goes
around comes around. The end
statement is the industry benefits as a
whole from training and would be much
the poorer if it were to reduce. Ask
“The employer
should really
be looking at
why staff leave
when they
finish their
training”
yourself why British greenkeepers are in
demand around the world.
The employer should really be looking at
why staff leave when they finish their
training. It could just be they have
wanted to go for a long time, but just
needed the right ticket. Let’s face facts, if
someone offers you a better job with
better prospects, you would most likely
take it, so why do you find it hard to
understand it when your staff do the
same? The issue is, what should you be
doing to keep them after training?
Amongst the top three main reasons why
staff leave are:
1. Financial
This is the hardest to deal with if budgets
are tight - is there a possibility of benefits
in kind, such as free meals, club
membership etc. that might be provided?
2. Job satisfaction
Over the years, I have seen many
greenkeepers complete level 3 and yet
still not be given much responsibility or
further training and development
afterwards. They, therefore, get bored of
the work they are doing and begin to
seek out a new challenge by applying for
a job elsewhere. By varying their work,
and providing opportunities to build new
skills, a good employer can give staff
greater job satisfaction and enjoyment,
so they feel less of a need to seek out
pastures new.
Training & Development
3. Increased self value
Internal promotion can be a big morale
booster. Sometimes, a small pay increase
with a new job title can do much to remotivate
a member of staff. It gives a sense
of worth, looks good on their CV etc. The
classic example of this is the way local
authorities, some ten years ago, started to
change the titles of workers’ job roles, for
example “street cleaners” became “local
environmental hygiene operatives”.
Needless to say, when asked to write out or
discuss their profession many prefer their
new title.
Claw back options
Many employers try to avoid losing staff
after training by agreeing partnership
option. This is a contract with the staff
that states, if they leave within a certain
time period, they will have the cost of
training taken from their final salary
payment, and this is normally done on a
sliding scale:
- if they leave within six months, they
pay it all back
- if they leave within one year, 50% is
paid back
- if they leave within eighteen months,
25% is paid back
- if they leave after two years, nothing is
paid back
In effect, this can be a very fair method
to employ as it sets out a commitment to
the individual based on a mutual
understanding that the money is both for
their benefit as well as the organisations.
However, staff will go once the payback
period is over if job satisfaction issues are
still a problem.
A Final word
Training costs in time and money but is
essential to the lifeblood of any
organisation. As Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II once said “It’s all to do with
the training: you can do a lot if you’re
properly trained.”
Oaklands College is a GTC Approved
Provider for Greenkeeper Education.
Training need Reason How will it be achieved Date to be completed Review date
PA1 and 2 Only one other member Training at Anyplace college January 31st 2012 February 28th 2012
of staff holds PA2 which in January, cost £400. Plus
could be a problem if he in house training with current
were to leave spray technician to ensure
college training is made best
use of, and Fred passes the test
Mower grinding So Fred can use a grinder. Two days training with deputy February 28th 2012 March 30th 2012
The club is looking to Head GK at nearby golf club
purchase a second hand on their grinding machine.
grinder to save the cost of This has been agreed for free
sending units away to be in return for them using our
ground pedestrian auto seeder for
two days
To take control Fred is very talented at this Fred will plan and manage the March 30th 2012 March 30th 2012
of staff for work and it will help him work on the bunkers on the 5th
renovation of develop his man
bunkers on management and project
5th Green management skills ready
for level 3 planned for
next year
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012 PC 127