 Steven Dodson |
In the golf maintenance industry an experienced and knowledgeable mechanic or equipment manager is very hard to find and even harder to keep.
One of the things you hear and read the most is how the mechanic is the most important – other than the superintendent – in the organization. While this is true, respect, pay and other factors seldom reflect a real appreciation for the mechanic. As a result, the turnover rate for golf course mechanics is very high. Look, if superintendents want to retain quality mechanics, they must show their appreciation by giving them a correct balance of benefits to prevent burnout and frustration. When a mechanic is not happy with his job, regardless of the pay, he moves on. Check out any golf maintenance website and you’ll see the number of jobs available.
Staffing
One of the most important and overlooked factors is the amount of work a mechanic does to keep up with the daily grind. There are far too many facilities with only a single mechanic. There are golf courses with five or six employees on the crew and one mechanic, which are fine; but there are courses with as many as 30 or more workers and only one mechanic. How many courses out there have one superintendent and no assistants? Think about how much more you would have to do?
Your lone mechanic has to repair everything employees break, sharpen and maintain all rotary mowers and reel mowers, change tires, grease equipment, check oil, batteries, cables and starters, order parts, fuel and gas, mix oil, pull out operators that get stuck on the course and much more.
So how many mechanics do you need? If you have 10 or fewer employees, one mechanic is fine. Any more than 10 employees and more technicians are probably needed. In a high-maintenance operation, one mechanic for every 10 employees is a good rule of thumb. The amount of equipment in inventory is also a factor and usually goes hand-in-hand with the number of employees.
Retention
Insurance is an issue that can keep good mechanics on staff. Most mechanics have to pay their own family insurance, which can cost as much as 20 percent of their pay. Providing a mechanic or equipment manager and his or her family with health insurance as part of an employment package shows you’re making a long-term investment in that individual. This should be standard for head mechanics or equipment managers, if they are as important as they are told.
Mechanics and equipment managers have to be there at all times to open shop and to help get the crew out in the mornings. They have to fix any problems and are very important in keeping everyone going as far as equipment is concerned. If you ask your mechanic to work weekends and a fair amount of overtime, then provide compensatory time (comp time) or overtime pay.
Keep in mind that it’s easy to take advantage of salaried mechanics or equipment managers because it doesn’t cost more when they stay and work overtime. If your mechanic is on salary then pay him an overtime rate for anything over 40 hours or give him or her equivalent comp time. This will not break the club and will show that you value his services.
Benefits, pay and time off are all important elements, but they don’t complete the equation. A good working relationship with mutual respect is critical. If you are always criticizing and demanding without showing appreciation, such as an occasional “Thank you,” or “Good job,” then your mechanic is probably already thinking about moving on. A solid working relationship with good two-way communication is can help decrease the high turnover rate for mechanics.
Superintendents have a good program in place for their growth and well being in the industry, but mechanics have a very long way to go to enjoy those same benefits and opportunities. Even with new technician organizations and websites popping up, the mechanics cannot do it alone. It will require superintendents to be proactive and willing participants in helping mechanics become more recognized and appreciated in the industry.
When hiring your next mechanic or equipment manager, try to make it a good working relationship with mutual respect and professionalism right from the start.
Be up front about the requirements and expectations of the job and hours so there will be no surprises later on down the road.
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