SALARY TRANSPARENCY Should offering be front and centre in job adverts? by Service Dealer Editor, Steve Gibbs
An article aimed at turf professionals this week, argued that all job postings should clearly state the wage on offer. Would this approach help dealers looking to recruit?
Hopefully most of you are aware, but the crew behind Service Dealer also publish another first-class title for a related, yet separate, industry.
Every Monday at noon, TurfPro is sent out to commercial practitioners whose job it is to care for and maintain green spaces - be those amenity grassed areas or sports surfaces used by everyone from kids to top-level professionals. Basically anyone who uses the specialist groundscare machinery that you, our dealer readers, recommend, sell and service, TurfPro caters for.
Edited by our friend and colleague, who many of you will know from our Conferences and his visits to dealerships around the country for profile pieces in the magazine, Laurence Gale is himself an ex-pro groundsman and a still practicing professional gardener. The title has a bit of industry news crossover with us here at Service Dealer, but it covers in detail the whole arena of commercial grass care, with a real empathy for those on the front line, maintaining natural surfaces.
Any readers interested in receiving TurfPro for free regularly, can subscribe here.
Salary front and centre
Why am I telling you all this today? Well, one area that the turf professional sphere currently has in common with the dealer network, is the difficulties it faces in recruiting fresh blood into the sector. It's a subject that Laurence has addressed in his blogs many times, pondering why there should be these hardships in finding new staff and, crucially, what can be done to rectify the situation.
On Monday this week TurfPro featured a guest writer responding to one of Loz's recent articles, with their own thoughts on one area of the recruitment process that they felt could be improved upon.
Mike Chappell, is a seasoned turf professional who spent many years on the tools, but who now runs his own specialist recruitment agency for grounds professionals in the golf, sportsturf, grounds maintenance, landscaping, arboriculture and horticulture industries. In his opinion piece that you can read in full here, he argues that in order to attract the right caliber of applicant for any vacant role, employers must be fully transparent, clearly advertising the available salary in any job advert.
He lists several reasons why he believes this salary openness to be important, including amongst others that it will attract candidates who are genuinely interested in the position; that transparency is a key component of building trust between employers and potential employees; and employers who advertise salaries can enhance their brand as fair and desirable places to work.
Mike says he has conducted his own polls and surveys and has found a real enthusiasm amongst job seekers for this up-front approach to stating the fee on offer in all job postings. And I must say he makes for a persuasive case. I can remember from personal experience, especially post-university, looking through recruitment pages in local newspapers (that's how long ago it was that I left education!), and not having a clue whether any of these jobs met my - admittedly lowly - wage expectations.
So I do think it's hard to argue with Mike in his assessment that it is relatively rare for job ads to display the salary front and centre. If I think about sits-vac ads that we've run in Service Dealer lately for example, few, if any, have done this.
The question then arises, for what reasons might a recruiter choose to not divulge the remuneration in the first instance? I guess for one, there could be the fear that putting that information out there in the public domain gives competitors an edge. A rival could see your wage offering and adjust their own, to tempt candidates away to their businesses.
Other thoughts against salary transparency could be ideas such as it may lead to internal pay discrepancies and upset among existing employees; it may create a false sense of the value of the role by not fully reflecting all that's on offer; or it could limit the scope for negotiation by both parties at interview stage.
Also, if we're being blunt, could employers be worried that the wage they are offering is so low it's going to put people off applying?! I know as a job seeker, that's certainly something that crossed my mind in the past.
But what do you, our dealer readers think? Do you agree with Mike that unequivocally promoting the salary available is a productive avenue to explore in order to increase the chance of attracting the right candidates? Or is leaving this vital detail until a face-to-face meeting, or a private interaction at least, more helpful?
As with anything, I guess there is a balance that can be struck. Promoting possible salary ranges, or focussing on all the benefits and perks that working for your company brings, would be means of not going the whole hog, whilst giving prospects something more to go on.
In our WEB ONLY story, focusing on the expansion into commercial robotic mowers, the company also recently welcomed a well-known figure as their new head of division.
Replacing another dealer in the area, new appointee says joining the network allows them to enhance their product offerings.
Merlo have announced that, effective July 1st, George Colliar Ltd will be joining their agricultural dealer network.
L-R: Gavin Smith, regional sales manager, Merlo UK Ltd; Duncan Whyte, managing director & Gordon Gray, sales manager at George Colliar Ltd
The manufacturer has confirmed that the new dealership will will be replacing J Low Agri in the area.
This announcement comes just ahead of the Royal Highland Show, where George Colliar Ltd will have a range of Merlo machines on display on their stand, F101(A).
Owen Buttle, national sales manager, Merlo UK, said, “This strategic appointment marks an exciting expansion of our dealer network north of the border in the Fife and Perthshire regions of Scotland and symbolises Merlo UK’s commitment to providing our agricultural sector customers with strong and comprehensive coverage across the region."
Founded in 1974 and celebrating 50 years of experience in the industry this year, George Colliar is based at Balado in Kinross, The dealership says they serve a large and varied customer base, representing brands such as Same Deutz Fahr, Alpego & Vicon. Adding the Merlo franchise, they say, will further complement their offering across Fife and Perthshire.
“We are thrilled by this partnership with Merlo,” added Dunan Whyte, managing director of George Coliar Ltd. “Joining the Merlo dealer network allows us to enhance our product offerings and provide our customers with even greater value and service. We look forward to a successful collaboration.”
With over 16 years of experience in the groundscare sector, new recruit says he's looking forward to working alongside dealers to support customers.
With over 16 years of experience in the groundscare sector, Ben Cook has been appointed as the new Infinicut territory sales manager for Wales and the North of England.
Ben Cook
After completing his NVQ Level 2 in Land Based Service Engineering at Myerscough College, Ben jumped straight into his first role with Balmers GM Ltd - where he stayed for the duration of his working career prior to joining Infinicut in April 2024. Starting out in a service technician role, Ben made the transition to sales representative in 2017 where he used his technical know-how to develop productive client relationships and drive sales across the Balmers GM groundcare portfolio. It was also during this time that Ben became well-versed with the Infinicut ranges, with Balmers GM joining the network of approved dealers in 2020.
“I’m really pleased to be embarking on the next chapter of my career with the Infinicut team,” Ben says. “Their market-leading pedestrian mower range is innovative and well-respected with professionals across the sporting spectrum, something I witnessed first-hand with the breadth of venues I had the pleasure of visiting during my time at Balmers and already since starting in my new role."
Infinicut sales manager Alan Jack added, “Ben’s enthusiasm and understanding of the industry will undoubtedly bring benefit to our customers in Wales, and in the area north of Birmingham up to the Scottish Borders. He joins just in time for the hectic summer season and has well and truly hit the ground running!”
Representatives underwent product training both at the factory and in the field which they will pass on to their dealer network and end-user customers.
PSD say the trip was designed to further strengthen the relationship between the two companies. Their representatives met with the SABO team and underwent product training both at the factory and in the field which they say they will bring back to the UK and pass on to their dealer network and end-user customers. PSD are focussing on the sale of the walk-behind mowers, which for many years were branded John Deere and were known by both commercial and domestic users alike.
Sales director at PSD, Stuart Mercer, said, "The trip to Germany was fantastic in terms of building on the already strong relationship we have developed with SABO. It was very interesting to see the rigorous process of product testing in action and to obtain in depth knowledge that we can take back to UK customers.”
Lars Daniel, SABO managing director added, “We were delighted to welcome the PSD team to our premises and to be able to show them around our factory and meet our team. Our success is built on our relationship with our distributors and given PSD’s track record I am excited what the future holds with them at the fore-front of our business in UK & Eire”
Agricultural and groundcare machinery manufacturer has announced that their annual results for 2023 show an increase in sales.
The Amazone Group has announced that they remained on course with their projected growth, having completed another financial year under what they describe as "challenging market conditions" and having exceeded the sales milestone of 850 million euro in the 2023 financial year.
The annual results of the agricultural and groundcare machinery manufacturer shows an increase in sales of around 6%, following the 22 % increase in 2022. As a result, total sales for the company have reached a new record high of 852 million euro in the 2023 financial year (previous year 2022: 804 million euro).
In the first half of 2023, the company says a high order intake level produced a tense situation with sub-suppliers, which partially led to bottlenecks and delays in production. The situation generally settled down in the second half of the year.
In an official statement the company confirmed, "In addition, the consequences for trade were, and still are, virtually impossible to assess because of geopolitical conflicts which remain highly relevant. From the business aspect, we are watching the developments in the regions affected with great concern.
"Notwithstanding the challenging economic environment, Amazone recorded exceptionally high global demand for modern agricultural machinery enabling it to increase production capacity and profitability in 2023."
The statement continued, "The consistent high export level of around 80%, together with more intensive market evaluation, contributed to the positive development of sales in 2023. It was for this reason that investment in the future continued last year."
Looking ahead for the outlook for 2024, the company said, "Global economic conditions remain volatile and agricultural businesses are facing further difficulties. At the present time, a reticence to purchase is clearly apparent. We will keep an eye on current events and, as always, we will act with commitment and a sense of proportion, and we will continue to make every necessary investment."
UK manufacturer of mechanical weed control products has announced a new team up with an electrical weed control manufacturer.
The UK manufacturer of mechanical weed control products, Garford Farm Machinery, and Warwickshire based electrical weed control manufacturer RootWave, have this week (11th June 2024) announced a new agreement that they say will bring "next generation weeding technology to UK and international markets."
Front Mount- 3M -Electric Weeder
The new agreement will see the two manufacturers co-develop new weeding technology and products, integrating electrical weeding into precision guided toolbar systems, for high-value and high-intensive crops as well as broadacre arable applications.
The RootWave system uses electricity to boil weeds and their roots. The partnership says this makes electrical weeding highly effective and, because it is non-chemical and does not disturb the soil, it is compatible with both organic and regenerative farming systems.
RootWave CEO Andrew Diprose said, “Combining forces with Garford allows us to create a formidable solution for the industry, combining best-in-class power electronics, imaging and artificial intelligence to create an unrivalled weed control solution for vegetables, cereals and row-crops.
“It will alleviate the worries of farmers who are faced with an uncertain future where they don’t know if herbicides will be available, or will even be effective due to safety and resistance issues.”
Garford managing director Jonathan Henry said, “We are incredibly excited to pair Garford’s vast experience in precision guided hoes, with RootWave’s world leading expertise in power electronics.
“With the increasingly stringent controls over the use of chemical weed management, alongside resistance issues, we can support UK and global agriculture as it embraces its environmental responsibilities.
“Combining our technologically advanced precision guided weed control solutions, with the benefits of RootWave’s high frequency alternating current electrical weeding technology, we can create commercially viable and effective solutions to growers, as a key part of a sustainable, integrated weed management system.”
Around 200 ag students have been awarded a scholarship since the foundation was established.
It is 25 years since Helmut Claas set up the Claas Foundation with the aim of supporting research in to agriculture and agricultural technology at universities throughout Europe, including Harper Adams University in the UK.
During that time over 200 students have been awarded Helmut Claas scholarships and more than 2.5 million Euros in funding has been awarded.
To mark this occasion, a 25-year-old plane tree was recently symbolically planted on the Claas site in East Westphalia-Lippe (Germany), symbolising the steady growth of the Foundation.
Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, chairwoman of the Bard of Trustees said, “The Claas-Foundation has developed steadily over the past 25 years. With its diverse initiatives, it supports research in agriculture and agricultural technology and makes the possibilities and prospects of modern agricultural technology tangible - especially for the younger generation, but also for the general public. This was a matter close to my father's heart and is still close to mine today.”
The British Championship recently took place at the Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern, with a third Pro Championship title won in style.
The STIHL Timbersports British Championship recently took place at Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern, with Glen Penlington securing his third Pro Championship title in style.
Glen Penlington
Competition for places was fierce, so the action kicked off on Friday with the Pro Championship qualifier. Five of the lowest ranked athletes from the 2023 British Championship, along with nine up-and-coming competitors took to the stage. With the top six athletes earning the right to take part in the 2024 British Pro Championship on Saturday, tensions were running high. But the top six all put in solid performances to progress through with Ben Chapman taking the top spot, closely followed by John Tunstall and Joe Groom.
Saturday’s action delivered more thrilling heats, and reigning champion Glen Penlington had his sights firmly set on securing his third Championship title in a row. Focussing first on the Underhand Chop, Penlington delivered an impressive start recording a time of 25.89 seconds, closely followed by his biggest rival for the title, 2014 champion Rob Chatley. And this excellent form continued throughout the competition, with Penlington achieving the fastest times in all five out of the six disciplines, and earning himself three personal bests in the process.
George Spencer
It was only the Stock Saw where Penlington didn’t get maximum points, but it did deliver a national record, courtesy of George Spencer. Spencer almost set a new British record in the Hot Saw too with a blistering time of 7.39 seconds, but the excitement was soon over, when judge Andy Hall disqualified him for an incomplete cookie.
In the end, Penlington’s dominance was obvious, with a 24 point advantage over second placed athlete Rob Chatley, to complete the hat trick of Championship wins. “I can’t quite believe I managed to win five of the disciplines this time. I think I got a bit lucky with the wood compared to some of the others, but it’s brilliant to be the champion again,” said Penlington after the competition. Graham Turner from Scotland completed the podium with a third place finish.
With the Pro championship wrapped up, all eyes turned to the competitions on the Sunday, starting with the British Women’s Championship. 2023 champion Justine Narusa was the one to beat, but a bad start to the competition with disqualification in the Stock Saw got worse after she ran out of time in the Standing Block Chop.
Libby Arrowsmith
Instead, Felixia Banck from Denmark, newcomer Rachel Ferrington, and the youngest competitor, 17-year-old Libby Arrowsmith were the athletes to watch with solid performances from all three of them, including a new Danish national record for Felixia in the Stock Saw. Banck’s experience in logger sports ultimately saw her take the overall win, but Arrowsmith turned heads to take second place as the top-ranked British woman. Ferrington also impressed in her first ever Timbersports competition, taking third place overall.
Finally, it was the Rookies’ turn to take to the stage. 2023 Rookie champion Jack Morris was feeling confident going into the competition, having recently achieved a sixth placed finish at the Rookie World Championship in Milan in May. And his confidence was not misplaced, as he stormed through all four disciplines getting maximum points in the Underhand Chop, Single Buck and Standing Block Chop.
Focus now switches to the World Championship in Toulouse, France in November. Penlington will have to wait until later in the year to find out if he has done enough to qualify for the Individual competition, but the tricky task of selecting the athletes to compete in the Team World Championship starts now.
Handy Live offers invaluable sector insights, exclusive on-the-day offers, and machinery demonstrations from gardening experts - all set against the stunning backdrop of Moulton Grange Country Estate in Northamptonshire.
Garden machinery manufacturer and distributor Handy will be showcasing its extensive product ranges and highlighting its support for dealers in its biggest-ever garden machinery event, Handy LIVE 2024, which will be held at the prestigious Moulton Grange Country Estate in Northamptonshire on Thursday 5th September, at 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. For more information and to get your FREE tickets click here
Showcasing Top Garden Machinery Brands
Handy’s brands - Webb, The Handy, Greenworks and AVA - will be on display and available for dealers to get hands-on with. This will include cordless, petrol, electric and hand-powered lawnmowers, line trimmers, hedge trimmers, pole saws, chainsaws, blowers & vacuums, tillers, trolleys, spreaders, log splitters, pressure washers and more.
Top Gardening Experts
Live demonstrations from gardening expert Adam Woolcott (a Chelsea Garden Show multiple award winner) and TV Presenter Tommy Cross will run throughout the day.
They will be also sharing why understanding your customers is key and will offer insights into different consumer personas, helping you cater to everyone's unique needs.
Greenworks
Greenworks has power levels for every type of garden: a 24V battery for your small garden needs, 40V for medium to large gardens, 48V for tougher jobs (two 24V batteries used on a
selection of tools) and finally, there’s the 60V battery; the real powerhouse. With enough power to tackle anything from large plots of land or jobs requiring the strength of bigger machines - it really does compete against all big petrol-powered tools.
Greenworks 60V 46cm Self-Propelled Lawnmower
The Greenworks GD60LM46SP is a versatile 3-in-1 mower designed for medium to large lawns. Powered by an advanced 60V battery the machine offers high performance and long runtimes, making it a true petrol alternative, without the emissions, vibration or noise.
Greenworks Brochures
Greenworks 24V Range Click here
Greenworks 40V Range Click here
Greenworks 60V Range Click here
LIMITED Numbers! Secure Your Free Tickets
Tickets are limited and free to attend, so don’t miss out! Register for your tickets on the link below or contact sales@handys.co.uk
Since 1938 Handy has grown to become one of the UK’s largest independent garden machinery wholesale distributors and manufacturers, supplying specialist dealers, large national retailers, garden centres and mail order companies, from its purpose-built 70,000ft Swindon site which is home to more than 45 full-time staff.
Handy has developed some of the UK’s leading machinery brands including Webb, The Handy and Q Garden. These distinct brands are a testament to the company’s creative and manufacturing prowess.
As the UK-appointed distributor for the Greenworks brand cordless equipment, Handy is at the forefront of leading battery technology offering a full complement of cordless equipment.
To this day, Handy remains a family-owned British business. Its experience, expert knowledge and dedicated customer service – which includes carrying over 10,000 spare part lines - have enabled it to build a team driven by high performance and family values.
Leading garden machinery brand, Cobra, has launched a collaboration with creators of battery-powered outdoor equipment, EGO Power+.
Leading garden machinery brand, Cobra, has launched a collaboration with creators of battery-powered outdoor equipment, EGO Power+. With a focus on innovation, the companies have joined forces to create a unique offering for lawn-lovers in the form of the new ‘Fortis powered by EGO’ products.
Last year, Cobra launched its Fortis range of petrol-powered cylinder lawnmowers with eight interchangeable cartridges, creating the ultimate lawncare system. Now, it has partnered EGO Power+ to provide the same level of lawncare for those who prefer a battery alternative.
The new ‘Fortis powered by EGO’ mowers offer the same extensive specifications and technology as the petrol models, combining the cutting expertise of Cobra with the revolutionary power and eco-credentials of EGO’s 56volt Arc Lithium battery technology.
There are four sizes available in the Fortis range, starting with a compact 14” model, and ranging to 17”, 20” and 25”. They are all self-propelled and have a three-way drive facility, allowing the blades to be disengaged without having to stop the engine.
Fortis mowers all feature a six-blade precision ground-cutting cylinder to give the finest, most precise cut possible. The height of cut can easily be adjusted too, with variants as low as 6mm and ranging up to 30mm. The finishing touch to the perfect cut comes from the steel front roller giving an enhanced definition to the iconic lawn stripes.
What makes the Fortis machines the ultimate in lawncare, however, is their ability to transform into seven other machines to ensure that lawns are immaculate and healthy. The Fortis six-bladed cassette can simply be removed and replaced with another accessory cassette in the range to switch its use. Other cartridges include a verticutter, scarifier, dethatcher, aerator, turf rake, lawn brush and ten-blade cassette.
That’s the philosophy of Garden Trader and we have maintained our affordable annual subscription at £96 for the whole year. This equates to 26p per day and an average of just 83p for every potential customer the site delivers to dealers. Garden Trader has 160 skilled dealers subscribed up and down the UK and they are all benefiting from the 1m+ dealer search impressions the site generates each year. People want to buy from people and this highly targeted website is delivering quality leads to subscribed dealers for just 26p per day.
Our 2020 Summer research showed that on average, each Garden Trader dealer will be sent 114 new customers (or people with a buying intention walking through your door) per year. This works out at 83p for each new customer. A subscription rate designed to be all inclusive delivering unrivalled online results.
This site was purpose-built just for skilled servicing ground care dealers by the team that bring you Service Dealer Magazine. It is easy and quick to register and costs just £96 + VAT per year for a full listing. As this dealer site is designed to promote the UK dealer network, all revenues in 2022 will continue to be reinvested into promoting the site online and so supporting the dealer network.
Join the country’s only independent specialist website, created by the team that bring you Service Dealer. Join our subscribed Garden Trader dealers now by clicking on “Register Dealership” and let's fight back against the zero value retailers.
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