Beyond Prestige: Exploring Employer Brand in the Golf Industry

In the not-so-distant past, golf and country clubs operated on a seasonal rhythm. Employees were regarded as a revolving door of support, their services merely contracted for a few months before the annual closure. The clubs were content with this arrangement, relying on their prestige and history to attract talent.

But times have changed.

Today, golf and country clubs are facing fierce competition in attracting and retaining top talent. In an ever-evolving job market, employees have more employment options than ever before. Simply offering seasonal work with limited growth potential and minimal benefits is no longer a sustainable recruitment strategy.

To become employers of choice, clubs must create a positive employer brand that aligns with the expectations and needs of current and future employees. This involves a shift in culture, where employees are now seen as valuable assets that contribute to the success of the club.

While some clubs remain in the stronghold of prestige, many have recognized the need to adapt and evolve. They understand that a strong employer brand is the only way to stay competitive in today’s hiring market.

Shaping Your Brand as an Employer

Employer branding, simply put, is the identity and reputation of your club as an employer. It encompasses everything from the employee experience and company culture to benefits and opportunities for growth.

Building a strong employer brand is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. A positive employer brand can help you stand out in a competitive market, reduce employee turnover, and even lower recruitment costs. More than that, more consumers are choosing to work with organizations that reflect their values. As such, a strong employer brand can also help attract customers and members who share your club’s values.

So how can clubs build and improve their employer brand?

Here are some key steps to get started:

Conduct an Internal Assessment:

  • Culture Evaluation: Assess your club’s current workplace culture to identify strengths and areas that need improvement.
  • Employee Satisfaction: Gauge employee satisfaction levels to pinpoint areas where enhancements can lead to better retention.

Offer Competitive Benefits:

  • Healthcare Benefits: Consider offering healthcare benefits to ensure the well-being of employees and their families.
  • Retirement Plans: Provide retirement plans to help employees secure their financial future.

Invest in Professional Development:

  • Training Programs: Develop structured training programs tailored to employee needs, providing them with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles.
  • Mentorship Initiatives: Implement mentorship programs where experienced employees guide and support newer ones, fostering professional growth.

Cultivate a Positive Work Culture:

  • Respect and Inclusivity: Create an environment where all employees are respected and included, regardless of their background or role.
  • Collaboration: Encourage teamwork and collaboration to build a sense of unity and shared purpose among employees.

Promote from Within:

  • Advancement Opportunities: Develop clear pathways for career advancement within the club, demonstrating a commitment to recognizing and nurturing internal talent.
  • Skills Development: Provide training and resources to prepare existing employees for higher-level roles, promoting from within when possible.
  • Success Stories: Share stories of employee successes to showcase how the club’s values translate into real opportunities for career growth.

Hire for Cultural Fit:

  • Cultural Assessment: Assess candidates for their alignment with the club’s values and cultural identity during the hiring process.
  • Team Dynamic Contribution: Ensure that new hires are capable of contributing positively to the existing team dynamic, enhancing teamwork and cohesion.

Communicate Effectively:

  • Transparency: Maintain open and transparent communication channels, particularly regarding career pathways, expectations, and opportunities for growth.
  • Trust Building: Effective communication helps build trust and loyalty, making employees feel valued and informed.

For many clubs, the revolving door mentality is already a thing of the past. They have realized that adopting strategies to retain talent isn’t just for Fortune 500 companies; it’s necessary for any organization that wants to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

We expect to see many more clubs embracing these approaches in the coming years, building a strong employer brand that attracts and retains top talent, and ultimately, elevates the entire industry.

About The Author

Tyler Bloom is the founder of Tyler Bloom Consulting. A former golf course superintendent and turf professional, Tyler’s love of all things golf began at the age of six when he stepped onto the course for the first time. 

Tyler has an Executive Certificate in Talent Acquisition from Cornell University and a degree in Turfgrass Science from Penn State University. With 20 years of experience in the golf and turfgrass industry, Tyler has worked directly with reputable club leaders at some of the most prestigious clubs to place over 100 professionals in executive and management level positions throughout the United States.

Are you ready to build a top-performing team that drives results? Our proven framework, methodologies, and implementation is based on our personal track record of developing world-class teams. In addition to talent acquisition, we provide leadership development and ongoing consultative services for the golf course and club industry. Our team has personally coached and mentored dozens of future golf course superintendents across the United States. 

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Key Strategies to Retain Today’s Top Performers

As summer burnout is hopefully cooling off, one question we hear from leaders is “How do I retain top performers?” 

To combat voluntary turnover, some strategies include offering new or more generous compensation and benefits, flexible work options, and creating learning and development opportunities. 

A different perspective to consider, “How do we keep top performers engaged?” It is a constant journey that requires a lead by example approach, consistent attention, fine tuning and putting people in roles they are designed to succeed in.

Employee engagement may seem like another corporate buzzword, but behind the phrase is a great deal of merit and muscle. Many companies are shifting their hiring focused talent strategy to motivating and inspiring their current workforce. 

Let’s start with some basics.

WHAT IS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT?

Employee engagement is a measure of how motivated a person is within their job, team, hiring manager and organization.

We know working with top performing organizations, employee engagement is more than having one-off employee parties and perks. It’s a constant focus and practice rooted in individual relationships with the job, team, hiring manager and organization. 

That focus allows employees to become invested in their work, inspired by their work, remain committed to the long term vision of the organization, and feel empowered to go the extra mile.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Engaged employees are more likely to put in the discretionary effort which makes your company more productive and delivers results. Employee engagement is a catalyst for great teamwork, achievements, relationships, and bottom-line results.

A Gallup study stated a highly engaged workforce is 14% more productive than teams with low engagement. 

Conversely, a lack of employee engagement can result in a loss of productivity, turnover, and misalignment with the job itself.

Here is a simple tool to measure how much it may be costing you. https://predictiveindex.outgrow.us/disengagement-cost

HOW DO WE MEASURE IT?

You can collect the information through behavioral assessments, employee feedback software, employee engagement surveys, 1-on-1 meetings and exit interviews. 

While we can advise using our implementation tools, consider creating your own with these helpful tips.

HOW DOES THIS SHOW UP IN MY WORK ENVIRONMENT?

“I am/am not excited to come to work every day.”

“My manager does/doesn’t bring out the best in me.”

“I feel respected/disrespected by the people I work with.”

“There is/isn’t honest two-way communication.”

These may be statements that resonate, but you’ll never know unless you measure it.  

Here is a specific example: Employee A begins a position he is wired to do. Months go along, they are performing at a satisfactory level and progressing, communicating well with the team and other direct reports. Suddenly, the individual reports to the hiring manager they are resigning, citing burnout as contributing factors. You and your team are in shock, can’t pinpoint the reasons and attribute this to a generational issue. 

Had you had some level of engagement and feedback, you could gain accurate insights the individual wasn’t aligned to the job itself.  You may have been able to prevent turnover and develop a tailored approach to managing this individual. 

Focusing from the top down view — organization, team, manager, and job — can help you prescribe improvements instead of going at it blind. 

You can probe with the right conversations. If you sense morale is low among a group of employees, bring it up privately during your next 1-on-1 meeting. Consider asking the following questions:

  • Are you enjoying your current role?
  • Do you feel supported by the team?
  • In what ways can I improve as a manager?
  • How do you feel about the state of the company?

THREE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TODAY

Trying to revamp engagement in one day, week or month is unrealistic. Start small to improve one or more areas, and be relentlessly consistent.  

  • Make a daily habit to recognize your people for a good job (either publicly or privately)
  • Celebrate behaviors which exemplify the best of your company culture
  • Have regular feedback discussions with your employees. Employees not only want their voices heard, but also want expectations around the work they are being assigned. When an employee feels they can provide their opinions and they matter, they will be more likely to contribute or go the extra mile. 

One thing I know, retention strategies don’t happen behind a computer desk…get after it. 

About The Author

Tyler Bloom is the founder of Tyler Bloom Consulting. A former golf course superintendent and turf professional, Tyler’s love of all things golf began at the age of six when he stepped onto the course for the first time. 

Tyler has an Executive Certificate in Talent Acquisition from Cornell University and a degree in Turfgrass Science from Penn State University. With 20 years of experience in the golf and turfgrass industry, Tyler has worked directly with reputable club leaders at some of the most prestigious clubs to place over 100 professionals in executive and management level positions throughout the United States.

Are you ready to build a top-performing team that drives results? Our proven framework, methodologies, and implementation is based on our personal track record of developing world-class teams. In addition to talent acquisition, we provide leadership development and ongoing consultative services for the golf course and club industry. Our team has personally coached and mentored dozens of future golf course superintendents across the United States. 

Book A S.E.R.V.I.C.E. Call

NYSTA begins Apprenticeship outreach at New York FFA Convention

In early May, NYSTA Board Members Chris Pogge and Dominic Morales set up a display and informational booth at the annual New York State FFA Convention in Syracuse’s On-Center. Larry Cosh (Finch Golf/Turf Equipment) and Tyler Bloom were also on hand to support NYSTA’s efforts.  Over 2,000 students and over 250 Ag. Educators attended the Convention.

The focus for attending the two-day event was career awareness, introducing the new NYSTA Apprenticeship program, and begin interacting with students and Ag. Educator as possibilities to start a Pre-Apprenticeship program at the high school level.

Industry support enhanced efforts that highlighted career opportunities in the Turfgrass industry. Also, NYSTA’s effort to secure New York State TESF annual grant funding made this all possible.

Finch Turf displayed their new GPS technology sprayer, Grassland Equipment displayed Toro’s new all electric walk behind greens mower, and Toro’s new Outcross 9060 versatile utility vehicle. In addition, Finch and Grassland sponsored the purchase of Tee shirts as prizes and give aways for students and faculty.

SUNY-Delhi set-up a display booth adjacent to the NYSTA booth which highlights the educational opportunities and their partnership with NYSTA’s Apprenticeship program’s Related Instruction requirements. SUNY-Delhi also setup a mini turf bowl type contest for student participation. SUNY-Delhi will provide on-line courses that will eventually lead to obtaining an AAS degree.

To learn more about the initiative, please go to https://www.nysta.org/careers.html

About The Author

Tyler Bloom is the founder of Tyler Bloom Consulting. A former golf course superintendent and turf professional, Tyler’s love of all things golf began at the age of six when he stepped onto the course for the first time. 

Tyler has an Executive Certificate in Talent Acquisition from Cornell University and a degree in Turfgrass Science from Penn State University. With 20 years of experience in the golf and turfgrass industry, Tyler has worked directly with reputable club leaders at some of the most prestigious clubs to place over 100 professionals in executive and management level positions throughout the United States.

Are you ready to build a top-performing team that drives results? Our proven framework, methodologies, and implementation is based on our personal track record of developing world-class teams. In addition to talent acquisition, we provide leadership development and ongoing consultative services for the golf course and club industry. Our team has personally coached and mentored dozens of future golf course superintendents across the United States. 

Book A S.E.R.V.I.C.E. Call