ATLANTA — Training magazine recognized Atlanta-based Orkin as a Top 125 company at its annual awards banquet on Feb. 1. Orkin, a pest control leader for more than a century, ranked No. 59 in 2010, up from No. 83 in 2009. This is the eighth consecutive year the pest control company received a Top 125 ranking. Training selects this prestigious list of companies based on programs tied to business objectives, best training practices and outstanding training initiatives, among other criteria.
 
Chandra Stephens, Rollins director of learning solutions and leader of the WRG pilot mentoring program (left), and Roxanne White (right), director of corporate human resources and WRG pilot mentoring program facilitator.Training also recognized Orkin with an Outstanding Training Initiative award for its Women’s Resource Group’s (WRG) Diamond Partnership Mentoring Program. Recognizing the lack of women in the pest management industry, Rollins, Orkin’s parent company, formed the WRG initiative to help recruit more women into Rollins’ family of pest control companies, and foster the professional growth of female leaders already employed. The WRG implemented the mentor program, which matches experienced female managers with new hires, to develop and promote more women into management roles.
 
“The women involved in this program said they felt more confident and more knowledgeable about the industry as a result of their training and mentor relationships,” said Chandra Stephens, Rollins’ director of learning solutions and leader of the WRG pilot mentoring program. “This pilot clearly enhances the professional growth of our female field leaders in all the Rollins companies, and we plan to continue the program.”
 
To ensure that every initiative supports the professional development of the company’s employees, Rollins recently established a corporate learning steering committee. This team ensures each aspect of training aligns with and supports Rollins’ overall strategic business goals.
 
“The training program we have in place today is the result of years of examining and refining our efforts and selecting the best methods to train our employees,” said David Lamb, Rollins’ vice president of learning and media services. “We’ve blended our best practices into a comprehensive program that sets us apart from our competitors and directly supports our goal of being the best service company in the world.” 
 
The foundation of Orkin’s blended training approach is Orkin TV, a satellite television network launched in 2006. Orkin’s expert technical instructors lead live, interactive trainings on new techniques and important public health information. Participants use a viewer response device to respond to surveys and quiz questions, and instructors can provide feedback on their performance.
 
The live satellite broadcasts are combined with on-the-job training and self-directed training. Employees can track their self-directed training in Orkin’s learning management system as they view videos on demand, complete interactive videos on demand and participate in other Web-based training. Certified Field Trainers, Orkin pest control technicians schooled in coaching and training techniques, assist employees in applying what they have learned in the satellite classes and self-directed study.
 
In addition, Orkin University, a multi-million dollar training facility, is the pest control industry’s premier hands-on training center. This Atlanta facility includes a restaurant, commercial kitchen, hospital room, hotel room, supermarket, warehouse space and a full-sized, fully functional house for applied learning of pest and termite control methods. Cut-away walls and examples of common building practices provide commercial and residential trainees with first-hand knowledge of what to expect when servicing customers across the country.