Building the LDAR Dream Team: People, Promises, and Culture

Take the individual LDAR technician, as an example. The ideal LDAR technician may have a high school diploma or advanced college degree. They could be career-driven or consider their position secondary to other pursuits. They might even just work part-time hours. That is because the ideal LDAR technician is someone who appreciates being challenged, and relishes the chance to think outside the box to solve a problem or improve the status quo. While it is important to offer opportunities for growth to those who want to move up, it is equally imperative to make sure an LDAR technician is driven to do good work—wherever they are within an organization’s structure. Unless the LDAR technician takes pride in the quality of their work, leaks may go undetected longer, and facilities are at greater risk of noncompliance. A LDAR technician who does not take their role seriously is also prone to reckless decision making when on site. That means their safety and the safety of those around them are in jeopardy. Stated simply, if an LDAR technician lacks drive, people suffer.

When hiring a new team member, it is essential to pause and take a moment to explore a potential technician’s ‘why,’ in other words, what motivates them. It is also important to ensure that an individual adds to the positive, collaborative culture within an LDAR team, and the company as a whole. This is because of a feedback loop that exists between individual LDAR technicians, and the work culture. Each person contributes to the culture in some way, and the culture can either have a net positive or negative effect on morale and retention. Seeking open-minded people who have ideas on how to make things better for both the client and the company will in turn add to a culture in which everyone feels encouraged to share ideas.

Of course, leadership plays a critical role in culture as well. What is the benefit of hiring a motivated self-starter only to make them feel like another cog in the machine? If a technician feels ‘boxed in’ or limited in their role, then their motivation will dwindle over time, and their drive will compel them to seek positions elsewhere.

A company should invest in its people—from the pay and benefits offered to the opportunities to move up in the company, or expand into lateral areas. This is important because people will in turn invest themselves in solving the problems that clients face. LDAR technicians should have the means and willingness to succeed, and that starts with letting them know they are appreciated. This brings up another important element: Keeping promises made.

Following through with what is promised to technicians is equally as important as staying true to word with clients. Every business decision made impacts LDAR technicians in some way.

Evaluating the impact is important to balance the desire to grow as a company, with the needs of people. If too much strain is put on teams, or their trust is broken to satisfy obligations to a client, over time, teams become less efficient and, ultimately, this is a disservice to both clients and technicians. This is why companies should be realistic about which projects to bid on and which ones to not.

This approach to team building and business expansion leads to long-term success and expansion.

Many leaders see firsthand the value of collaborating with technicians in the field, and have witnessed the power of making individuals feel trusted and appreciated. This ensures that clients get to witness that power for themselves. The LDAR technicians deployed to sites should be highly trained, properly equipped, and encouraged to speak up and empowered to fully invest themselves in solving the problems that clients face.

As a result, when given the opportunity to provide LDAR services to a facility in a region where a company has no local presence, the LDAR technicians provided should be no less dedicated. They will work alongside the client to establish a local presence and become the local LDAR services provider that region deserves. When establishing a LDAR team in a new area, a combination of offering existing LDAR technicians relocation packages, or finding and training local hires, is the best strategy. In fact, great success stories have grown out of clients giving the opportunity to expand in a region where a company had no prior presence.

The key to quantitative success lies in hiring, training, and empowering quality people. Finding driven individuals, preparing them for the field through training provided by experienced technicians, and equipping them to deliver LDAR solutions, is what companies should be striving for. For example, Montrose incorporates Optical Gas Imaging (OGI), vehicle and drone-based technologies, stationary cameras, triangulation and sensors, and customized databases that simplify complex LDAR programs. Additionally, investments made in a company’s people and technologies will allow it to branch out beyond LDAR, and hopefully become an end-to-end provider of all air quality services, with specialty teams for OGI, Method 21, Inventory, Preventative Tank Maintenance, Research and Development, and more. To conclude, when a LDAR team is added to a site, much more than a solution to a single problem is gained; an opportunity to overcome air quality challenges is also achieved.

Tanya Jackson brings more than a decade of industry experience to the Montrose team where she currently leads as Vice President of the U.S. LDAR Division. Prior to this, Tanya worked for companies such as Montrose Air Quality Services, Avanti Environmental, and South Coast Air Quality in a variety of roles. Tanya is a leader in the LDAR industry and is Method 21 Certified as well as a Certified OGI Thermographer. She is often selected as a speaker for industry related events as the subject matter expert. Tanya holds both an Associates and Bachelor’s degree in Science with an emphasis in Environmental Toxicology.