National Utility Vegetation Management Provider Saves $500,000 in One Year by Reducing Employee Turnover, Improving Productivity with UKG

Key Points

• The mobile-first UKG Pro suite gives Xylem Kendall’s field-based workers access to onboarding and safety information, so new hires feel valued from day one, leading to increased retention rates
• Employee trainings and learning opportunities in UKG simplify operations while providing consistent support to frontline workers as they advance in their careers

LOWELL, Mass. & WESTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UKG, a leading provider of HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions, today announced that Xylem Kendall, one of the largest providers of utility vegetation management and emergency storm response services in the U.S., has reduced turnover and improved its employee experience with UKG, saving half a million dollars in recruiting, training, and productivity costs.

“We estimate our savings with UKG to be as much as $500,000 in just one year,” said John Coffren, senior director of HR at Xylem Kendall. “Last year, with our UKG Pro^® suite, we reduced turnover by 5%, or about 350 people, and determined that each percent reduction in turnover saves us $100,000.”

Xylem Kendall employs 7,000 people who provide services to utilities, electric cooperatives, and municipalities across the nation. Most employees work in the field, often in rural areas, so giving these essential, frontline workers real-time access to onboarding and safety training material through the mobile-first UKG Pro suite establishes a foundation for professional success that makes employees want to stay.

REGISTER NOW for the UKG HR & Payroll eSymposium, happening June 11, to hear firsthand insights from Xylem Kendall, UKG, and Great Place To Work^® about how to leverage data and technology to make smarter, real-time decisions that transform their frontline workforce experience during times of high-volume hiring.

“Our onboarding program is critical given our rapid growth, which included nearly 1,000 hires at the beginning of 2025,” said Coffren. “We have a team of specialists who talk and text with our remote workforce and provide personal support through the onboarding process. UKG makes it easy for our people to start off on the right foot by embedding videos and providing initial skills training in the software. Our employees tell us they have never been treated so well at the start of any role, and they feel connected to something special despite being out in the field. That’s really helped differentiate us from other companies as we compete for talent.”

Another UKG differentiator is the ability to provide access to required safety training on demand. According to a UKG global study of nearly 13,000 frontline workers and managers, nearly 1 in 4 (23%) employees identified training and skills development as the most important factors when choosing an employer and 24% said a lack of learning opportunities would be a top reason to quit. Having time to learn during work hours and receiving easy access to learning and development tools were other important frontline worker desires, according to the research.

“Previously, we had to deploy several dozen safety instructors across the country to conduct live, in-person demonstrations. That led to an inconsistent training experience, and our continued growth and scale has made in-person training prohibitively costly and complicated,” said Coffren. “Safety is a top priority for us, and, with UKG, our new hires are on the job site on day one completing their training and can get right to work providing the exceptional service we are known for.”

As employees advance in their careers, Xylem Kendall assigns relevant trainings in UKG so employees can easily track which ones they’ve completed. And, if an individual changes roles or is promoted, HR can ensure that person has the necessary training and skills to prepare them for success in that new position.

“Our learning program in UKG not only gives our employees training for their current job, but also a clear career path with Xylem Kendall,” said Coffren. “If a new, higher skill position opens up in a particular employee’s territory, he or she can show that they have completed the training for that position, and all they need is for HR to sign off on the certification in order to be qualified for that new job.”

“Connection is at the heart of any thriving workplace and is especially important for field-based crews who are often far from an office. But it’s about more than just communication: it’s about making every employee feel supported, safe, and part of something bigger,” said Rachel Barger, president, go-to-market at UKG. “UKG technology helps bridge that gap by keeping people connected and engaged with their leaders, their team, and their organization’s purpose — especially in the moments that matter most during a person’s career/work journey.”

Supporting Resources

• About Xylem Tree Experts and Kendall Vegetation Services.
• See how UKG gives people leaders the insights and resources to create a great workplace.
• Hear how customers are building a great place to work with UKG.
• Follow UKG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube.

About UKG

At UKG, our purpose is people. We are on a mission to inspire every organization to become a great place to work through HCM technology built for all. More than 80,000 organizations across all sizes, industries, and geographies trust UKG HR, payroll, workforce management, and culture cloud solutions to drive great workplace experiences and make better, more confident people and business decisions. With the world’s largest collection of people data, work data, and employee sentiment data, combined with rich experience using artificial intelligence in the service of people, we connect employee and workforce insights with business outcomes to show what’s possible when organizations invest in their people. To learn more, visit ukg.com.

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