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Landscaping Labor Shortage Solutions
Many landscapers struggle with attracting and training skilled labor, but there are landscaping labor shortage solutions you can adopt to make things easier.
John Janes | Landscaping Marketing Manager
The past year has fueled many changes to our lives, including people spending more time outdoors. In fact, in a recent Landscape Management Industry Pulse survey, 31% of respondents said that their local landscaping market was up significantly as people spend more time at home. But with the demand for more work, businesses also have to deal with a skilled labor shortage. We take a look at some landscaping labor shortage solutions you can use to help attract the right talent.
Have a Recruitment Plan
This may seem like a no-brainer, but an active recruitment strategy is key to finding skilled employees. Recruitment should be something you’re always doing and that’s woven into your business practices. With the economic changes that have happened over the past year, the labor pool looks different than usual – there are more people unemployed than before, but they may not have the right training or even be aware of the landscaping industry as a possible career path.
That’s why it’s important to meet those people where they are – are they on big online job boards like Indeed or Monster? Can you advertise at town hall meetings or on social media? Finding the best way to reach prospective employees is your path to finding the right people for the job.
Create an Onboarding Program
Investing in training and onboarding new recruits is one of the best ways to help you retain new employees once you’ve found them and to help give them the tools they need to succeed. Create an onboarding program, including important information to know about your company, expectations for their role, and any tips or tricks about the job that will help them know what you’re looking for out of their work.
The landscaping world can be fast-paced, especially if you’ve got a lot of work to do, so taking the time to give your new recruits some training may not be high on your priority list. A mentorship program, even if it’s an informal one, can help new employees learn from their peers at your company and get a better sense of the ins and outs of the job. By giving new recruits a clear set of expectations and training on how to get the job done right, you’re more likely to get the good end result on a project that you’re looking for.
Experiment with New Technologies
If you’re not able to hire new employees right now or are still having trouble finding good candidates, investing in new technologies, such as robotic mowers, might be the best option for you. Robotic mowers are useful for residential landscaping jobs, and help provide that “just mowed” look in a way that is healthier for the turf. They also allow you to free up your existing employees so they can work on other projects, and you get more done in a day on the job while putting their skills to good use.
With these tactics, you can not only attract the right talent to your landscaping business, but help keep and develop those employees once you find them.
John Janes
Landscaping Marketing Manager
John Janes has been bringing his diversified expertise to sales and marketing initiatives at Caterpillar for more than a decade. Not only does he hold an LIC certification from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), CSP and ASM certifications from the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), but Janes also serves as an American Concrete Institute (ACI)-certified concrete flatwork technician.
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