By: Courtney Pohlit, Director of People & Recruiting
By: Courtney Pohlit, Director of People & RecruitingAs we gear up for a busy spring season, all of our branches are actively recruiting to make sure we have a full workforce to serve our customers. To help prepare for this, each branch in our landscape management division recently completed annual recruitment training and developed actions plans to attract new talent in our various locations. By focusing more on our recruiting efforts year-round and having a solidified plan in place at the beginning of the year, we are better able to identify more opportunities to engage with potential applicants and ensure we have a smooth interview and onboarding process, especially as days get busier and focus is shifted to getting the job done.
Overall, the best source for bringing in new talent is always sphere of influence, regardless of geographic location. Holding regular discussions during weekly staff meetings helps to ensure all employees (especially crew members) are aware of current job openings and can provide referrals from their personal networks. Making the referral process into a competition can often spark great participation and involvement; have fun with it and offer up prizes or bonuses to the employee with the most referrals.
Some other key tips heard throughout branch training sessions include:
- Post flyers in local community centers, grocery stores, laundromats, church halls, apartment complexes, etc.
- Share Facebook job posts from our company page to your personal page to engage your network and encourage others to share on your behalf
- Engage with Vocational-Technical schools, local Jump Start programs, homeless shelters, and community colleges
- Join TurfNet and other online associations with job boards to reach targeted audiences interested in outdoor work and landscaping
- Host an open house at the branch to help people get to know our company and its culture (but be sure to hold it outside due to current COVID restrictions)
Another direction we’ve taken this year has been with the help of Pam Berrios, our director of multicultural training and development. With Pam’s guidance, branches are becoming more active in local Facebook groups – specifically, where we can attract more diversified talent, utilizing our ads translated in Spanish for a further reach. For example, when our Charlotte branch has a need for crew members, they could join a local Facebook group like Charlotte Job Hunters and share current openings to engage directly with job seekers in that area. If you need more guidance on utilizing social media channels, please reach out to Pam or marketing communications manager Camily Vernier for assistance.
Our branch teams face similar recruiting challenges every year, but with a more proactive approach followed by thorough onboarding and training, we can attract new employees who are a good fit for our culture and they will be more likely to have a long tenure, thereby improving our turnover rate and lessening the burden of staffing needs over time. If you have any other suggestions on how to spread the word, we would love to hear them—please reach out to your manager or to anyone in the HR/Recruiting team!