For most landscaping companies, labor is approximately 40-50% of revenue – arguably your biggest expense. So when we think about profits and efficiency, this is one of the areas where you can have the biggest impact. Now, what if we told you that simple tweaks to your training and onboarding could drastically cut costs and boost your bottom line?
Greenius EVP Matt Crinklaw recently teamed up with landscape industry veteran Jay Murray (TLC Landscaping, Shill Grounds Management) to dive into the real impact of training on your new landscaping hires, and the results? Well, they might really surprise you.
The $1,500 Mistake: Why Untrained New Hires Are Costing You Big Time
Matt and Jay did a case study they called The Mow Off where they tracked the performance of new hires at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year of experience. They had them cut 25 properties and measured how long it took them to do it, how many mistakes they had to fix, and overall performance. They used this to quantify the impact of training.
The findings were eye-opening:
- 1-Week Employee: A whopping 200% less effective than a seasoned pro. That’s a third of the work, lower quality, and a mountain of mistakes to fix.
- 1-Month Employee: Still 50% less efficient.
- 3-Month Employee: Even after 90 days, they’re 33% less efficient.
The bottom line? Poor training is bleeding your profits. And when we consider the labour shortages and retention challenges facing the industry, this compounds heavily over time. We’re talking over $350 a week in lost efficiency per employee, which easily becomes $1500 a month. And that’s just the start. Think about damaged equipment, fuel mishaps, and property damage – those costs add up fast for your business.
Jay’s Wisdom: Eliminate Waste, Maximize Profits
Jay, with 40 years of landscaping experience, dropped some of his key takeaways landscapers need to be thinking about:
- It’s all about HR and IT. Invest in your people and your systems, and the rest will fall into place. You need good information technology and good HR programs for pay scale, onboarding, training, retention, and employee engagement.
- Quality vs. quantity: Teach your crews to balance speed with quality. Not every job needs to be perfect, but it needs to be good.
- Time management is key: Give your crews realistic timeframes for tasks. This prevents overworking and keeps things efficient.
- Hazard awareness: Don’t assume your crew knows the obvious. Reinforce safety protocols regularly.
The 540-Minute Solution: Finding Your 5%
There are 540 minutes in a work day. How can you squeeze out an extra 5% of productivity?
- Morning prep: Streamline your morning routine. Get crews out the gate faster. Consider a yard steward to handle prep work.
- End-of-day efficiency: Have yard staff take over at the end of the day, allowing crews to go home immediately.
- Invest in your best people: Pay your top performers what they’re worth. They’re the ones driving your profits.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Business:
- Implement a solid training program: Whether it’s Greenius or your own system, don’t leave training to chance.
- Create career paths: Tie training to advancement and raises. This motivates employees and reduces turnover.
- Standardize processes: From edging techniques to fuel procedures, have clear guidelines for everything.
- Focus on retention: Happy, well-trained employees are more productive and stay longer.
- Find your 5%: Look for ways to eliminate waste and boost efficiency. Even small improvements can have a huge impact.
- Pay for training: Pay your employees for training time, it shows that you value their time and education.
Don’t Just Hope for the Best – Train for It!
The labor problem in landscaping isn’t going away, but you can tackle it head-on. By investing in training and creating a positive work environment, you can build a team of “super crews” that drive your business to new heights.
Dive into the conversation
Want more? Watch the full conversation between Matt and Jay on-demand.
