MARKHAM, ONTARIO (April 12, 2023) An overwhelming majority of landscapers are stressed about hiring enough qualified employees while struggling to offer competitive wages during trying economic times.
The industry insight comes from a survey of more than 500 landscape professionals conducted by Landscape Management Network (LMN) North America’s leading business management solutions provider to the landscape industry. The proprietary survey is part of an ongoing educational series, designed to help landscapers benchmark against the competition, grow profits and run successful businesses.
Hiring challenges remain at the forefront of the industry, with more than 50% of respondents unable to attract enough applicants for open positions, and as many receiving applicants with insufficient experience.
One of the largest factors in this trend, according to the surveyed landscapers, is the inaccurate perception that industry jobs are low paying and won’t provide the salary and benefits needed to survive. Although it is a struggle to pay higher wages within an inflationary, highly competitive environment, the solution for landscape companies is rooted in better business planning.
“Employers think they can’t afford to pay more, and yes, it’s hard. So, what do you do?” said Landscape Management Network CEO Mark Bradley.
“You must understand the economics of your business and what you need to pay to be competitive. This is what LMN software helps landscapers do. Because our customers know their numbers, they can offer a competitive salary and benefits packages to the best employees that will make it easier to hire and drive retention, deliver great jobs and generate profit.”
In addition to higher compensation, offering free training remains an invaluable tool in attracting and retaining talent, with almost all of the landscape businesses surveyed stating that they offer some training to employees. Providing training opportunities strengthens employees’ skills and gives them greater confidence in their abilities and work. It also shows the employer’s commitment to investing in their team’s growth and offering a rewarding career. Specialized training tools, such as LMN’s Greenius, make designing and delivering a training curriculum easy.
Additionally, landscape companies can attract and retain ideal job candidates through efficient job marketing. LMN’s survey found that more than half of landscapers are most successful advertising through job boards, while 60% utilize offline advertising such as flyers, billboards, and newspaper ads to achieve hiring success. What those job openings advertise matters too.
“When you’re building a job ad or website, you have to realize you’re selling your company to potential employees as the ideal workplace,” Bradley added. “This is a career decision, not just a summer job. Demonstrate that this is a position with real growth opportunities by showcasing the hands-on training you’ll provide as well as how they can advance in your company.”
LMN is committed to educating and empowering landscapers to build better, more profitable businesses. Download the full report and stay tuned for upcoming research and educational content.
To learn more about how LMN can help you build room in your finances to meet your hiring needs and access practical tools such as job descriptions, job ad examples and more, visit www.golmn.com.
Have additional questions? Contact Keith Cousins at keith@disruptpr.com.
About Landscape Management Network (LMN)
Landscape Management Network (LMN) is the industry leader for landscape business software and development. Since its founding in 2009, LMN has provided landscapers across North America with the tools they need to become successful business owners. Built for landscapers by landscapers, LMN offers business owners a complete suite of software that covers everything from budgeting and job estimates to employee management and education.
LMN has helped tens of thousands of businesses ranging from design companies to national lawn maintenance providers create more than $51 billion worth of estimates, price out more than $25 billion in contracts, capture 78 million individual clock-ins, and manage more than 245,000 employees.
CEO and co-founder Mark Bradley built LMN based on a need he saw within his own landscape company, TBG Landscape, for powerful software that would help him manage the mountains of paperwork and administrative tasks the multi-million dollar company was regularly encountering. He brings decades of industry-leading experience to LMN, ensuring that it’s a platform that drives businesses to further success.
For more information on LMN, visit golmn.com.
