One of the most significant challenges for landscape irrigation contractors is to recruit and onboard staff. Ideally, I would provide you with a simple solution for all your employee recruitment and staff retention challenges, but that solution does not exist. Let’s start with an analysis of the situation and shed some light on where other contractors are having success to confirm what you’re doing or point you in the right direction.
I have had countless discussions about the difficulties of finding qualified employees. It is consistent no matter where you go, although the rules are different in different areas. There are companies that have solved these staffing challenges, but they are very much a minority.
Let’s start with the big picture: Why is this happening now? The problem of the supply of labor outstripping the demand has been present since before the pandemic. Many people decided to retire fully during that time, which took people out of the workforce.
Company leaders who have identified and understand their core values know who they’re looking for.
The problem is more related to population demographics. Since our industry (like others in the construction trades) relies on younger workers, as the population ages and moves into retirement (creating more demand for some services), it continues to put pressure on the industry. Economists have seen this coming for decades. From that perspective, it is likely to continue for a while until a demographic rebalancing. Other factors, like licensing requirements and lack of vocational school irrigation programs, have further accelerated the problem.
So, how do you recruit new employees? That question is very difficult to answer, and the list of possibilities is extensive. Let’s look at some similarities of companies that are successfully navigating this challenge. One thing they have in common is that these companies have accepted the reality of recruitment happening all year long, not just when you need staff. For many organizations, it is a major business function that falls under the umbrella of human resources. In larger companies, that could involve a human resources department. In a smaller one, it could be the owner always looking for another “right” individual.
Another commonality is the ability to recognize the right individual. Company leaders who have identified and understand their core values know who they’re looking for. Finding your core values is part of the strategic planning process, which includes identifying your purpose, mission statement and what makes you unique. These are exercises that are often overlooked by companies or sometimes done without effort. Recruitment is where these efforts show, as these contractors know when they have that good fit for a new employee. This type of strategic planning also helps develop healthy culture for your business, which leads to being able to retain employees and reduce turnover, which lessens the need for recruitment.
Once a new employee is hired, the onboarding process can quickly determine for both parties whether this will be a long-term relationship. Employees expect more than filling out a few forms, jumping into a truck and grabbing a shovel. In addition to the industry and technical training that should be standardized so that everyone is brought to the same level, think about the company and soft skills training that will be beneficial. Successful companies also can retain employees with ongoing professional development as this demonstrates a long-term commitment to the employees’ success.
Pulling all of this together, it points to a very complex solution. The potential employees are not available for many reasons, and it will take a lot of effort from us and our industry to improve that. Companies must be in a financial position to be able to hire the right individual when that person becomes available knowing that while they may not have the sales volume now or the perfect position, they must feel confident they can scale the business quickly. To keep your team in place and growing, someone needs to be dedicated to making sure those opportunities and commitments are there so that your long-term employees remain with your organization for the long haul.
It’s not an easy solution, but more and more companies are starting to put all the pieces together to make this work.
