Hiring Help - A Complete Guide to Ending Labor Shortages

Ask any landscaping business owner what their biggest challenge is, and you’ll hear the same thing over and over again:

“I can’t find reliable workers.”
“Good crew members don’t stay.”
“Hiring feels impossible.”

If it feels like you’re constantly rebuilding your workforce every spring while competitors poach your best people, you're not alone. Labor shortages have become one of the biggest threats to growth in the landscaping industry, threatening to put thousands off of business simply because they

But here’s the truth most business owners miss: Hiring problems are actually retention problems in disguise. And retention problems usually come from operations, not the labor market. If you have a business that people want to work for, and consistent work for them to do in order to make a living, you won't have to worry about hiring as often.

When you fix the internal systems that make your company a great place to work, you not only keep employees longer…You also make hiring dramatically easier. The workers who come in stay longer, and you find yourself having to post job opportunities significantly less.

This blog breaks down why landscaping companies struggle to retain employees and gives you clear, actionable solutions to build a stronger, more stable workforce.

Let’s get into it.

Why Landscaping Businesses Struggle to Retain Employees

Retention issues typically trace back to a handful of core problems.

Below is a breakdown of the biggest reasons employees quit landscaping jobs—and the solutions to fix each one.

1. Hard Physical Labor With Low Starting Pay

The Problem:

Landscaping is physically demanding. You’re battling heat, rain, cold, long days, and heavy lifting.
When workers realize they can make similar pay working in warehouses, delivery, construction, retail or other indoor work, they often jump ship. And obviously, there's not much that can be done about the work environment, unless you're some sort of indoor-only landscaper...but there are things that can be done to mitigate the effects of it!

The Solution:

You can’t change the physical nature of the job, but you can make the work worth it. Here’s how:

• Pay based on performance or skill mastering
Create clear pay tiers with raises tied to:

• equipment mastery

• safety training

• speed and quality

• reliability

• leadership skills

• Add realistic bonuses
For example:

• monthly attendance bonuses

• seasonal retention bonuses

• referral bonuses (for bringing in quality workers who stay)

• Offer shade breaks, water stations, and better equipment
Small changes make hard work feel less grueling and give workers something to look forward to in their work day. That makes their day feel shorter, and thus drastically decreases the chance that they decide to not come back the next day.

A lot of landscapers feel that people simply "don't want to work", and rarely is that the case. Most people will work, they just want the work to feel reasonable and worth doing every day. Speaking of which...

2. No Clear Career Path (Feeling Stuck as “Just a Laborer”)

The Problem:

Many employees feel like they’re in a dead-end job with no future.
Everyone is a “laborer,” and they can’t see themselves becoming:

• a foreman

• a crew leader

• a supervisor

• a trainer

• a field manager

So they leave for jobs with more opportunity. Not good at all, especially if the pay they receive stays stagnant along with their role (which is really what most workers care about).

The Solution: Create a Career Ladder

Here’s a sample model:

Level 1: Laborer
- Learns basics, reliability, tool handling.

Level 2: Skilled Laborer
- Equipment operation, job prep, quality control.

Level 3: Crew Lead
- Manages small crew, tracks hours, communicates with office.

Level 4: Foreman
- Runs full jobs, problem solves, trains new hires.

Level 5: Field Manager / Operations Support
- Oversees multiple crews.

Each level includes:

• required skills

• expected behaviors

• training steps

• pay increase

And once workers demonstrate that they have mastered all required skills, exhibit the desired behaviors and get through any training steps, they gain the option to move forward. Straightforward and simple.

All most people want is a stable job that gives them a real opportunity to advance and earn a decent living. If you provide that, then it won't be long before candidates are lining up for the chance to work under you.

3. Not Enough Training (Or Training Takes Too Long)

The Problem:

Most landscaping companies train by throwing new hires into the fire.

This causes:

• embarrassment

• safety risks

• slow learning

• frustration

• crew conflict

But unfortunately, landscaping isn't an industry that always allows for slow training programs, sometimes businesses need bodies out in the field faster than they'd like. So where's the compromise?

The Solution: Build a 2–3 Week Fast-Start Training System

A strong onboarding process should include:

• Day 1 Orientation
Company overview, expectations, uniforms, paperwork. If you're able, start groups of candidates on the same day so that this can be reviewed with all of them at once, instead of individually.

• Week 1 Hands-On Basics
Tools, mowing patterns, trimming technique, cleanup.

• Week 2 Skill Development
Mulch, edging, pruning, equipment basics.

• Week 3 Competency Checklist
Sign-off on key skills before joining main crews.

Document everything. A good training program improves retention, worker quality and job quality. It makes your workers confident that the company has their back and fast-tracks development, allowing you to quickly create skillful laborers instead of having to search for them.

4. Poor Leadership or Miscommunication

The Problem:

Crew leaders and foremen often weren’t trained to lead—they were just the best workers.
But poor leadership leads to:

• yelling

• unclear instructions

• inconsistent standards

• crew tension

Employees quit bosses, not companies. Therefore, a good boss will keep your employees around for way longer than a not-so-good boss.

The Solution: Train Your Leaders to Lead

Teach foremen:

• communication skills

• conflict resolution

• how to give feedback

• how to teach instead of criticize

• how to praise publicly and correct privately

Since you will likely have a very limited number of crew leads and foremen anyway you can also make leadership roles a management decision, rather than a guaranteed level workers can all reach with no limitations. But most crew conflict can be solved with leadership development, and expecting good workers to make good leaders with no development can put you in a really bad spot if they don't have the soft skills to manage a team.

5. Seasonal Employment Creates Instability

The Problem:

This is one of the reasons I covered the cold season before I covered this one...if you want an in-depth explanation, go here to read that blog. Moving forward, seasonality makes workers feel insecure. When winter comes:

• hours get cut

• workers are let go

• people search for year-round jobs

And many never return in spring. Terrible for someone like you, who really needs extra skilled hands as the peak season approaches.

The Solution: Create Year-Round Work Opportunities

Offer:

• snow removal contracts

• holiday lights installation

• gutter cleaning

• winter pruning

• equipment maintenance jobs

• off-season hardscape repairs

• wood delivery

Especially in the landscaping industry, if you give employees year-round income, they stay long-term. Now you not only have workers who can do everything you need, you don't have to start from square 1 every spring.

6. Chaotic Operations Make the Job Miserable

The Problem:

THIS problem is why I tackled standardizing your business procedures in my first blog, I'll link that one here. If you haven't noticed, these build off of each other.

Anyway, disorganized companies frustrate employees. frustrated employees don't stay around long.

Common issues:

• broken equipment

• missing tools

• unclear job packets

• wrong materials

• inefficient routes

• last-minute schedule changes

• office-field miscommunication

Chaos pushes good workers out the door. No matter how good of an offer you give a worker, no one likes being frustrated because of things they cannot control, especially if they feel easily avoidable by simply having better systems or communication.

The Solution: Improve Operational Systems

Implement:

• standard morning dispatch procedures

• equipment checklists

• automated scheduling software

• digital job packets

• time-tracking apps

• maintenance logs

A well-run company makes employees feel confident and supported.

7. No Appreciation or Recognition

The Problem:

Hard work with no recognition leads to resentment. When workers feel invisible, they leave. It may feel small and insignificant, but even a few kind words can go a long way towards keeping employees around longer.

The Solution: Build a Recognition Culture

• Celebrate weekly “Crew Wins”

• Give shoutouts on group text or meetings

• Provide gift cards for exceptional work

• Offer small bonuses for things such as perfect attendance

• Celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries

• Stage optional work events for workers to enjoy, if possible

Simply put, the best way to lose a worker is to make them feel alone and unappreciated. A culture where their team actually feels like a team and their efforts are recognized does a lot to keep workers around.

8. Competitors Poach Workers With Slightly Higher Pay

The Problem:

If you pay the same as everyone else, workers will leave for a $1–$2/hr raise. This creates a dilemma where you are forced to either pay more labor and decrease margins, or risk a labor shortage...in this case, you can leverage other benefits your competitors don't have to justify the pay grade.

The Solution: Build a Company Worth Staying For

Pay matters—but culture keeps people.

Combine:

• competitive pay

• growth opportunities

• steady hours

• respectful leadership

• a supportive team environment

You’ll become the employer of choice in your area.

Why Landscaping Companies Struggle to Hire New Workers

Retention is only half the battle. Hiring new employees is equally challenging.

Here are the biggest issues—and how to solve them.

1. Job Ads That Don’t Sell the Job

Most landscaping job postings are generic: “Looking for laborers. Must work hard. Valid driver’s license.”

No benefits, no work responsibilities, no payment information, nothing that would attract anyone. If you give candidates no information, they will assume the job opportunity isn't worth pursuing further more often than not.

The Solution: Write Ads That Highlight the Benefits

Use headlines like:

• “Work Outdoors, Stay Active, Get Paid Weekly”

• “Career Growth, Not Just a Summer Job”

• “Start This Week — Year-Round Positions Available”

Show what makes your company different. Give candidates something to look forward to besides simply getting paid an undisclosed amount of money for doing a job they have no information on, and the amount of candidates applying will almost certainly increase.

2. No Hiring Funnel

Most landscapers rely on:

• Facebook posts

• “Now hiring” signs

• Word-of-mouth

That’s not a reliable enough strategy to actually reach a substantial amount of candidates. If this is all you do for hiring, your problem could simply be that not enough people seeking jobs know that you exist.

The Solution: Build a Hiring Funnel Similar to Your Sales Funnel

A strong hiring system includes:

• a dedicated careers page

• automated follow-up messages

• paid ads targeting job seekers

• weekly interviews

• fast-response recruiting

• referral bonuses

Just like money, workers are a vital asset to your business. If you treat hiring workers like marketing for projects, you’ll never run out of candidates.

3. Slow Response Times Lose Candidates Fast

Landscaping laborers typically take the first job that calls them back. If you take 48 hours to reply and even longer to actually consider hiring a candidate, you’ve likely already lost them.

The Solution: Respond Within 30 Minutes

Use:

• autoresponder texts

• hiring CRM

• internal “hot lead” alerts

Speed wins. Period. You should treat any and all candidates like they're shared leads you received from HomeAdvisor, because they essentially are...it's just for hiring instead of making money.

4. Your Reputation Online Scares Hires Away

Now more than ever, candidates have multiple online tools to review your company before they continue with the choice to work for you. workers look at your:

• Google reviews

• Facebook page

• Indeed reviews

• Website

• Glassdoor reviews

If customers complain about quality or disrespect, candidates assume the culture is bad, workers are poorly trained (if at all), and their bosses aren't good at their jobs. If you don't have trouble finding candidates, but do have a problem with them bailing after they've applied, this may be why.

The Solution: Build a Positive Public Brand

Keep your online presence clean, professional, and full of employee photos and team culture. Make sure that you have a way to manage your reputation effectively in order to ensure that you don't scare of candidates and clients alike.

5. No Employee Referral Program

Your best employees likely know other good workers. But if you don't give any incentive for them to refer others to you, many of them simply won't. Missing out on referred employees really hurts the numbers that many landscaping businesses have to work with, so let's try not to be in that group.

The Solution: Referral Bonus

Give workers $200–$500 when they bring in someone who stays 60–90 days.

It beats paying a recruiter thousands, and chances are that referred employees will stick around longer than laborers that were referred by a recruiter.

Final Thoughts: Fix Retention First, Hiring Second

The truth is simple:

If your company is a place people love to work, you’ll never struggle with hiring. Even if you can hire well, it won't matter if you can't get workers to stay.

Retention creates stability.
Stability creates culture.
Culture creates word-of-mouth hiring.
Word-of-mouth hiring creates freedom.

Solve the internal issues and your landscaping business becomes unstoppable.