Claire Goldman

There have been years where I dreaded the spring rush. I hate the feeling of just being able to keep my head above water. This year is different. We are ready. Our people and systems are in place and our confidence is high.

I’ve never felt so supported at work. We have built an incredible team of people who appreciate the opportunity they have to do what they do, have each other’s back and are all invested in the success of each project and the client experience that comes with it. It feels a little too good to be true, if I’m being honest. But I’ve been around long enough to know nothing is ever as good as it seems, and nothing is ever as bad as it seems, either. So, I’ll choose to enjoy this feeling of confidence (but not too much) and be ready for the obstacles that inevitably will come.

As with any win or failure, we always work to learn from our experiences. How did we get so lucky to have this team of ours?

Recruitment is a long game. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “Always be recruiting.” If you wait until you need people to start looking, it’s too late. Just like waiting for your leads to dry up before you start investing in marketing doesn’t yield great results, your probability of hiring the wrong person out of a sense of desperately needing to fill a role increases dramatically when you aren’t focused on recruitment at all times.

I find being involved with local schools to be one of my favorite things to do. I don’t do it with the intention of recruiting; I do it because I’m passionate about introducing the industry to parents, teachers and students. The result of that work is lots of interested people wanting to learn more about my company and yours. Y’all, I’m over here blowing minds when they hear that, yes, landscape professionals cut grass, but our industry is so much more than that! We need to actively tell the story of the opportunities offered in the green industry to anyone who will listen.

And, we need to show up at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition and tell our stories to students. The energy from the students at NCLC is contagious. It’s easy to get bogged down in our day-to-day and forget how much fun our industry is. I participated as a student in 2008 where I met people in the industry I’m still connected with today. We have seen the demographic of this event move from a primarily male-attended event to 50/50 men and women. Our opportunity comes when we realize we are still only 8% women in the industry. We need great people in our companies and we have a pool of excellent candidates that need to be welcomed into the industry with open arms.

My friend, Pam Dooley, came back from an event and shared a quote she heard from Ginni Rometty. Ginni said, “People cannot be what they cannot see.” If I get on your website or social media to get a feel for your company before applying for a job, would I know that women are welcome? Are you creating a flexible and inclusive environment for your employees and are you actively communicating that in order recruit a great team?

Women in Landscaping is a column brought to you in partnership with the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Claire Goldman is an active member of the National Association of Landscape Professionals Women in Landscape Network (powered by Envu) which provides a forum for industry professionals to support each other’s professional growth. The Network is free to all industry professionals.