These kids today

It’s official: Millennials now make up the largest chunk of the American workforce. According to the Pew Research Center, this group of 18-to-34-year-olds represents 53.5 million employees, and that number is only going to get bigger. What’s more: Millennials have even infiltrated the highest levels of this very magazine.

Generational conflicts are real. My grandparents complained about my parents’ generation, who then complained about my generation, and I complain about my kids’ generation (but not my kids – my kids are angels). And while real, those differences between generations can help you more than they hurt you.

This summer, a new crop of Millennials graduated and entered the landscape industry. They are talented, excited and ready to make a difference. Finding students to profile for the cover story was easy. Choosing just six was very difficult.

So how can you attract the best and brightest landscapers coming out of places like BYU and Cal Poly and Michigan State? Well, we asked them for you.

As part of our continuing effort to help you find and keep good employees, we surveyed students from landscape and horticulture programs across the country. Not surprisingly – if you read up on the general behavior of Millennials – what they want is a chance to do work that helps people. A big salary or company truck didn’t top the list of desired perks.

The landscape students we surveyed said the most important thing they’re looking for in a place to work is a positive culture. More than half said upward movement is important, and more than a third want flexible hours and a chance to have a positive impact on the environment.

But the best way to hire these students is to get on their radar at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition. Put on every year by the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the event brings together the smartest and most enthusiastic landscape students from all over. As they say, it’s best to hunt where the deer are, so plan now for a couple days at Mississippi State next March and bring your business cards.

I’m a Millennial, as you can probably tell by the photo up there in the corner, but I don’t speak for the rest of the 75 million members of my generation. I can, though, speak from my own experience that I find it much more rewarding to get an email from a landscaper saying the latest issue helped him solve a problem than I do seeing my direct deposit post to my bank account on the 15th.

And while I appreciate the paycheck, it’s not what gets me out of bed in the morning. What I love most about this job is that I get a chance every day to work with really smart and creative people, and have the opportunity to help others.

These kids today are ready to make the landscape industry even better. Now’s your chance to hire them.

– Chuck Bowen
cbowen@gie.net