Have you noticed the workforce is evolving? The average age of landscapers is 40+, constituting 53% of the industry . The Gen X workforce is aging out, and by 2025, 75% of the workforce globally is going to be a millennial and Gen Z. With this shift in the workforce demographic, you've probably experienced the struggle of finding quality millennial and Gen Z candidates to work for your business. The green industry presents unique challenges for businesses seeking quality candidates, but there are steps that you can implement to start seeing positive changes in your hiring process quickly: know where to post your job, use an applicant tracking system, and hire for potential.
1. Meet Candidates Where They're Looking: Online
If you want to hire great candidates, you need to know where to find them. Are you active on job board sites like Indeed and Glassdoor?
Indeed is where people are going to find open positions whereas Glassdoor allows candidates the ability to see behind the scenes of your company and gives an immediate reflection of how your team feels about your company. Both of these sites are vital to the success of your hiring process. No longer can you rely on one social media post or word-of-mouth to advertise that your company is hiring to attract candidates to your job listing. Online job boards account for 60% of job applications, so ensuring that your jobs are posted is a must for finding top talent.
2. Automate the Process with an Application Tracking System (ATS)
You have a lot on your plate ensuring business runs smoothly and the last thing you need to be worried about is texting back and forth with an applicant. Systems like an applicant tracking system (ATS) are going to make your life easier and help you keep track of recruiting. 45% of job seekers rely on their cell phones daily to search for opportunities. To stay competitive, your recruitment strategy must embrace mobile accessibility. An ATS not only boosts efficiency but also allows applicants to apply for positions effortlessly from their phones. This gives your organization a significant edge in attracting and retaining top talent. Consider incorporating an automated text message drip campaign that gets sent out through SMS to applicants. An ATS can help you with automated SMS and email communications, filter top candidates quickly, and schedule interviews faster. Ensuring a speedy response time to applicants is important when focusing on optimizing your hiring process, and can help you come out on top of your competitors.
An ATS not only enhances efficiency but also ensures that your applicants can seamlessly apply for positions, giving your organization an advantage in attracting the best talent. Responsiveness, speed, and optimization are key to securing a top candidate quickly.
3. Hire For Potential; Train for Longevity
You might find yourself spending countless hours searching for the perfect candidate; someone whose resume hits all of the key points that are listed in the job description. This can feel like you're looking for a needle in a haystack. Have you ever considered hiring for potential?
Hiring for potential means you believe a person's skill set and abilities can be developed and scaled to the role they're hired for. In some roles, you might try to bring in candidates who require little training and have the full skillset you're looking for. However, if you're able to take a more strategic approach, thinking about a candidate's progression can make a big difference to your team's success. The candidate may not have the qualifications on paper, but do they align with your company's values and do they want to work hard? Hiring and developing candidates for their potential allows you, the employee, and the company to grow together. You can equip them with the tools they need to be successful and craft them in the ways that you would like your processes done--you don't have to break bad habits and you know they're eager to work. Expanding your applicant options leads to an extensive and varied candidate pool, making it easier to fill positions quickly.
Since the Great Resignation of 2021, there has been a steady decline in people searching for green industry jobs, so widening the scope and hiring for potential can help you hire more people, faster. This doesn't mean that you lower your standards, but try taking a candidate through the interview process, seeing if their values align and if they have the potential to work hard, and if that's the case, help push them in the right direction. Doing this allows you to mold them exactly into the ways you'd like your processes done. Don't be afraid to take a chance on someone and give them the support that they need to be successful.
Start Optimizing Your Hiring Process Today!
Chances are that you're reading this article because you're ready to optimize your hiring process. While you could take the time out of your day to do it yourself, there's an easier way. Our team at Lawnline Marketing specializes in the green industry and offers you a recruiting program that will help take a lot of the guesswork and legwork out of your hiring process; assisting you with optimizing job descriptions, budget management for listings, and listing optimization and management. Our team offers an applicant tracking system that is stacked with SMS and email messaging, candidate filtering, interview reminders, and automated interview scheduling. Don't waste time when you can let the experts take care of it for you. Discover how our team of professionals can help you reach greater heights; call us at 813.944.3400.
