An increasing number of landscape companies have turned to immigrant employees from Central and South America as the solution to their labor shortage. In fact, a Lawn & Landscape survey found that 54 percent of respondents employ at least one Hispanic worker. But the fact that most of these companies actually employ more than one immigrant employee – on average, half of their employees are Hispanic – illustrates the value of these employees to the landscape industry.
Attendees at the 2001 Lawn & Landscape School of Management learned the ins and outs of this challenging issue with a day-long session focused on Hispanic labor. "The answer to the severe labor shortage is bringing foreign workers here to fill these jobs," affirmed Noel Goldman, president, Marcus Drake Consultants, a firm based in Park Ridge, N.J., that helps U.S.-based companies hire legal immigrant laborers. "These people are able and willing. They’ll work hard for you, and sometimes the amount of hours they want to work is more important to them than the pay."
While attracting immigrant laborers and verifying their legality perplexes many companies, day one for these employees presents a host of challenges. "Hiring immigrant labor, especially through something like the H2B program, is a commitment to these employees, and that commitment starts the day they arrive at your office," pointed out Maria Threadgill, operations manager, James River Grounds Management, Richmond, Va. Threadgill explained that many immigrant employees are new to the United States, so employers should consider arranging housing for them and even advancing them some money.
Threadgill, whose company has more than 100 Hispanic employees in peak season, said American employees should also be prepared to ease the assimilation of Hispanics into the crews. "Be honest about why you’re hiring immigrants," she suggested. "If you feel like you have some employees who will resist [hiring Hispanics], you may want to reconsider those [American] individuals’ positions in the company.
"But the truth is that your English-speaking employees are your next wave of managers, so you need to pay attention to them as well," she continued.
After hiring the Hispanic employees, establish a communication plan. "Having a third-party translator who can be a neutral source really helps," explained Threadgill, "although, if you put all of your translating responsibilities in the hands of one employee, that person then assumes a position of power and can give you a slanted view of reality."
Other steps to take include posting all company signs in English and Spanish as well as making sure that all company forms, such as training information and the company manual, are in both languages.
"And make sure you prepare your customers," Threadgill recommended, adding that James River regularly includes articles about its Hispanic employees in its newsletter. "This is an opportunity to dispel the myth of these workers taking jobs away from able-bodied Americans. Plus, you can dispel the myth of cheap foreign labor."
Contractors can make immigrant employees feel like they are a part of the company by respecting their various cultures. "Cinqo de Mayo can be a time for a little office party, but the Fourth of July probably won’t be as important to them," Threadgill observed. "We get so busy during the year that we sit down in January and plan for one random, surprise activity every month. We also have the managers cook Thanksgiving dinner for the Hispanic employees or sponsor a soccer team for them to play on."
Threadgill also emphasized the importance of supporting Hispanic employees’ adaptation to life in the U.S. "Whether we’re helping them figure out tax issues or being with them in their dealings with other people so they know they’re not being taken advantage of, we try to support them as much as possible, which is one reason why our Hispanic employees return to us year after year," she noted.
While most contractors employing immigrant laborers rave about their performance, many of them complain that these employees resist the idea of assuming more responsibility. "This is really a class problem," affirmed Jeff West, president, GTO International, Whitmore Lake, Mich.
"Some of the guys won’t pursue their driver’s license because they don’t think they can get it," added Scott Evans, president, SILC, Bay City, Texas. "Once one guy does it, however, that seems to crack the code for them and everyone will do so."
"Our Hispanic employees fear taking on responsibility in any way that could cost them their job," related Threadgill. "They see a driver’s license as an opportunity to have an accident. They’re always afraid of being fired, so you have to constantly preach to them that new responsibilities are a win-win opportunity that helps the company and them."
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