Francine Mills

Finding the right job can be tough these days. With so many people competing for the same positions, the market is more competitive than ever. What’s interesting, though, is that finding the right talent is just as challenging. Job seekers and employers are both searching for that perfect “fit” — and rightly so. Work is such a significant part of our lives that it’s important to find not only what you enjoy doing, but also the right team, or “tribe,” to enjoy it with.

At my company, I am tasked with all things recruiting — from job description writing to the point where the new employee starts training with a team. Finding people with landscaping education or experience is always a good find — I call it the plug and play. But what about those that don’t know that landscaping is the job for them? How do we capture those with the aptitude and personality that are perfect green industry candidates? I am a “transplant” myself — 25 years in the health and human services should have me tucked away in some non-profit community agency awaiting retirement. But I wanted something different — something worthwhile to the human experience. Something not so serious, but important enough that I felt good about the product or service my employer provides.

Some of our best employees have come to us from outside the green industry. These employees are successful because they are hands-on, practical, patient and adaptable. They may not have known what a mulch bed was or how to prune a shrub when they started, but what they did have was grit, curiosity and pride in doing a job well. They came from the retail, manufacturing, food service and even healthcare — industries that teach you how to work hard, stay organized and deal with people. Those skills transfer beautifully into landscaping.

The truth is, landscaping is not just about plants — it’s about people, problem-solving and perseverance. We build outdoor spaces that improve lives, and we do it with teams that know how to communicate, adapt and take ownership. That means the ideal candidate might not be combing through “landscaper wanted” ads at all. They might be the warehouse associate who loves being outside on weekends, the restaurant manager who thrives on coordinating fast-paced operations or the teacher who takes pride in nurturing growth — literally and figuratively.

When I recruit now, I look for more than experience. I look for traits: reliability, teamwork, humility and curiosity. If someone shows up early, asks good questions and wants to learn, the rest can be trained. The green industry has room for dreamers, doers and anyone who finds satisfaction in creating something tangible.

As employers, we need to tell that story more often. We need to open doors wider — to veterans, career changers, students and anyone seeking meaningful, honest work that connects them to nature and community. Because the future of our industry depends not just on finding people who know landscaping, but on helping more people discover that landscaping might be where they truly belong.