April Issue Extra: Recruiting Tactics

Someone with David Knauff’s labor luck realizes he must emphasize his recruiting strategies – especially during lean times. Yes, We Care Landscaping tries to recruit from within by organizing social and holiday events that introduce potential employees to the work environment, said the president of this Wilmette, Ill.-based company. “We do holiday parties at the end of the year and our current employees are allowed to bring a friend,” he related. “It’s a real light recruiting session where they can get introduced to the company and see if they want to come back in the spring.”

Once the company organizes its spring staff, employees run through a week-long “boot camp” that serves as a training session. New employees learn a variety of tasks and duties, similar to those on certified landscape technician exams, Knauff identified. This program, implemented by Yes, We Care in the past couple years, emphasizes safety issues along with basic landscaping skills. “It’s really instrumental with our new hires,” he said.

Then, as employees move up the career ladder, they are eligible for bonuses, which are handed out for accomplishments such as becoming an assistant supervisor, bringing in a new worker or working an entire season. However, much of an employee’s training occurs on the job, Knauff admitted.

In a market where clients demand quality service, clients quickly learn the importance of winning customer relationships. “Our Achilles heel in the past has been not returning calls in a timely fashion, which we’ve learned over time,” he said. “We make sure we answer questions, but if we don’t know the answer, we don’t make it up – clients don’t want to hear you hemming and hawing about something.”

Although instrumental to the company’s success, establishing customer referrals is a far cry from rocket science, noted Tisha Teeluck, marketing director. But by focusing on the simplicity of customer contact and personal service tools, the recommendations emerge naturally, she said. “We’ve tried a lot of traditional types of marketing, but they haven’t been as effective for us,” she said. “What’s been most effective is ground level, direct contact with customers.”

For example, the company sends thank-you letters to clients that provide one-time referrals, and then items such as gift certificates and gift baskets as customers continue to recommend the company’s services. “We try to send something more personalized rather than something cookie-cutter or generic,” Knauff pointed out.

In addition, the company sends out a monthly newsletter that educates customers about basic landscaping techniques and profiles employees so the customers know who services their properties. “It’s fun for us to do that, and it’s an effective tool,” Teeluck stressed. “People pass it on and then we reach out to potential customers.”

These marketing efforts help place Yes, We Care above its competition, but using competitors for comparison purposes allows the company to establish appropriate marketing targets. “We’ve always held the theory that we’re going to go under the radar of the real big companies, but we’re bigger and experienced enough to be above the guy with the pickup truck,” Knauff said. Thus, e can establish the companies above and below his position as benchmarks, and then set his prices accordingly.

Of course, concentrating on his own business allows Knauff to look toward its future and decide which new services to develop – and which to discard. For example, as the company’s design/build division grows, the expansion creates additional construction leads. To help balance the workload, Knauff has started to outsource some architectural services. “Anything we can get off our plate, get done quicker and more thoroughly than what we can do, we can stop doing it in-house,” Knauff maintained. Further, Knauff recognizes his current market niche but sees the opportunity to move toward other areas, such as irrigation.

Rapid growth has its challenges, and it has led David Knauff, president, Yes, We Care Landscaping, Wilmette, Ill., to seek assistance outside of his own office. For instance, he has cooperated in the past with local business owners – individuals he has met through the recruiting service that his mother owns. “I realized pretty quickly that the worse anyone could do is say, ‘No,’” Knauff related. “I walk up to people and ask them what they did, how they got there and form associates and contacts.”

So, over time, Knauff has developed his own corporate coaching staff that assists him and provides business advice when necessary. “Without others’ support, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’ve done,” he admitted. “If you don’t have a good team inside, it doesn’t matter what you do outside.” Twelve years in the industry and not yet out of his twenties, Knauff recognizes his experience but holds fast to the value of educating himself, as well as his employees and clients. “I’ve learned when I need to ask for help and I can’t take it for granted,” he emphasized. Additionally, forming partnerships with other business professionals continues to spread the Yes, We Care reputation and boost referrals. “Everything is a sales opportunity,” he said matter-of-factly.

The author is Assistant Editor – Internet of Lawn & Landscape magazine.