“This is about thinking differently,” said Jim McCutcheon, owner of HighGrove partners. McCutcheon moderated a panel at LANDSCAPES 2019 that aimed to get the industry to look into how they treat hiring different demographics, and how embracing the unfamiliar could cushion many of the labor issues the industry is facing today.
The panel discussed hiring younger generation, women and minority groups and how the industry can be more inclusive.
Jenn Lemcke of Weed Man, said hiring women is simple. “How do we get women in the industry?,” she said. “You just try.” But, make sure your company is ready for it. Lemcke began her work in the in field, in trucks providing lawn care. She said while most companies are obviously open to the idea of hiring women, they may not be prepared.
“You don’t need to change anything,” she says. “You just need to adapt to it.”
When it comes to appealing to the next generation of workers, it comes down to understand what appeals to them in a job. Lucas Melograno of Mariani Landscapes says there are four things younger generations are looking for.
- A good work life balance.
- Career growth. A clear growth path is a desirable feature of a company for potential young employees. “Companies want you to develop but there’s often a lack of follow through,” he says.
- Embrace technology.
- Company culture. “Millennials want to have an impact on their environment,” he says. “They want to show the good they have done and work for a greater cause.”
When it comes to hiring minorities, Steve Bromell, owner of Pro Cutters, says the industry does have work to do. “It needs to be welcoming to all ethnicities,” he says. He also notes that in some cases as an industry, African American workers on average will get paid less than a Caucasian worker with the same experience.