COVERSTORY
find in their local communities. “Students we are recruiting into our
profession have different experiences with the world,” says Skyler Westergard, learning & development specialist at LandCare, based in Frederick, Maryland. “Seeing the things that happen in the news and world events affects the way this generation sees the world.” The younger generation has become
accustomed to instant feedback online through comments, likes and shares of social media posts or completing missions in video games. Everyone appreciates feed- back to help them see how they are doing and where they could improve. Students receive feedback from their instructors to help them learn, so employers should do the same. “It’s just a quick recognition (of) ‘you guys did awesome,’” says Funai. “‘Hey, that job looks great,’ and that quick little feed- back is that dopamine rush (that) builds that confidence in what they’re doing.” There has been a shift among students
looking for employment at companies that offer work-life balance. Funai says the com- panies that visit his college and talk about providing work-life balance have garnered more interest from students. “We had an employer come in — it was the smartest thing I’ve ever seen an employer do — they said, ‘We want to know what you guys want. What can we do that would bring you to work for us?’” Funai says.
The question led to a discussion about
Photos: (Above) C + I Services, LLC (Far right) Plants Creative Landscapes
the ways we train, here are the ways we reward,” she says.
When building and showcasing culture,
employers should remember that younger generations may have different values. My- ers says companies can find their strengths by asking their current employees what they like about their work environments and what could be done better. “It’s not you have to throw everything out that you’ve done before and do all this new stuff; it’s (asking) where do you need to change or evolve, and how does that fit into what you’re currently doing? What small changes can you make?” she says. The next generation is exposed to more
information than previous generations with a 24-hour news cycle, social media and the internet. They interact with more diverse groups of people than they may
26 The Edge //May/June 2023
working 10-hour days for four days a week. The students were open to the idea of working longer days because they saw the benefits of a three-day weekend. Smith says her company, Plants Creative Landscapes, looks for culture fits with applicants. They provide a robust training program for people who fit in with their values and ethos even if they do not have a landscaping background. “We make a concerted effort to have an open-door policy when it comes to recruitment,” she says. “So, we’re looking for somebody who’s going to be a good fit for us culturally and who has a desire to learn and grow.” The next generation of employees will hold their employers more accountable for their actions within the company. It is less about what you say you stand for and more about what you are actively doing. “I think that culture is a little bit of
a buzzword, and anytime something becomes a buzzword, it sort of loses its meaning a little bit,” Smith says. “But I think
that the biggest thing for me when it comes to culture is authenticity and prac- ticing what you preach.”
NEW WAYS TO RECRUIT As the industry continues to evolve, we need to do a better job of showcasing the benefits of working in landscaping to attract future generations. Traditional recruitment methods, such as job fairs and online listings, may not be enough anymore. Companies need to get in front of students in the classroom to give them hands-on experience in landscaping, according to Westergard. Before he worked for LandCare, he was an instructor at Brigham Young University, so he has seen both sides of the recruitment process. If a company can work on a project with
a class, they get more direct interaction and can make a more significant impact. Students benefit because they learn from someone active in the industry, which lasts much longer than a giveaway they picked up from a job fair. “(If ) you are helping them with a project that they’re working on, (you are) getting right to the core audience, and you can have more time to interact with them in a more personal way,” he says. Finding the right talent may require
looking beyond the green industry. Smith came from a retail background when she joined Plants Creative Landscaping. She was drawn to the company because she wanted to make a more significant impact. The big box store where she was employed did not necessarily offer the same opportunity. “I think there’s a lot of focus on the
employee experience as an industry and keeping really great people in working in the industry,” she says. “(But) recruiting outside of the industry to places where they might not have the landscaping knowledge, but they have a desire to work
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