BUILDING YOUR TEAM
Integrating Technology to Recruit and Retain Employees
By Jill Odom
ADOPTING MORE TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR OPERATIONS NOT ONLY HELPS with your company’s efficiency, but can also communicate to new hires that you are a forward-thinking business.
Rather than having the mindset of ‘if
it’s not broke, don’t fix it,’ integrating new types of technology shows your commit- ment to innovation and can make tasks less demanding. “Technology, of any kind, should make
your life easier by reducing friction,” Michael Mayberry*, CTO for Level Green Landscape, based in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. “If technology isn’t making your life easier, it is probably not set up correctly, not being used correctly, or is the wrong selection for the task. It should allow people to reduce the time neces- sary to complete certain tasks, therefore, allowing them more personal time and being able to manage more work.”
PIQUING THEIR INTEREST As for what type of technology matters
to job candidates and current employees, it ranges from business software like Aspire to equipment like robotic mowers. Joe Chiellini, CEO and founder of ASI Landscape Management, based in Tampa, Florida, says Aspire stands out as being important to both their seasoned workers and younger employees. “Digital timekeeping is a must,” Mayber-
ry says. “I think that more and more peo- ple in the industry are using production platforms (i.e., Aspire, BOSS, LMN, etc.) and that helps attract younger employees.” Chiellini says while they don’t promote the usage of certain technologies like ArborNote or Weathermatic to outsiders, he says word of mouth about them has brought in new hires. “It attracted probably one of the irriga- tion technicians we have,” Chiellini says.
“He was fresh out of college; the pandem- ic hit, he was out of work and found us.” Pam Dooley, owner of Plants Creative Landscapes, based in Scottdale, Georgia, says her employees and job candidates have been most intrigued with robotic mowers.
“Our initiative to be 100 percent battery
power in our maintenance division by the end of 2024 has also been very well re- ceived,” Dooley says. “Embracing the gains of technology is a big part of our culture. Whether we’re messaging customers or future employees, we do our best to qual- ify good fits for Plants Creative as early as possible.” Mayberry says they make a point to tell their job candidates that they are a digi- tal-first company and their employment ads for managers highlight a need for someone proficient in computer skills. Joe Stark, marketing director for
Ground Works Land Design, based in Cleveland, Ohio, adds that having even simple communication platforms like Slack or Teams can mean a lot to younger generations. Having these technologies not only
sets your employees up for success, but also helps provide a better work-life balance for your team. Chiellini says the days of people wanting to work overtime constantly are gone. “They don’t want to hear they ought to
work 70 hours a week or 60,” Chiellini says. “They don’t care about overtime. They want to work 40 hours and go home, so if technology brings that to fruition, then we need to do it.” Dooley adds that while technology al- lows them to work smarter and automate redundant tasks, it also positively impacts efficiency, sustainability, and customer value.
FINDING NEW TECHNOLOGY These companies have been intentionally seeking out new technology to improve their employees’ lives for years now. “We consider ourselves and we coin
ourselves as innovative and technology forward,” Stark says. “There’s a difference between saying that and putting your
32 The Edge //May/June 2023
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