The New Rules of Green Industry Recruiting

You want better leaders...branch managers, account reps, operations pros—the people who can truly grow your landscaping business.

But here’s the hard truth: the best candidates are passing you by.

Some never even see your opportunity. Others do their homework and quietly decide, “No thanks.”

And the worst part? You may have no idea why.

I recently sat down with Tito Caceres of Bloom Talent Solutions to unpack what’s quietly costing landscape companies their best mid- and upper-level candidates and, more importantly, how to turn it around.

We covered interview speed, org design, and how recruiters should actually partner with contractors.

But the drum I’m going to beat the loudest is this...Your employer brand is doing your first interview without you. If it’s weak, slow, or inconsistent, you lose A-players before step one.

This Year is Different, and Candidates are Choosier

Across the board, hiring has slowed. Owners are more cautious. Candidates are more cautious. That combination extends timelines and increases the risk that great people drift away.

Meanwhile, transparency has exploded. Candidates can now scan your website, LinkedIn, employee posts, Glassdoor chatter, YouTube clips, and customer reviews in minutes.

They’re not just looking for pay.  They’re looking for momentum, clarity, and proof. Your online presence is the proxy for all three.

Plus, AI is also now looking for this critical info (and candidates are using these tools).

Your Employer Brand is the Make-Or-Break Filter

When strong candidates evaluate a company, they’re asking one question: "What’s in it for me?" 

Image Source:  Outback Landscape

Can I win here? Will I grow here? Will I be proud to tell friends I work here? Your employer brand must answer “yes” quickly and credibly.

Here’s how to make that happen.

Treat Your Careers Page Like a Product or Service Page

• Make the value proposition explicit. Who thrives here, and why?

• Use headlines that say it plainly (“Grow a winning team. Lead with autonomy.”).
• Publish pay ranges when you can.  Where it’s legal and practical, pay transparency boosts trust and applications from better-qualified people.
• Define success. The first 90 days. The 12-month scoreboard. The metrics that matter.
• Add a day-in-the-life video. Two minutes of real team members beats 2,000 words of claims.

[RELATED READING:  14 Examples of Landscaping & Lawn Care Videos for Marketing or Recruiting]

Show Career Paths Clearly

Don’t make candidates imagine growth; illustrate it.

One of my favorite ways to visualize this is an interactive career path graphic: Operations, Sales, Support, and Leadership.

Click into each for the specific roles and progression. Also, highlight lateral moves. Our industry is full of people who begin in ops, discover they love sales, and may end up leading an entire branch.

The paths are all unique. Heck, I started in ops, moved to sales, spent some time in management, and eventually settled into marketing. 

When candidates see a world of possibilities, they lean in.

[RELATED READING:  Recruiting in the Green Industry: How to Create a Winning Employer Brand]

Put Your People Front and Center

A-players trust peers more than corporations. Capture short, authentic clips where your team talks about:

• A win they’re proud of (with visuals of the site or client).
• A hard problem they solved (how they approached it).
• How the work impacts others (families gathering in new spaces, property managers sleeping better because the portfolio runs smoothly).

Keep it human. Keep it specific. Post these to your careers page, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Fun fact that Tito pointed out. Some of the best candidates now maintain living portfolios on social.  Meet them where they already are.

Align Every Public Touchpoint

If your website says one thing, LinkedIn says another, and your job board copy is a third, doubt creeps in.

Create a single source of truth for role descriptions, values, and proof points, then make sure every channel matches.

Image Source:  Good's Tree & Lawn Care

Bonus points for addressing the “Who are you?” question. I was surprised to hear Tito say that candidates are increasingly asking if companies are privately owned or private equity-backed. 

There’s no right answer. Just be transparent about what that means for their career, resources, and opportunities.

Tie Craft to Purpose

We’re not just building patios. We’re creating places where families connect.

We’re not just managing commercial grounds. We’re removing stress for property managers so their tenants and teams thrive.

Purpose isn’t fluff. It helps candidates tangibly see the potential impact they could make. Let customers and employees carry that message for you in videos and case study stories.

Yes, You Still Need a Speedy, Simple, Candidate-First Process

Tito pointed out that a strong brand fills the top of the funnel. However, a clean process keeps great people in it.

For mid-level roles, three steps in an approximate 2-week timeframe is a healthy target.

1. Stage 1 (within 3–5 days): 20–30-minute Zoom to confirm mutual fit and expectations.
2. Stage 2 (week 1–2): Panel/tandem interview focused on scenarios and competencies.
3. Stage 3 (by end of week 2): On-site or leadership interview; tighten compensation package, success metrics, references, and start plan.

Image Source:  Gallivan Corporation

Tito also recommends protecting this initiative with evergreen interview blocks on leaders’ calendars (e.g., Tuesdays at 10 a.m.). If you’re always hiring, be always ready to interview and designate time away from following up on crews, holding other meetings, etc. 

Start with Structure: The Organizational Chart Before the Job Posting

Before you post anything, map your org. chart today and 6–8 quarters out. Identify real gaps, then decide if you need one role now or a phased plan.

Many “unicorn” listings split into two sensible hires or one hire with staged responsibilities. Clarity up front shortens the search and improves fit.

Where Recruiters Fit (and When)

Recruiters get a bad rap when they blast resumes. The good ones act as an extension of your brand: deep discovery, clear scorecards, pre-qualified candidates, and tight cadence.

If you lack the time or internal recruiting muscle, the cost of vacancy and cost of a mis-hire will dwarf a solid fee.

Your One-Week Employer Brand Sprint

If you want momentum fast, here’s a compact plan:

• Day 1–2: Audit 
  • Five-minute candidate journey: Google your company + “careers,” check LinkedIn, scan your site. List the gaps and inconsistencies.
• Day 3–4: Produce
  • Record three short team videos (a win, a problem solved, and why they stay). Draft a simple 90-day success outline for your top open role.
• Day 5: Publish
  • Update the careers page with the videos, success outline, and a simple career-path graphic (even a clean table works to start).
• Day 6–7: Promote
  • Post clips on LinkedIn from personal and company accounts. Ask your team to comment and share.

Then, put two weekly interview blocks on the calendar and commit to a 48-hour response time for applicants. You’ll feel the difference within a month.

People Work for Winners

Top talent wants to work for winners...companies doing great work with clarity, purpose, and pace.

That starts with the story you tell about the opportunity and the proof that backs it up. 

If you’d like to see how contractors we work with are telling that story with careers pages, video, social, etc., check out our client examples.

Image Source:  Level Green Landscaping

And if a critical leadership seat is open now, reach out to Tito Caceres at Bloom Talent Solutions and get a sharper slate in motion.

New rules, same principle: move with purpose, show the path, and make it easy for great people to say “yes.”

If you love helpful articles like this, consider joining 5,000+ green industry peers and subscribe to our blog. And, if you need help turning your website and marketing into a recruiting machine, request a consultation with us.