One of the first things people might think about when a new landscape project starts is all the powerful equipment that creates scenic landscapes. Yet, what really powers each and every amazing landscape is the people.
Without reliable, knowledgeable landscaping professionals, no landscape project would be completed successfully. But what powers those top-tier workers?
Appreciation.
Showing appreciation may not appear to be an obvious factor when it comes to landscaping projects that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, what gives life to Earth’s most iconic trees are the hidden roots.
In the same way, Yellowstone Landscape believes a landscaping company’s culture can be built and sustained through proper care, recognition, and appreciation for its employees. That includes every job position because our people are the DNA of our business.
The Importance of Staff Appreciation in Commercial Landscaping Jobs
The Society for Human Resource Management reports that 79% of employees who quit their jobs cite "lack of appreciation" as a key factor. Just imagine all the great employees who walked away from a company that could have kept those individuals if they had made more effort.
Losing quality workers doesn’t only hurt the company. It has a negative impact on the company’s clients as well. Not just in the short-term, but in the long-run as the company’s reputation is damaged and will have fewer people seeking employment with them as a result.
At Yellowstone Landscape, we want the best for our people. “Our people” include anyone that our business impacts. We make the highest effort to take care of our staff and show appreciation to them and their families. They’re the backbone of our company. How they’re treated directly impacts how they perform for our clients.
We’ll talk about personal perks in a bit. But here are a few ways we show appreciation for our team members:
- Matching 401k
- Healthcare benefits
- Helping those on the H-2B program navigate the legal requirements properly
- Assist team members with updating various licenses
- Our Culture of Safety is meant to protect our employees and people in work areas
- Yellowstone provides personal protection equipment to each employee
- Seasonal incentives paid out each November
How Every Role Contributes to Creating Beautiful Spaces
Much like you can’t have a perfect athletic field without the best mowers, a great nutrient program, and smart irrigation systems, the same goes for building a top-notch landscaping company. Every role, from entry-level to senior management, makes an impact on how the company performs and the results it produces for clients.
Laborers are the folks who get their hands dirty on commercial landscaping jobs and bring beautiful designs to life. They are often the face of the company if they are on maintenance teams because they’re on a customer’s property week in, week out.
Managers are the face of senior leadership for laborers and are crucial for helping these hardworking people feel valued. Hiring the right people is part of management’s role combined with retaining the best of the best workers.
Another specialized role for landscaping providers is a horticulturist. This role involves:
- Designing sustainable green spaces (both outside and inside—with interiorscaping)
- Monitoring and improving soil conditions
- Treating plant diseases and controlling the spread of diseases
Moving on to those perks we mentioned.
Staff Appreciation at Yellowstone Landscape
At Yellowstone, we do our best to stand out as a leader in the green industry. We feel it’s our duty to lead by creating positive, memorable experiences for staff. Unique and personalized perks are great ways to do that and enhance landscape company culture (examples below).
- Employee of the Month recognition
- Safety Awards
- Training and professional development opportunities
Going the extra mile matters because companies with structured recognition programs experience 31% lower voluntary turnover.
Another really popular thing we do that shows our appreciation to our people? Lunches and BBQs!
We don’t only do this for holiday events. If there’s something to celebrate (like a ten-year work anniversary), then we're going to fire up the grill. Little opportunities like this are easy to skip or forget about due to the busy season and other distractions. However, missing these opportunities adds up and then shows up in decreased employee satisfaction.
When employees are recognized, the positive ripple effects go beyond the individual. It spreads to their teammates and eventually becomes part of the company culture. Small actions like using your actual employees in company marketing materials and videos (versus stock images and videos) help them feel part of the company’s mission.
Why Landscape Team Recognition Drives Success
Almost every American knows something about the landscaping industry. Why? Because there are literally countless companies in the landscape business and their presence is highly visible in nearly all U.S. cities.
That means competition is fierce. This creates a lack of ideal candidates to work for all these landscape companies. To get the best employees (the only way to have a successful business), a company must put a focus on recognizing its workers.
Appreciation goes a long way with people working for a landscape company. You know this yourself if you’ve ever had a boss who simply said “thank you” on a regular basis versus one who never had any encouraging words. If you haven’t had those contrasting experiences, the following stats paint a good picture of how much employee recognition matters.
- 89% of employees who were recognized for their hard work reported higher job satisfaction
- 29% of employees feel undervalued due to lack of recognition
Job promotions from within also build team morale. That’s why roughly 75% of Yellowstone’s manager roles are filled internally.
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How to Show Appreciation in the Landscaping Industry
Now, it may seem strange that Yellowstone Landscape would offer tips for other landscaping companies so they can build a better company culture. However, one of our main missions is to help workers in the landscaping industry build a better life.
We want that for workers whether they join our team or another team.
The simplest way to show appreciation is to consistently say “thank you” to your staff. That doesn’t cost a dime. A written thank-you note is even more meaningful. Consider the few thank-you notes you’ve received in your entire life (yes, it’s a rare thing—especially today), and think about how those notes made you feel. Physical greeting cards for holidays mean a lot too.
Other suggestions to build a culture of appreciation include:
- “Catch them doing good” programs
- Highlight each week’s achievements
- Let peers nominate co-workers for recognition
- Offer choices for awards (i.e., time off vs. a bonus)
- Do company-wide health challenges with rewards
At Yellowstone, our recognition systems would not be as effective as they are if we didn’t focus on open communication. Our staff knows we really do want their feedback on various topics and trust that we’ll take action on important issues they bring to our attention.
It’s all about engagement. You must get your people to buy into your reward programs and show up at company events. If they aren’t, then have conversations with them about why and what changes would get them excited to participate.
Working For A Landscape Company Conclusion
Successful landscaping projects are not built overnight. They also have many moving parts that contribute to the ideal results. The most critical parts are the people working hard to turn property owners’ visions into lush lawns, attractive flower gardens, and handsome stands of trees.
These workers require the same diligent care it takes to maintain the green spaces they help create. Showing care is showing appreciation. And every human being, regardless of what job they have, has a basic need to feel appreciated.
Landscaping is hard physical work for those in the field. It can also be tough mentally for those managing teams and customer expectations.
Challenges like that make it obvious why the turnover rate is high in the green industry and why many job openings don’t have enough qualified candidates to fill them. The easiest way to overcome these struggles is to make maximum effort toward recognizing landscape employees. When appreciated, these individuals will stick with a good company, and the word will spread, leading to more high-quality applicants.
Yellowstone Landscape doesn’t rest on its laurels.
We’re constantly on the lookout for ways to take better care of our team members. We get great feedback from employees on our programs and we always ask what we can do better to show them how vital they are to our business.
Without the highest-quality workforce, we cannot stay in this competitive industry. We plan on remaining the gold standard for quality commercial landscapes by having a world-class workforce. If you want to work for a landscaping company that’ll treat you right, show appreciation, and help you develop your skills, please visit Yellowstone Landscape’s career page.
