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How to Hire Landscapers and Groundskeepers
By Susan Doktor MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
*Content includes branded mentions of our sponsor ZipRecruiter.
Willow trees, flower beds, rose bushes, stone walls, fountains — they all make the world a happier place. Many of us go through our days never considering the amount of work it takes to maintain these landscape features. Nor do we think much about the cost. But a lot of time and money goes into making a home or place of business beautiful. That’s why hiring the best landscapers and groundskeepers to care for your property is so important.
How do you find the best landscaper workers? It’s a process. So we’ve partnered with ZipRecruiter, one of the best job listing sites for employers, to unravel the mysteries of this hiring challenge and provide you with a step-by-step guide to hiring qualified landscapers and groundskeepers.
What is a landscaper?
A landscaper is someone who works to make outdoor spaces more attractive. Landscapers may work in public parks, commercial and institutional settings, apartment complexes and outside private homes. Anywhere you see green spaces that are maintained, you’ll see a landscaper’s handiwork.
What do landscapers do?
That depends on how much skill a landscaper has. Multi-talented landscapers can be both visual artists and craftspeople. As visual artists, they imagine and design outdoor spaces, often in concert with building architects. They may amend the ground in an environment, adding terraces, hills and valleys. They specify where trees, shrubs, flower beds and other landscaper features such as garden benches will be situated. They pick the specific plants that will make up your outdoor space. A landscaper also knows which plant varieties will thrive in sunny, part-shade or full-shade positions. They know which plants require a lot of maintenance and which will do well with little attention and apply that knowledge to their designs.
But someone has to put those plants in the ground, right? That’s where the craft part of landscaping comes in. Depending on the size of the project, landscapers may work alone to bring their designs to life or with a team to execute their plans.
What is a groundskeeper?
Groundskeepers are responsible for maintaining large outdoor spaces, such as city parks, athletic fields and college campuses. After a garden has been designed and installed, it’s a groundskeeper’s responsibility to keep it looking neat and tidy.
What does a groundskeeper do?
Groundskeepers take on a lot of tasks, including keeping an outdoor space free of trash and natural debris, mowing lawns, pruning shrubs and trees, applying mulch and weeding flower beds. They also prepare outdoor spaces seasonally for new planting. And speaking of seasons, groundskeepers may also be responsible for hanging Christmas lights and other holiday decorations.
How to hire a landscaper and groundskeeper
Maybe you’re heading up your first recruiting project or you’ve never hired a landscaper or groundskeeper before. Or perhaps you’re trying to make the recruiting process you’ve followed in the past more efficient. In any case, these tried and true steps can help you make the best hiring decision.
Choose between hiring groundskeeping and landscape contractors or full-time employees
Business managers have to be budget conscious. You certainly don’t want to spend more than you have to on landscaping and groundskeeping services. So the first decision you have to make is whether to hire a full-time employee or rely on contractor help to keep your property in good shape. The answer will depend on how large a space you need managed and how complex the job of maintaining it is. If you only have a few shrubs to trim and a lawn to mow, hiring a contractor may be the most cost-effective decision. Bear in mind that many organizations begin by hiring a landscape designer or architect on a project basis, then hire full- or part-time employees to maintain their outdoor spaces day to day.
Decide which type of landscaper or groundskeeper you need
Like most professional disciplines, landscape design and maintenance have their share of specialized terminology. Finding the right words to describe who you’re looking for can simplify the task of finding the employee you’re looking for. Here are a few of the job titles you might come across. Choose the one that best explains your needs to narrow the field of applicants to your open position.
Landscape Architect: A professional who plans, designs and manages the outdoor environment. They use their knowledge of plants, soil and construction to create sustainable landscapes. They also consider the needs of the people who will use the space, such as accessibility, safety and comfort. Landscape architects typically hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in landscape architecture or a related field, such as architecture.
Landscape Designer: May perform many of the tasks taken on by landscape architects. Some, but not all, landscape designers hold a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. Some states also require landscape designers to be licensed.
Landscape Laborer: Landscape laborers do the physical work of putting the plants specified in a landscape design in the ground. They also perform maintenance tasks such as watering, weeding, pruning, lawn care, snow removal and general cleaning.
Yard Worker: Yard workers perform many of the same tasks as landscape laborers take on, but generally work in smaller environments such as private homes.
Groundsman: A groundsman (or groundswoman) is primarily concerned with maintaining an existing landscape in peak condition. Like landscaper laborers, they may perform such tasks as mowing, fertilizing and weeding. In addition, they may repair landscaping equipment and outbuildings, maintain sprinklers and other irrigation systems, and control pests that may invade the environment. Groundsmen are usually employed to look after large estates and commercial and institutional properties.
Create a groundskeeper and landscaper job description
The first step in hiring the best candidate for your open role is creating a thoughtful and accurate job description. As you can see, there is a lot of responsibility overlap in all of the job titles mentioned above. So give some thought to which title you want to start your job description with. Don’t oversell your position by calling your landscape laborer position by the title landscape designer, for example.
Once you’ve settled on the most accurate job title for your open role, it’s time to explain in detail what the job entails and what qualifications you expect candidates to have. You can start by listing tasks. Then move on to the number of years of experience you expect a candidate to have. Next, you can discuss any educational qualifications you expect from a potential employee. Finally give some thought to the personality and character traits you’d like to see in an employee, such as independence, the ability to work on a team, passion for the job and more.
If you need help getting started with your job description, you can refer to ZipRecruiter’s landscape designer job template for help.
Evaluate the experience, skills and qualifications of job applicants
There are more than 50 colleges and universities that offer degrees in landscape architecture and design. You’re likely to receive a lot of applications for your job. The challenge is to review all of the resumes you receive fairly. If you work for a large company, you may be able to turn to your HR department for help. Some departments are equipped with resume-scanning software that you can customize to separate the figurative wheat from the chaff. If you decide to post your job on a major job posting site like ZipRecruiter, the site will filter resumes down to a list of only the most qualified candidates, based on keywords and qualifications you select. With any luck, you’ll wind up with a handful of candidates that you’d like to learn more about by interviewing them.
Start the interview process
Interviews may be conducted by phone, video chat or in person. Some companies start with phone or video interviews to further narrow the list of candidates they wish to interview in person. But no matter which interview method you choose, it’s best to come prepared with a list of carefully selected questions. Asking the same questions of all candidates levels the playing field and helps you make an informed hiring decision.
Each question you ask is likely to lead to significant discussion. So you don’t need a long list of questions to fill an hour’s worth of interview time. Here are a few sample interview questions to consider using when you interview candidates for landscaping positions:
How well-educated are you in landscape design? A candidate’s educational background is indicative of his or her knowledge base. The more a candidate has studied landscape design, the more tasks he or she is likely to be able to perform.
What knowledge and skills do you consider essential for this position? A candidate’s answer to this question will demonstrate how fully he or she understands the role you’re trying to fill. Since candidates are likely to mention skills and knowledge they possess, you can glean a lot about the depth of their experience.
Describe the most complex landscaping project you’ve ever taken on. This question will reveal whether a candidate has the experience to take on landscape architecture and design, or whether his skills are better suited to the execution of existing environmental plans. This is especially important if you’re building an environment from scratch or making renovations to an existing property.
Are you willing to work any time of day and in all weather conditions? Depending on the type of worker you’re hiring, landscaping can be a year-round job. If you expect a landscaper worker to shovel snow, for example, he or she should be comfortable working in freezing temperatures. If you operate a business or institution, you may not want your landscapers to perform their duties during regular business hours. Workers who are willing to start early or stay late can make landscaping projects less disruptive.
What safety measures do you take when performing your duties? Landscape workers often operate potentially dangerous equipment. They also are likely to lift heavy loads and work with toxic chemicals during the course of their duties. When a worker gets hurt on the job — or even worse, causes injury to another — an employer has a big headache on their hands. It’s essential that anyone you hire take safety seriously and follow safety protocols routinely.
It’s a good idea to take notes during each interview you conduct. That way you’ll have reference points when it comes time to make your hiring decision.
Choose your new hire
It’s possible that one candidate you interview will blow you away and leave you saying, “Eureka! We’ve found the perfect fit for the job!” But in some candidate searches, the choice is not quite so clear.
If that’s the case, going through a final, formal evaluation process can help. Using a checklist that compares candidates according to the same criteria eliminates our innate biases and gives each candidate a fair shake. First, list the evaluation criteria you want to apply. These may include years of experience, education, versatility, communication skills, attitude toward collaboration and more. Go through the list of qualifications and assign a grade — say 1 through 5 stars — and decide how well each candidate meets them. Next, do a little math and come up with an average rating. The candidate with the highest score is most likely the best choice.
How to find a landscaper for hire
There are a number of ways you can conduct a landscaping employee search. You may want to use several methods to expose your job listing to more qualified candidates.
Word of mouth is always an option. Is there a property near your own that you’ve admired? There’s no harm in approaching the landscaper and asking whether he or she has any recommendations for someone with similar skills.
Local daily and weekly newspapers have classified sections where you can place a help wanted ad. If you go the classified ad route, be aware that you’ll have to be very succinct in telling candidates what you’re looking for. Classified ads are priced according to the space they take up or the number of words they contain. You’ll also pay for each time your ad appears in the publication and costs can add up.
Many people opt for posting their open positions on ZipRecruiter for maximum exposure. In addition to their broad reach, such sites offer many value-added features. For example, ZipRecruiter actively sends your job listing to qualified candidates so you don’t have to wait for them to find your listing.
Finally, you might consider contacting those colleges that offer landscape design and architecture degree programs. These schools support their graduates by posting job openings on their websites. The service is most often free to employers.
Landscapers vs gardeners
You might think that “landscaper” is just a fancy word for “gardener”, but in fact, there are some significant differences. And over the course of caring for your property, there are times when you might want to hire one, the other or both.
The word landscaper often refers to a “big idea” person — someone with the vision and knowledge to design an outdoor environment literally from the ground up. They’re typically educated in architecture or design. Landscapers specify many features of an outdoor environment, including lighting, sidewalks and pathways, lawns, arbors and retaining walls. Gardeners are more likely to be educated in botany or horticulture, the study of plants. They focus on plant care, not necessarily design. Gardeners are more akin to landscaper workers, though they may be better educated in treating plant diseases and pest control.
How to hire a landscaper and groundskeeper FAQ
How much do landscapers make?
How much does it cost to hire a landscaper?
Is hiring a landscaper worth it?
Summary of Miami Herald’s how to hire landscapers and groundskeepers
Follow these steps to make the most of the time and money you spend recruiting a landscape worker:
- Decide what type of landscape worker you need. Try to be specific as you can with your job title because “landscaper” can mean a lot of things.
- Write a clear, thorough job description so candidates will know if they’re qualified to do the job and you’ll always have a clear idea of who you’re looking for.
- Advertise your job listing. For the greatest exposure, consider a major job posting site like ZipRecruiter.
- Refer to your job description as you view resumes to see how candidates’ skills align with your needs.
- Use the same criteria to evaluate each candidate.
- Prepare thoughtful interview questions before you begin the interview process.
- Take notes during each interview you conduct and use the information you collect to evaluate each candidate and make your best hiring decision.