Labor shortage
Writing in the August 2020 issue of Lawn and Landscape magazine, Jim Huston mentions that finding qualified labor is the number one challenge for landscape contractors in the United States. And I feel like it’s the same in Canada. It’s definitely the case on the West Coast.
Considering the weird COVID-19 times we’re in, it’s a blessing to have lots of work and be labelled as essential. But still, who will do the work?
Meet Tony
Let’s meet Tony, an overweight gamer who lost his job when COVID-19 hit the West Coast this spring. Happy to find employment, Tony gave it a go but it was a struggle for him to get through the full day.
Jim Huston mentions that many imported workers from Puerto Rico weren’t up to the “physical requirements of the work.” Yeah, I know all about it after twenty one seasons in the field. The two seasons I spent working at a municipality were much easier physically but much harder psychologically.
Landscaping and tree work are physically demanding and the work is done outdoors in all sorts of weather. Also, the summers are getting hotter and some of the heavy November rains can really test you.
Fortunately, I’ve always been physically active so sweating doesn’t spook me. I’ve done many trail running races in the past; and before my kids were born, I was a cross-country mountain bike racer. Poor Tony is an out of shape gamer so it was a struggle for him.
Then Tony got lucky. The Canadian government announced new financial aid for workers affected by COVID-19 and Tony was gone. He’d collect $2,000 per month to sit at home and play games.
Working interview
Jim Huston writes that with millions out of work in the United States, you’d expect people to be jumping on landscaping jobs. But it’s not happening. Even when workers show up, fill-out applications and even show up for work they’re “generally not up to the physical requirements of the work.”
Recently, I heard about a teenager we’ll call Danny; a skinny dude with flimsy shoes and wireless beads in his ears. He showed up for a working interview, on time, and got the best on-boarding available. He was introduced to push mowing like most new landscapers and he was monitored and given feedback. Even some encouragement.
By 11:30, he was sitting behind a work truck in a heap, clearly spent. Somehow he made it to lunch at 12. That’s when he informed his supervisor that this probably wasn’t the kind of job he’d be good at. And like Tony, he was gone.
The solution?
This is where Jim Huston surprised me. Instead of devising some ways to entice new workers to come in or some nasty tricks to poach workers from other companies, he says “raise your prices!” The green industry market is doing well so just raise your prices and explain to your clients what’s happening. Interesting.
