Three out of four landscape workers who quit in their first month cite poor onboarding — not pay — as their primary reason for leaving. Yet most companies still treat hiring as the finish line rather than the starting point. What happens after a candidate applies and eventually accepts an offer is what really determines whether they stay, perform and thrive.
At Bloom Talent Solutions, we’ve worked with landscape companies across the country, and one pattern keeps showing up: Companies aren’t losing people because of pay alone; the real culprits are unstructured interviews, abbreviated onboarding and unclear cultural expectations.
Here’s how to fix that, with simple, real-world improvements you can make right now.
Interview like it matters
The interview process is your first chance to make a real impression. Too often, it’s treated like a box to check. Candidates show up not knowing who they’re meeting or what to expect. Managers wing it. No one follows up.
Let’s be clear: Candidates today have options. They want clarity, respect and speed. The ones who don’t get those things walk.
To earn some quick wins in this area, try:
⦁ Sending a quick email or text before the interview with what to expect.
⦁ Using a short list of behavior-based questions for consistency.
⦁ Giving feedback — yes, even to the ones you don’t hire. It builds your reputation.
We’ve seen clients reduce ghosting by simply following up within 48 hours. That alone makes a huge difference.
Onboarding is where trust begins
We hear this from field employees all the time: “They just threw me out there.”
Onboarding isn’t just paperwork or safety training. It’s your chance to show new hires they made the right decision and help set them up for long-term success. A strong onboarding program should:
⦁ Have a clear first-week agenda.
⦁ Include a short welcome message from leadership about your company’s mission and purpose.
⦁ Deliver hands-on training for critical digital tools (scheduling apps, time tracking, routing systems) used in daily operations.
⦁ Introduce them to their team and pair them with a crew buddy to guide them through the first week.
⦁ Define what success looks like at 90 days, six months and a year.
⦁ Schedule a 30-day check-in to listen and support their progress.
The candidate experience = your brand
Even candidates you don’t hire are part of your brand. If they feel ignored or disrespected, they’ll tell others, and that reputation spreads.
If you want to be seen as a destination employer, act like one. That means quick replies, clear communication and a process that feels intentional. Consider using mobile-friendly applications, which we’ve seen consistently attract more applicants, and text updates to keep people engaged and reduce no-shows.
Industry-specific challenges
The landscape industry presents unique challenges with hiring and onboarding employees, so some equally unique tactics can help.
For your seasonal workforce, consider developing a “returnship” program that encourages top performers to return next season. Also, keep communication open during off-seasons with periodic check-ins. For a multi-lingual workforce, provide bilingual documentation for critical onboarding materials, and ensure training resources are available in multiple languages.
Success stories
We’ve seen remarkable transformations when landscape companies prioritize the candidate experience, including seasonal workers returning at higher rates the next year and higher-quality candidates joining despite pay staying the same.
The bottom line is that hiring is just the start. What happens between a candidate’s first interaction and the end of their first 30 days decides whether they become a long-term asset or just another turnover stat.
Audit your current process and ask yourself:
⦁ Do we follow up?
⦁ Do new hires feel supported?
⦁ Would I want to go through our hiring process?
Make just one or two changes, and you’ll see the difference. Because in landscaping, success doesn’t come from just filling roles. It comes from building trust from day one.
