When employers are struggling to fill open positions, it becomes even more important to be very selective during the hiring process. This may seem counterintuitive, but let me explain. Do you remember a time when it was relatively easy to fill an open position? I sure do. I recall looking through a stack of applications whenever a position opened up.... read more
It’s essential to identify and create an efficient workflow. Job sequencing is essential to efficient landscape operations, especially maintenance. After each visit, a customer expects an attractive, complete job; hence, you need an organized, sequential approach to achieving a quality service. Job sequencing is the arrangement of the task to be performed or processed in a particular order. Simply put,... read more
Data is the building block of scientific research, which is why it’s useful for backing up claims. Data also is a resource that becomes more valuable as it becomes smarter. Your data systems can work day and night without bathroom breaks, gaining insights about your business. You just have to plan for it. People assume Amazon.com revolutionized retail by accelerating... read more
Determine a candidate’s strengths and empower employees for success. Doesn’t every new hire result in a better crew that produces better-than-current results? Well, not really. Our experience has shown that more than half the time, a new hire doesn’t work out. However, we know that by following a hiring process, we can reduce that percentage and have happier employees that... read more
Growth for the sake of growth is not a worthy goal. But growth matters, and I’ll share some reasons why with you. If a tree isn’t growing, something is wrong; it could be the soil conditions, nutrition, disease, improper planting or something else. If you’re an arborist, you’re going to evaluate both the tree and the site and then make... read more
Doug Rauch retired as president of Trader Joe’s nearly a decade ago. But there’s still one question he gets more than any other: “What’s the secret to Trader Joe’s success?” Rauch reels at the question, because, as he said, “Trader Joe’s tells the world how they do things.” The grocery store started as a 7-Eleven convenience store “knockoff,” grew to... read more
