Let me tell y’all a true story that might just change the way you think about hiring.
We had a birthday party this week. Not just any party, mind you—this was at a newly opened, sit-down, full-service restaurant. One of those joints that opens its doors and BAM—everybody in town shows up. The place was packed. Festive. Loud. Full of energy. There was even a one-hour wait just to get a table.
Now I ain’t here to review restaurants, but I am gonna show you how this dinner turned into a masterclass in employee recruiting.
We had a group of ten friends join us. The minute I stepped onto the property, I noticed the uniforms. Every employee—from hostess to server, bartender to cook, even the managers—wore the same thing: blue jeans and a black tee. Simple. But it’s what was printed on the back of that shirt that caught my eye.
A great big red heart ♥️ with the words: “I LOVE MY JOB.”
That message wasn’t just printed on the shirt—it showed on every face I saw. There were more than 50, maybe 100 people working that restaurant. Mostly young, mostly enthusiastic, and yep—mostly smiling. That’s rare these days.
So I pulled a typical Tony move and started interviewing our server right there at the table. (It always makes my friends uncomfortable, but my wife and kids are used to my interviews.)
“How long you been working here?”
“Since we opened.”
“You in school or already graduated?”
“I graduated high school three years ago.”
“Where were you working before this?”
“Dollar General.”
That raised my eyebrows. Big difference from the energy here.
“How long did you work there?”
“Just over 3 years.”
“Why’d you leave?”
“They screwed me over. I was hired part-time, but worked full-time hours. I asked to be paid full-time wages, but they never fixed it.”
“What were you making?”
“$12 an hour.”
“And full-timers were getting?”
“$14 an hour.”
Folks, I about spit out my sweet tea.
This gal worked her tail off at Dollar General for over 3 years, asked for what she deserved, and when she didn’t get it—she walked. And do you know how she found this new job? A friend told her about it.
Now let’s break this down into three powerful lessons for lawn and landscape contractors who need to hire (youth) right now.
LESSON 1: Uniforms Create Credibility
If you want to look like a great place to work, then you better dress like a great place to work. That black t-shirt with the red heart said everything: “I LOVE MY JOB.” ❤️
Now let me ask you: Do your employees wear matching uniforms? Do they have a professional, consistent look when they show up at jobsites? Could a customer glance out the window and see pride in your team?
If not—don’t expect youth (or anyone) to line up to work for you. A uniform may cost you $10–$20, but the impression it makes is worth thousands in employee value and customer trust.
LESSON 2: You’re Already Paying More Than the Big Boys
You ever gripe about how high wages have gone? Think about this—Dollar General is a massive, publicly traded company, and they’re hiring loyal workers at $12 to $14 an hour.
Meanwhile, y’all are offering $18, $20, even $25 an hour and still struggling to hire?
That means you’ve got an advantage! You’re already paying more, so use it! But don’t just pay well—treat people well, and they’ll stay.
LESSON 3: Referrals Still Win
This server didn’t respond to an ad. She didn’t get recruited off Indeed, Zip Recruiter, Handshake, Glassdoor, Zip Recruiter or LinkedIn. She came because a friend invited her.
If you need 1, 10, or 100 people to join your team this summer, start inside your own business:
- Ask your employees for referrals.
- Put signs on your trucks and out in front of your shop.
- Post “We’re Hiring” on your website, your Facebook, and yes—on the back of your tee shirts and even your business cards.
But personal referrals? That’s where the gold is.
BONUS LESSON: Summer Workers Leave? That’s No Excuse
Now here comes the excuse I hear every spring:
“Tony, I don’t wanna train high school or college kids. They leave in August and I still need help in the fall!”
Well, let me hit you with some hard truth. I hope we can still be friends after this one…
If you’re an employer, it’s your damn job to always be recruiting—and then teaching.
That’s not just my opinion. That’s covered in Step #1 in The Landscaper’s Guide to Finding, Hiring and Keeping Great Employees. We gotta get your mind right first!
You think the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs stops recruiting because some of his best players graduate every year? Heck no! He knows championship teams are built with consistent, intentional recruiting.
You want a winning crew? Then start acting like a head coach. Always be recruiting, then teaching!
Final Word on Recruiting Landscape Employees
School’s out. Graduation season is here. There are fresh, eager workers right in your community who are ready to earn, learn, and grow.
But they’re not gonna knock on your door unless you invite them in.
So here’s your next move:
👉 Get the full hiring system that’s already helped hundreds of contractors build stronger teams. We discounted the price so you can easily afford the training package.
Includes the book + policies + job ads + job offers + training guides + videos + a $250 one-on-one call with me.
I’d like to help you…and I can take on six new clients this month. Buy now, click here.
You don’t have an employee problem.
You have a recruiting system problem.
Let’s fix it—together.
Tony Bass, founder, employer and proud recruiter of youth
PS – If you think I’m jerking your chain about this recruiting YOUTH stuff – you are flat wrong. I live this stuff in my own company. You will see that we put some serious effort into the idea because we are recruiting youth year after year.
Check out this YOUTH ATTRACTION page and watch the videos that show you how we excel at recruiting youth. Yes – click here and watch the two videos…or just keep complaining about employees at your company. The choice is yours 🙂
PPS – just in case this is something you need to work on more or need more help with, check out our links below for more on this subject!
Build Lawn Crews the Smart Way… playbook
Can’t Find Good Help? Why Ain’t You at Graduation?
Employees: The #1 Reason You Want to Quit the Lawn Biz
Want Better Employees? Use These 3 Pre-Hire Filters
Keeping Lawn Employees – Hand Written Notes Outperform Bonuses
