Want Better Employees? Use These 3 Pre-Hire Filters That Actually Work

Let’s just say it out loud…

Some folks who apply for jobs today shouldn’t be trusted to change a lightbulb, much less represent your lawn or landscaping business out in the field.

You know the type. The lazy. The clueless. The kind who say they’re “hard workers” but show up late on Day One wearing flip-flops and smelling like vape juice and broken promises.

Now before we go blamin’ society or the schools, let’s own up to this one simple fact:

It’s not their fault for applying.
It’s your fault if you let ’em in the door.

See, we’ve got a little saying here at the Super Lawn Toolkit headquarters:

“Most job seekers will never be a good fit for your company.”

It’s right there in the pages of The Landscaper’s Guide to Finding, Hiring and Keeping Great Employees. So what do you do with that truth?

You build a system that weeds out the lazy and magnifies the motivated.

You put up hurdles that scare off the weak and light up the winners.

Let me show you three of my favorite, field-tested, lawn-business-approved pre-hire strategies that help you do exactly that.

💡 Step 1: The Automated Video = Your First Filter

We call it the Perfect Invitation Script, and it’s a game-changer.

Instead of wasting your time with the “one-click apply” crowd, you record a short video where you explain:

• Who you are
• Why your company exists
• What kind of people succeed on your team
• Who shouldn’t apply
• Exactly what to do next

Then — and this is the key — you give clear instructions like:

“Watch the video. If you like what you hear, call us between 12 noon and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday to have your 10-minute phone interview. No call? No consideration.”

You’d be surprised how many people fail this first test. And that’s great. You only want the ones who can follow instructions and care enough to act.

Here’s a little secret (not really a secret), sarcasm intended. If they can’t follow instructions BEFORE you hire them…they sure won’t follow instructions AFTER you hire them! Get it?

And buddy, when you hear ‘em say, “Yeah I saw your video and really liked what you said about this opportunity,” you know you’re on to something.

We give you the 6-question phone script in the book. Print it. Use it. Stick it by the phone. Never skip these 6 questions! NEVER! Get the book here: https://superlawntoolkit.com/great-employees/

🧠 Step 3: The Pre-Employment Assignment

Here’s where you really separate the “talkers” from the “doers.”

We never give pre-employment assignments to those who could not pass the 10-minute phone interview. We just politely wish them luck with their job search.

But…after receiving good answers during the 10-minute phone call, we give ‘em a homework assignment — something simple but revealing. Examples include:

• A basic math worksheet (for estimating roles)
• A “provide a maximum one page written summary of today’s meeting in Microsoft word and email it to this email address as an attached file” (to gauge follow-through and communications skills for office positions)
• Showing up in person with ID and proof of a driver’s license at a specific time of day that they TELL YOU is good for them (crew members)
• If you would like to move forward with this job opportunity, go to the local DMV and get a copy of your driver history report and bring it to our office at this date and time (for driver positions)

What matters is they follow through.

Lazy folks vanish. The capable ones lean in.

And by the time you offer that in-person interview or trial day… guess what?

You’ve filtered out the flakes and are talking to the right kind of folks — the ones who actually WANT to work, CAN follow instructions, and SHOW they care.

🧢 But Tony… What If I Don’t Have Time?

Listen, I’ve heard it all.

“I don’t have time to make a video.”
“It sounds complicated.”

“What if people don’t apply?”

“I’m a small employer without fancy benefits.”

Let me say this from one small business owner to another:

If you’ve got time to complain about your employees, you’ve got time to fix your hiring process.

You’re not just some guy mowin’ grass or diggin’ holes.
You’re an employer.
You’re a job creator.
You’re the backbone of the American economy.

It’s time you acted like it.

Big corporate landscape companies can’t do what you can. They don’t care like you care. They’ll never make a personal video. They’ll never hold a 10-minute phone call. They’ll never assign a task to test motivation. But you can.

✅ Wrap It Up, Boss

If you want better employees, you’ve got to stop begging — and start filtering.

These three simple techniques:

1. The Automated Hiring Video
2. The 10-Minute Phone Interview
3. The Pre-Employment Assignment

…they don’t cost money. They don’t require a fancy HR degree. And they don’t take long to set up.

But they WILL protect your time, your sanity, and your bottom line.

We’re training landscape business owners all over this great country how to implement these techniques step-by-step — and when they do, they start hiring with confidence.

Are you ready to stop hoping and start hiring smart?

We can help.

Invest in your education by following this step-by-step guide: https://superlawntoolkit.com/great-employees/

To your hiring success,
Tony Bass
Founder, Super Lawn Toolkit
Employer. System Builder. Defender of the Small Business Dream.

PS – If you were going to spend $15k on a lawn mower or $80k on a truck or $120k on a new skid loader, I’ll bet you shop around before you buy. That’s what this hiring process can do for you. Hiring is a marketing and purchasing function.

You are responsible for hiring good help and avoiding the knuckle-heads.  Here’s the step-by-step plan: https://superlawntoolkit.com/great-employees/