Hardscape Growth How to Build a Landscape Company People Want to Work For | Hiring, Retention & Culture
11 snips
Jan 27, 2026 
Lisa Riess, HR leader with 20+ years shaping people strategy and benefits. Chris Mace, VP of Construction & Design with 20+ years in landscape design-build and operations. They discuss reframing landscaping as a career, guaranteed pay and predictable income, clear career paths and internal mobility, the real cost of turnover, and practical training and retention tactics for small to mid-sized companies.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Budget For Year-Round Pay
- Budget compensation and benefits up front so guarantees and training are sustainable.
- Treat guaranteed pay and benefits as a cost of doing business, not an optional luxury.
Guarantees Win Recruiting
- Offering a pay guarantee becomes a clear recruitment advantage in a seasonal industry.
- Financial consistency wins candidates when competing against firms without guarantees.
Use Subsidies To Stabilize Winter Pay
- Use government programs (like SUB in Canada) to top up seasonal earnings and retain staff.
- Combine EI/work-share with employer top-ups to give employees about 90% of summer pay in winter.