Tina Czysz talks about two kinds of employees — the ones who are perfectly happy where they are, and the ones who can’t wait to get ahead.
If you’re already mapping out your next career move, and the one after that, the landscaping career options are limitless, she says. But training and education are key.
We talk with two key players in Greenscape, Inc.’s education and training program — Czysz, director of human resources, and Roger Beale, training and quality manager — about the education and training options that can help your career soar.
It Starts With The Basics
If you’re a new hire at Greenscape, you’ll get to know Roger Beale pretty well.
He was hired in September as quality and training manager — a new position Greenscape created.
“It’s rare for a landscaping company to have this position,” Beale says. “That right there shows the company’s commitment to the issue.”
He trains new employees on all the basics, from how to operate the various pieces of landscaping equipment to what to expect out in the field.
He’s the guy who watches while you demonstrate your proficiency on the machinery, so he can be sure you know what you’re doing out there.
“The safety of our employees when they’re out in the field is A number one,” Czysz says. “Keeping them safe is to everybody’s benefit.”
Interested in moving up in the company to a higher position? Beale is the key player here, too. He works with employees to teach them additional skills, even joining them out in the field for one on one instruction to help get them to the next level.
If this interests you, your first step is to talk to your manager.
Next Up: Ambition
Offer all the landscaping career opportunities you want, but they’re no good without employee ambition.
“We’re willing to invest the time and money, but the employee has to want to learn it,” Czysz says. “Realize it takes time. Career growth is a journey — not a destination.”
Education On Site
While Beale offers one-on-one or group training in the field, Greenscape is starting to offer classes on site, too.
The latest: plant identification classes. If you have a horticulture degree, chances are you can identify one turf grass from another, know the difference between a flowering crabapple and a dogwood and can rattle off the names of at least five ornamental grasses.
But not everybody takes that route. And plant identification is an integral part of the landscaping field.
So watch for classes offered during the work day, on site, for free.
Also in the works: English as a second language classes. Employees who want to boost their English skills can take classes at Greenscape in the evenings. Again, free of charge.
Training Beyond The Workplace
There are lots of landscaping training and certification courses offered off site, by other organizations.
Pesticide certification. Irrigation. Certified landscape technician. Paver installation.
“We encourage employees to pursue these, and we fund it,” Czysz says.
Pesticide training and certification happens through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Beale says.
Need help studying for the test? Beale is happy to offer study help and will even help you schedule your test.
Several other certifications are available through the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
Interested? Let your manager know.
Tapping Employee Potential
Czysz loves talking about employee growth. It’s a win-win, she says. Employees better themselves and move up in their careers, and Greenscape holds onto valuable people.
“As our company grows and expands and we identify our needs, we look at individuals who have drive and leadership qualities,” she says. “We go to them and tell them we have some growth and development opportunities.”
She knows some employees might say, ‘No, thanks.” “Some say, ‘I don’t want the hassle of being a manager,’” Beale says. “I get that. Machines don’t talk back. People do.”
But if they say yes, the next step is a growth and development meeting with their manager. Together, they review where they are in their career, where they’d like to be, and what they need to do in order to get there.
That information is funneled to Beale, who tells the employee what they need to work on.
Moving Up
There’s plenty of room for advancement at Greenscape, Czysz says. Just look around.
“Some of our most successful managers moved up from much lower levels and have grown into their new positions,” Czysz says.
Why move up?
“There are monetary advantages,” Beale says. “Your weekly paycheck increases and benefits change as you move up. Plus, expanding your book of knowledge, increasing what you know, feels good.”
For many, that urge to improve is human nature, Czysz says.
“Everybody needs to feel a sense of achievement,” she says. “Some people are perfectly happy staying in their lane. They show up every day, they do a great job, and that’s their satisfaction. They’re comfortable with that and they do fabulous.”
She estimates that’s about 30 percent of the workforce.
“The other 70 percent are always looking for that competitive edge,” she says. “They want to be part of something that prospers and grows.”
How to get there? Continued education and training.
“Knowledge is power,” Czysz says, “and power gives you opportunities.”
Let’s face it, she says: everybody loves perks.
“Some people like travel,” she says. “Some like nice cars. Along with career growth comes the perks and bonuses that allow you to keep ahead.
“Who doesn’t want to make more money?” she says. “We give people the path.”
Happy Employees Stay Put
Greenscape employees are a pretty great bunch, Czysz says. She’d like to see them stick around.
“The ultimate goal is retention,” she says. “Turnover is costly.
“Employees who feel a sense of achievement, who feel empowered, who feel safe on the job, who feel they’re set up for success, want to stay,” she says. “People thrive on these things.
“But their buy-in is key,” she says. “Greenscape can want all this until the cows come home, but if the employees don’t feel the value of it, it isn’t real.
“Once you have retention, you can focus on relationships,” she says. “Relationships with clients, relationships with co-workers.”
Creating The Experience — For Everybody
Everybody who works at Greenscape — no matter what the position — starts with a commitment to the five core values that guide the company and its people.
They are:
— Communication: Keeping each other informed and involved
— Learning: Being motivated to grow
— The Experience: People-focused service
— Appreciation: Each person is important
— Teamwork: Achieving our goals together
“One of our values is creating the experience for our clients,” Czysz says. “But we need to create the experience for our employees, too. Happy employees make happy clients.
“People are our number one asset,” she says. “It’s important to us that our employees feel successful, accomplished, safe and trained.”
The benefits of great training are far-reaching, Czysz says.
“If you’re not trained and empowered, all the challenges you face every day, from traffic to equipment breakdowns, all those things add up and it becomes frustrating and debilitating,” Czysz says. “If you feel trained and accomplished, when you’re faced with a challenge you can move through it to the best solution.”
Like she says, it’s a win-win.
“Greenscape makes the investment, we end up retaining good people, they build tenure,” she says.
“Then employees begin to recognize that Greenscape is also creating the experience for them.”
Do You Have What It Takes?
If you have the right skills and the right attitude, there’s plenty of room for landscape career opportunities here at Greenscape. We’d love to tell you more.
We’ve been meeting the full-service landscaping needs of commercial and residential customers in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary areas for more than 35 years. We couldn’t offer our award-winning services without top-notch employees.
Interested in joining our Green Team? We’d love to meet you.