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  • Home
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Blog

Make The Right Choice: The Do’s and Dont’s of Recruitment

June 11, 2019

Our Director, Holly Youde, understands the best ways to find the perfect candidates to join your team. Here is the article written for Pro Landscaper Magazine which outlines how to do so.

Recruitment can be difficult for any business. Holly Youde outlines the do’s and don’ts for sifting through candidates

The minefield of recruitment can make even the most experienced business people shudder at the thought. Ask anyone and there is an ever-increasing list of tales of the unexpected that have unfolded, even after a careful recruitment process. To avoid taking on the rogue employee who upsets the balance, here are a few tips to help you make the right choice.

Depending on what position you are looking to fill, the start of the year is always a good time to attract your potential candidates. Supposedly, the 11 January is the most popular date to search for a new job.

When trying to attract the right candidates, display as much information as possible. What skills do you require, which are desirable? Don’t forget to mention opportunities that you can provide and perks of working for your company – these could be crucial selling points.

Advertise on social media, forums, websites such as Indeed (some value this and some don’t), in your local network, or through industry recruitment companies such as Horticulture Careers or your trade association. Remember you can also ask your existing staff to spread the word or if they know anyone suitable.

Recruitment

Now for the do’s and don’ts of interviewing

Do recognise nervousness and allow for it. Let the interviewee speak, try to get to know them as much as possible and find out what drives them. Have a list of specific questions in front of you and note down answers so you can make a good comparison if you are struggling to make decision later on. It’s always good to ask where they see themselves in three to five years’ time as this will give you an insight into their ambition.

Interviewing is the most tedious part. I’m not sure if anyone else experiences this, please tell me if you do, but at least 50% of candidates we book in for interview don’t turn up. We used to find this frustrating but have now come to expect it, so a good tip would be to always invite more than you actually want to interview.

Beware of discrimination, avoid asking about marital status, sexual orientation, children or plans to have, religion or age. Asking age can only be an appropriate question if they are required to be a certain age to do the job – for example, are you over 18?

Always check references, we have made this mistake several times in the past, and had we checked them properly and comprehensively we could have been saved a substantial amount of time and trouble! When it comes down to it, go with your gut. If you get a bad feeling about someone, as with potential customers, avoid at all costs.

Attitude is everything. We have generally found that if a candidate is displaying the right attitude, then their skills are irrelevant to a certain degree. If they are open and willing to be trained, then skills can be taught. Finding a candidate with the right attitude is becoming harder, so if we find this rare breed, we snap them up!

Team - Holly

On a final note, it is always good if there are at least two of you able to interview – two heads are always better than one.

Sometimes when we are busy, we will make a decision based on desperation rather than what fits with the future of the company. So, take a step back and really think about what that person is going to contribute, and if you can see them enhancing your company, then go for it.

 

 

 

 

 

Month

    November

    • Urban Director talks work and personal life in Pro Landscaper Magazine

    August

    • Penthouse Roof Terrace – Liverpool
    • Covid-19 announcement

    July

    • Benefits of Commercial Landscaping: Draw in customers and boost sales
    • 6 Reasons To Install A Fire Pit In Your Garden

    May

    • The Renson Canopy Range
    • Why You Should Have An Outdoor Kitchen
    • Kamado Joe Ceramic Grills offer

    April

    • Urban Landscapes continue to follow government guidelines

    March

    • Urban Landscapes Covid-19 Update
    • Urban Landscapes Coronavirus Policy

    February

    • Whatever the Weather: preparing for adverse weather conditions
    • Learning to adapt
    • Attracting more valuable projects
    • The First Steps to Employing Staff
    • Don’t Forget the Plants: Soft Landscaping Design
    • Being Tech Savvy For Your Business
    • The Health Benefits of Outdoor Spaces
    • Let’s Hear it From Holly and Mark Youde
    • Our exciting partnership with London Stone
    • Growing Ranks

    June

    • Make The Right Choice: The Do’s and Dont’s of Recruitment
    • All For Show: Why Industry Shows are Good for Your Business
    • Entering Awards: The Pros and Cons of Taking Part in Industry Awards
    • When Opportunity Knocks
    • Growing Pains and Gains: Growing Your Own Business

    September

    • For Better Or Worse: Being in Business With the Other Half
    • We’re Pro Landscaper Business Award winners!

    January

    • How to create cosy outdoor living spaces for all year round
    • Basic gardening tools everybody should have
    • Planning a Dementia Friendly Garden
    • Marshalls Register Award for Best Driveway Transformation over 70m
    • A Week in the Life of a Cheshire Landscaping Company

    October

    • 42 Under 42
    • 2018 BALI Awards
    • Modern day love of Fire Pits
    • MUD SLINGING AT WORK
    • THE BENEFITS OF RECRUITING AN APPRENTICE
    • WE MUST BE MAD …!
    • WE ARE PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF THE LANDSCAPING INSTITUTE
    • IS THERE A HOSEPIPE BAN?
    • AWARDS UPDATE JULY 2018
    • Award Winning Landscape Design
    • Commerical Landscaping, Wilmslow
    • Pro Landscaper Business Awards

    December

    • Festive Wishes
    • APL Awards
    • Commercial Landscaping, South Manchester
    • Landscaping Services, Cheshire
    • Fire Magic Outdoor Kitchen, Cheshire
    • Outdoor Living Area, Cheshire
    • Commercial Landscape Contractors, South Manchester
    • The Silver Lining
    • Flower Power
    • Compact & Bijou Outdoor Cooking
    • Outdoor Living on the Wirral
    • RHS Tatton – Show Garden
    • An unexpected guest
    • Exclusive Event 30th March 2017
    • Outdoor Living Area, South Manchester
    • Blistering Ovens
    • Pullover Power
    • Shropshire Lad
    • DoubleTree by Hilton, Chester
    • Teaching an old dog new tricks!
    • APL Membership

Categories

  • Urban Landscapes News
    • Awards
    • Charity Work
    • Commercial
    • Events
    • Large Projects
    • Pro Landscaper Articles
    • Products
    • Small Projects

Our Work

  • 01
  • 02
  • 03
  • 04
  • 05
  • 06

Heathlands Care Home

Directly with the client, we constructed and installed a beach themed garden, suitable for Dementia patients

Penthouse Roof Terrace – Liverpool

Roof terrace with garden studio and different areas to enjoy, including a seaside themed area

Contemporary Garden Chester

A cool contemporary project on a new build property in Chester.

Contemporary Courtyard Chester

In this small courtyard development in Hoole, we created a cool split level space for the client who wanted a modern feel.

Urban Landscapes HQ

Urban RHS Tatton

Our Work

Commercial
Heathlands Care Home

Heathlands Care Home

Directly with the client, we constructed and installed a beach themed garden, suitable for Dementia patients

Read More
Large Project
Penthouse Roof Terrace – Liverpool

Penthouse Roof Terrace – Liverpool

Roof terrace with garden studio and different areas to enjoy, including a seaside themed area

Read More
Medium Project
Contemporary Garden Chester

Contemporary Garden Chester

A cool contemporary project on a new build property in Chester.

Read More
Small Project
Contemporary Courtyard Chester

Contemporary Courtyard Chester

In this small courtyard development in Hoole, we created a cool split level space for the client who wanted a modern feel.

Read More
Outdoor Kitchens
Urban Landscapes HQ

Urban Landscapes HQ

Read More
Outdoor Living
Urban RHS Tatton

Urban RHS Tatton

Read More
 
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