Addressing Landscape Maintenance Labor and Equipment Shortages

Landscape maintenance is a service-based industry that relies on the availability of both labor and equipment. For several years, the industry has faced a worker shortage. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on both labor and equipment. 

The Impact of Labor and Equipment Shortages

The pandemic caused two major economic challenges simultaneously. Manufacturing and supply chains were all disrupted, and the landscape maintenance industry certainly felt the effects. 

• Global supply chain disruptions in other countries have a direct impact on the U.S., resulting in equipment shortages. 
• The “Great Resignation”, as it’s being referred to, resulted in more than 47 million workers quitting their jobs in 2021, according to CNBC. 

This two-pronged effect left the property, facility, and portfolio managers along with property owners concerned that their commercial landscaping contractor would not meet the service levels promised. 

The BrightView Solutions

While no company can be one hundred percent immune from the economic effects of the last several years, there are ways to minimize the disruption and get back to business as normal. 

Attracting and retaining employees is about much more than a paycheck. Opportunities for growth, the working environment, and company culture all play significant roles. The following article looks at how BrightView has addressed employee acquisition and retention as well as equipment shortages in the marketplace.

Training and Career Growth Opportunities

Each year, the $105B landscape industry positively impacts the lives of over 1 million employees, their families, and their communities. 

Our BrightPath training and career development program was designed, with client feedback, to offer our employees career enhancement opportunities. We don’t just train employees.  We educate experts, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and instill knowledge, professionalism, and confidence. 

We implemented the BrightPath Landscape Development Program as a career development tool to allow our employees to advance their careers and cultivate the best teams for our clients.

Combined with our competitive pay and benefits, we attract and retain the best talent in the industry. 

• Interactive and immersive learning approaches that provide engaging opportunities for team members at all levels across practice areas
• Certifications, refresher training, and in-person and online courses
• Leadership development programs
• Tuition reimbursement

The Importance of Team and Culture

Culture, which is reflected in job performance and commitment to client satisfaction, plays an important role in employee satisfaction.

The BrightView core value unites our entire company around these six core principles:

• Instilling trust by following through on commitments, showing consistency, and practicing what we preach.
• Driving engagement by creating a positive and motivating work environment.
• Valuing differences through sensitivity to cultural norms, expectations, and communication methods.
• Ensuring accountability by taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures.
• Focusing on our clients by serving as a strategic partner and anticipating their needs.
• Building effective teams by creating a feeling of belonging and strong team morale.

Our local teams are uniquely structured with extra support layers to ensure we can provide the highest quality of service and responsiveness. 

Financial Stability and Competitive Benefits

Prudent financial management and scale enable BrightView to maintain highly competitive benefits programs for employees, including.

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Well-being Program with incentives
• Employee Assistance Program to connect team members with resources for emotional, legal, or financial difficulties, as well as family, caregiving, and daily living resources
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Reimbursement Account, and Health Savings Account
• Holidays and Paid Time Off
• Disability Plans
• Voluntary Benefit Plan
• 401(k)
• Stock Purchase Plan

Employee Safety 

We consistently maintain an excellent safety record which further contributes to our ability to attract and retain reliable employees. Our best-in-class Safety Management Program is committed to continuous improvement and has resulted in injuries below the national average. 

Procuring New Equipment

As the nation's largest landscape maintenance company BrightView has a team of procurement professionals to manage strategic purchases—of both materials and equipment. Size also has its advantage when it comes to overall purchasing power.

We have long-established purchasing relationships with vendors and equipment suppliers across the globe. And because of these relationships, we can secure equipment and supplies to fulfill our client commitments when other smaller companies cannot. 

Our ability to invest in newer equipment also benefits employees with improved ergonomics and operational features. Our crews tell us with the newer and more reliable equipment, they can be more efficient—there are fewer malfunctions, and the newer equipment is safer to use.

About BrightView Landscaping Services

Managing your site(s) is a balancing act. Increasing the visual impact of your property must be weighed against the cost of maintaining and protecting your investment. Our partnership ensures your landscape needs are covered from landscape maintenance, fertilization, water management, weed and pest management, tree care, snow removal, storm preparedness, and response.
 
BrightView partnerships have provided high-quality, cost-effective, and consistent commercial landscape services since 1939.
 
Our commercial landscape professionals provide you with the services your property needs while allowing you to focus your time and resources on the many other challenges of running your business.