If you are looking for a new gardener, it can sometimes be challenging to understand exactly what to look for. And how qualified your gardener should be, for example? There are many different types of gardeners who might all have different backgrounds, experiences and qualifications. Let us help you shed some light on what to look out for, and what is important.
Find out now how qualified your gardener should be, and what is important to look out for.
Clarify The Goals
When you start looking for a gardener, it is really important to understand what you want to get out of having a gardener. What do you want to achieve? Or, perhaps better, what do you want your gardener to achieve? Having realistic goals, short and long term, are important. Not only to set realistic expectations. But also to find the right gardener for you. If the job description, or the tasks, are not clear. It will be impossible for any gardener, however qualified or experienced, to live up to that. So you are setting yourself and your gardener up for failure!
Seek Advice
If you are unsure about what is realistic and what is not, seek advice. It is quite understandable that you might have no idea how long certain gardening tasks take, for example. Or how much effort, skill and expertise they require. So speaking to someone who is knowledgeable about this is key. This can be a gardener you have previously worked with. Or a reputable recruitment agency, who work with gardeners, can help you along too. A good recruiter will have worked with many gardeners, as well as with many clients who were looking for a gardener. They will understand jobs and tasks required and can guide you in the right directions. Advising on how realistic your expectations are. And come up with an achievable solution that will work well for you and your new gardener!
Communication Is Key
Following from the above, clear communication from the start is key. And the start means when you are considering hiring a gardener. When you re creating a job spec, for example. You need to be crystal clear of what you expect, and what you want your gardener to do. There really is no point at all in trying to make a job spec sound appealing to attract a lot of candidates. If it is not a fair reflection fo what the job will actually consist of.
You will simply find yourself inundated with CVs and applications. But it is likely that hardly any – or none – of the people applied, would be suited for the job.
Be Clear On Money
Be clear on the finances, too. You might find it uncomfortable discussing money – but to find a good gardener for you, you need to be clear about what the salary will be. And it needs to be achievable for you too. Will you be able to pay this salary, or this hourly rate, consistently for many months, if not years, to come? You do not want to overcommit financially, and then having to let people down along the way.
How Important Are Qualifications?
An important, but difficult question. It really comes down to personal preference. Would you hire anyone who has not got any qualifications, but has many years of experience? Or are qualifications really important to you?
If you require your gardener to do very specific jobs, such as tree surgery, you definitely want them to have the right qualifications. As well as if they have to work with specific machinery.
But it is not just qualifications that will make a gardener great. It will definitely help to know they have a certain level of skill, and knowledge. But their experience is a key part as well!
How long have they been working as a gardener? Can you get references from those previous jobs? It is important to know what the head gardener was like. As your potential new gardener learned all the skills from. What is their background, their specialism? As a lot of the teacher will reflect on the student. It does not mean you have to interview the old head gardener! But these are great questions to ask at interview, for example. Without qualifications, someone can still have many specialisms that they have picked up along the way in their many years of experience.
How can Polo & Tweed help?
Do you need more help in trying to find the right gardener for you? Polo & Tweed has all the expertise and experience to guide you trough the process. And we will be able to help you to make sure the gardener has exactly the qualifications and skills you need. Or perhaps you are ready to hire a gardener, now you know which services gardeners can offer. Why not let us do all the hard recruitment work for you. Do give us a call or send us a message and we look forward to helping you find your perfect new gardener.