Focusing on a long term landscaping career has many benefits for both employers and employees
It’s only natural to think of ‘careers’ and ‘jobs’ in much the same way, but in reality, they are two completely different concepts. As either an employer or employee, changing your mindset to focus on landscaping careers not jobs can have a totally different outcome for your future.
The difference between a job and a career
Let’s begin by looking at the two definitions:
- • Job: the regular work that you do to earn money.
- • Career: the job or jobs that you do during your working life, with a goal to progress in achievement, responsibility and earnings.
The key here is that a job is something that you have to do on a regular basis in order to have an income. However, going to work each day is a significant part of adult life and it has been determined that the average person will spend around a third of their lives at work. With this in mind, that job needs to have a purpose beyond just being a necessity.
This is where a career comes in. When a job has opportunities to learn and progress, to gain more responsibility and an increase in salary, it becomes less of a mundane chore and, instead, a long term vocation.
The effect of focussing on a career not a job
Let’s look at the following two scenarios.
Jack’s Story
Jack goes to work each day to his job as a Grounds Maintenance Operative. He is part of a team, but each have their own areas, so he finds he is mostly working alone. He clocks in and out at the beginning and end of the day but has little interaction with his Supervisor or higher management. He has been doing the job for 6 months and, while he quite enjoys the manual labour, he is starting to get bored and is not taking as much care as he used to, missing out some tasks and taking longer breaks. He wants to learn and use some new skills, but his employer has told him that this is it, this is what he was employed to do. Jack is now considering looking for a job elsewhere.
Sam’s Story
Sam started out as a Grounds Maintenance Operative but was then given some new responsibilities which included garden maintenance tasks. He found that he really enjoyed the plant care aspect of the job and approached his Supervisor to ask about courses he could take to learn more. His employer was actively involved in enrolling him in a part-time course for a Royal Horticultural Society qualification. Sam really enjoys his job and sees a long term future with his current employer as he continues to learn and progress in his landscaping career.
Sam feels supported and valued as an employee. His employer sees his strengths and weaknesses and understands the potential he has to go further. They have been proactive in assisting him in taking the next steps which is not only great for Sam, but also benefits the company as he will use his new skills to improve his work and add to what the business can offer their clients. Through this approach the employer has gained an enthusiastic hard worker who enjoys working for them and wants to continue his landscaping career with them.
Sadly, this is not the case for Jack. Without any support or interest from his employer, Jack has become bored and disheartened with his job. He sees no career prospects, he is just going to work and getting the bare minimum done to earn his wages. It is just a job not a career, he’s not sure he even wants to do landscaping work anymore.
The benefits of careers over jobs
From our stories about Jack and Sam, it is clear to see the benefit to both the employee and the employer when the focus is shifted from a job to a career. When taking on a new member of staff, the long term goals of the business are just as important as the career plans of the employee. Taking both into consideration enables the development of good working relationships, ensuring the longevity of the workforce and job security for the staff.
How do career jobs benefit employees?
- • Training and Support
- Receiving training, whether on the job or through off-site horticultural or landscaping courses, improves your knowledge and skills to help you progress. This and other support from your employer can make you feel part of an organisation where you want to continue and advance.
- • Mindset
- Receiving support and feeling valued by your employer, while knowing you have opportunities to progress all lead to a positive mindset and making your workplace more enjoyable.
- • Money prospects
- Progressing in your career will likely lead to positions with more responsibility or seniority, leading to an increase in salary.
How do career-oriented staff benefit employers?
- • Longevity
- Investing in employees by providing training and opportunities for career progression within the company are a great incentive to keep skilled and accomplished employees long-term.
- • Enthusiasm
- Staff that feel valued and are given opportunities to learn and progress will be more enthusiastic about their job. Their drive to succeed will inspire them to work harder and produce better quality work.
- • Work Ethic
- When a person cares about their job they will have a good work ethic. Knowing their job is a step further in their landscaping career means they will want to do their best as they look towards the future.
Finding the right match for long-term employees in a successful landscaping career
At Cosmopolitan Recruitment we aspire success stories like Sam, so our focus is always on careers not jobs.
We work with clients who are looking for reliable employees wanting to pursue their landscaping career with a company where they feel they can successfully achieve their career goals. The in-depth knowledge we have of our clients means that as we get to know our candidates and their career aspirations, we can successfully match them with an employer where the job role, company culture and future prospects will ensure a long and happy working relationship for both.
If you are looking for career-oriented landscaping employees to join your team, read more about how we can help you. If you are ready to take the next step in your landscaping career, send us your CV today.