The Best Recruiting Software for Growing Field Teams

On a recent episode of the Greenside Up podcast, hosts Jason Lee and Jordan Upcavage invited Carlos del Pozo, CEO and Co-Founder of Team Engine, into a conversation about the struggles of hiring and keeping good people in the landscaping and tree care industries, and how technology like Team Engine can help.

From Army Officer to HR Tech Founder

Carlos’ path to founding a tech company wasn’t straightforward. He began his career as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army before heading to business school. But it was his upbringing that shaped his entrepreneurial instincts.

His father managed golf resorts across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, while other relatives worked in commercial cleaning to make ends meet. “I grew up on job sites,” Carlos recalled, sharing memories of helping with landscaping projects at church or tagging along while family members built water features.

Those experiences left an impression. When Carlos finished business school and began talking to small business owners, he kept hearing the same frustration: growth was being stifled not by lack of demand, but by labor shortages. “Their workforce was the constraint,” he said. That realization inspired the creation of Team Engine in 2018, with a mission to use technology to solve one of the toughest problems owners face: building and retaining a strong team.

What Is Team Engine?

At its core, Team Engine is recruiting software built for recruiting, retention, and engagement, designed specifically for businesses with field-based workforces like landscaping, tree care, HVAC, plumbing, and construction. Many users think of it as both hiring software and an employee communication platform rolled into one.

“Recruiting in particular is a highly tedious, repetitive, manual process… yet really important to do well and fast,” Carlos said. “That’s a great problem for software to solve, so people can focus on people stuff.”

The platform began with recruiting automation, but soon expanded into onboarding, retention, and employee communication.

The Pain of Hiring (and Why It Wears Owners Down)

Jason and Jordan didn’t hold back in describing how draining the hiring process can be.

“Hiring people is exhausting,” Jordan admitted. “It’s a suck of your energy, your good juju… by the time you even get around to it, it’s 9 p.m.”

Carlos nodded knowingly. He explained that this pain is universal across service industries. Applicants “carpet bomb” job boards like Indeed with one-click applications, often with little intention of following through. Employers, stretched thin, struggle to respond quickly, and ghosting happens on both sides. “It’s just such low expectations all around,” Carlos said.

That, he argued, is exactly where technology should step in: automating the repetitive but critical steps of the process so business owners can focus on evaluating the right people instead of wasting time chasing dead ends. For many, that means adopting modern ATS software or AI recruiting tools that can speed up the process without sacrificing quality.

How Team Engine Streamlines Recruiting

With Team Engine, the recruiting process starts with a single job post. The platform pushes it out across multiple job boards, filters applications, and uses text messages to quickly confirm interest and qualifications. By the time a manager sees a candidate, they’re pre-screened and responsive.

“Instead of spending three days trying to call people who don’t pick up, you’re looking at someone who’s already replied to your outreach,” Carlos explained.

Jason chimed in with how that’s changed his own operations:

“We used to throw money at ads on Indeed, not even realizing how much we were spending. Team Engine takes the guesswork out. We set a budget and know it’s going to stay the same.”

The difference, Carlos said, isn’t just about speed. It’s about making hiring less demoralizing so owners stay engaged with the process. “So many folks avoid it because they just don’t want to deal with the pain,” he noted. “We make it something you can actually keep up with.”

Staying Visible on Job Boards

The conversation also veered into the behind-the-scenes realities of job boards. Indeed and other platforms constantly update their standards, and non-compliance can get ads suppressed or removed.

“People used to stuff job titles with things like ‘General Labor + Sign-On Bonus + Air Conditioning,’” Carlos said. “That worked… until Indeed cracked down.”

Team Engine keeps track of those changes, advising customers on how to stay compliant so their ads keep running. “It’s like navigating utilities,” Carlos joked, comparing Indeed and cell carriers to 300-pound gorillas that employers shouldn’t have to wrestle with alone.

Retention: Automating What Owners Mean to Do

Once a new hire walks in the door, the job isn’t done, and many businesses stumble here. Jason admitted his own company has long wrestled with consistency in onboarding: “We’ll roll out a plan, do it for a while, then it falls off. Implementation is the hardest part.”

That’s where Team Engine’s automation kicks in. Businesses can map out an ideal 30-60-90 day experience for new hires: welcome messages, supervisor check-ins, benefit reminders, even prompts to ask for referrals once an employee has stuck around for a month.

These processes reflect effective employee retention strategies that too often get overlooked. “Automation survives staff turnover,” Carlos explained. “It ensures every new hire has the same strong first experience, no matter what.”

“It’s hard for business leaders to put themselves in the shoes of a new hire,” Carlos said. Team Engine’s onboarding software features help make those early days smoother, while automated touchpoints ensure no one feels forgotten.

Employee Communication Without the Chaos

One of the most practical features that resonated with Jason and Jordan was Team Engine’s communication platform. Instead of relying on group texts (which max out at 20 people and inevitably spiral into off-topic banter) Team Engine provides a centralized texting system.

“You get the power of a broadcast with the privacy of one-on-one,” Carlos explained. “It’s perfect for things like rain day announcements, open enrollment reminders, or payroll questions.”

Jordan laughed at the thought of avoiding “reply-all” small talk in his current group text, while Jason appreciated the ability to send timely updates without worrying about outdated contact lists.

Jason wrapped up the conversation by reflecting on how Team Engine has changed his business: “We run five job ads a month just to keep people in the door. Having Team Engine handle it all has been a huge benefit.”

Carlos emphasized that the mission has always been about helping field-based industries tackle their biggest barrier to growth: people. With AI hiring software like Team Engine, landscapers, tree care operators, and other service businesses can make recruiting less of a grind, improve retention, and keep communication clear—all while freeing up time to focus on growth.

Listen to the whole podcast for more insights (and banter) from Carlos, Jason and Jordan: