Fresh Recruitment Ideas for Sourcing Talent Today

Facing ongoing labor shortages and increased competition for skilled workers, many businesses are reimagining how they source, attract, and retain talent. From loosening experience requirements to offering flexible benefits and prioritizing culture, Team Engine partners are seeing their clients test creative recruitment strategies to build a stronger workforce.

Skills-Based Hiring: Broaden the Talent Pool With Transferable Skills

A common thread across nearly every response was a shift away from rigid experience requirements and toward skills-based hiring. Instead of waiting for the “perfect” candidate, employers are finding better success by identifying adjacent industries and untapped backgrounds with transferable skills.

“We are actively recruiting candidates with skills from areas like construction, facilities maintenance, agriculture, and property management to inject new talent into the landscaping sector,” said Tito Caceres of Bloom Talent Solutions. “This method emphasizes skills-based hiring rather than stringent experience requirements.”

Mike Voories of BR1 echoed this mindset: “Not all experience is good experience! By prioritizing training and development, companies can build a strong, loyal workforce while overcoming hiring challenges in a competitive labor market.”

Educators and property managers are also being considered for roles like account managers, crew leads, and business developers. “These folks are smart and present themselves well and can (with some training easily fill these positions,” said Ed Laflamme of The Harvest Group.

Creative Recruitment Strategies to Expand Talent Sources

Some clients are going even further, expanding their pipelines in unexpected ways. According to Shelia Matthews of Wilson360, it’s about recognizing who’s available… and taking a chance.

“Think of all the federal park service employees that are being potentially laid off right before the busy season,” she said. “These are service-minded people who love being outside. Why not experiment and target candidates with national park system experience?”

Jud Griggs of The Harvest Group shared a similar observation: “A number of my clients have had success hiring ex-military people. They typically are disciplined and like to work outside, not at a desk.”

Others are reconnecting with local pipelines that may have fallen off the radar, such as career fairs, online job fairs, and partnerships with high schools and junior colleges.

• Lauren Howell (of The Harvest Group) noted increased participation in job shadowing and internships with community colleges.
• Alison Hoffman (also from The Harvest Group) pointed out that many seasonal plant health care workers are coming from horticulture and arborist programs at junior colleges.
• Cycle CPA’s Joe Policastro reported success with apprenticeship programs and hiring part-time labor to supplement full-time teams during busy seasons.
• Nataly Mualem (Founder and Managing Attorney at Mualem Firm) added that engaging with local trade schools and community organizations has become an effective long-term recruitment strategy to build early interest and expand candidate reach.

These approaches highlight how to source candidates outside traditional channels, a key consideration for anyone revisiting their recruiting strategies in today’s competitive hiring environment.

AI Recruiting Tools and Internal Resources That Boost Results

Several partners noted that clients are turning to automation and internal resources to support their hiring efforts. Ben Molenda (of Best Human Capital & Advisory Group) observed that AI tools are creating new candidate pipelines altogether: “Companies exploring ways to automate their hiring process through AI in recruiting are often getting a different pool of candidates than if it were being human-led.”

Some companies are expanding their hiring pipelines by using training and certification tools to prepare candidates before they apply. Jon Gohl of Aspire Software shared that many clients now seek candidates with Aspire experience, since the software reinforces the workflows and behaviors needed for success. Aspire’s certification program also helps attract new graduates by showing how their role fits into the bigger picture—making it easier to onboard and align first-time hires.

Evan Tachoir (Jack of All People Trades) pointed out that some companies are simply putting more resources into the hiring process: bringing in external recruiters, boosting online and social ads, and hiring internal recruiting staff to increase throughput.

That’s where recruitment automation software like Team Engine can make a measurable difference. By centralizing communication, job posting, and applicant tracking in one place, Team Engine helps everyone involved in the hiring process (whether internal HR, external recruiters, or hiring managers in the field) work together more efficiently. With tools that automatically publish job ads, screen applicants, and streamline communication, teams can move faster, reduce friction, and ultimately convert more candidates into hires.

Employee Retention Strategies That Go Beyond Pay

Once companies bring in the right candidates, keeping them is the next challenge. And in today’s labor market, employee retention strategies are more about alignment and engagement than they are about compensation.

Nataly Mualem summarized the shift this way: “Businesses that prioritize employee well-being, development, and a strong workplace culture will be the ones that attract and retain the best talent.”

That shows up in a few key areas:

1. Hiring for Potential With Career Growth and Development

“Employees want to see a future within a company,” said Mualem. “Providing clear pathways for advancement, training programs, and mentorship opportunities helps keep talent engaged.”

Mike Voories agreed, noting that “the most effective way to attract and retain top talent is by offering real growth and development opportunities within a strong company culture.” That emphasis on growth is central to hiring for potential rather than just experience.

Jack Jostes (of Ramblin Jackson) highlighted Monique Allen at The Garden Continuum as an exceptional example. “She takes special care of the people who work for her… and her apprenticeship program attracts people with zero prior landscaping experience. That means she’s tapping into a much more diverse talent pool than companies that require ‘1-5 years of experience’ for entry-level positions.”

2. Flexibility and Work-Life Balance Keep Talent Engaged

Joe Policastro noted that clients are adapting to employee needs with more flexible work schedules, including four-day workweeks and adjusted seasonal shifts. Mualem added that accommodating personal commitments and hybrid options (where possible) is helping some employers stand out.

Ed Laflamme gave a particularly creative example: “One company is offering a high salary with the entire winter off. Another is helping pay off past student loan debt.”

3. Strong Workplace Culture Strengthens Retention

Beyond compensation and structure, strong culture was cited as a major retention factor.

Mualem described the importance of open-door policies, employee appreciation events, and inclusive leadership.

Stephanie Leveling noted that some companies are even reshaping their business models to better support staff. “I’ve talked to clients that have eliminated the bottom 25–30% of their portfolio to reduce workload and improve profitability. That means fewer people can do better work, and stay longer.”

Shelia Matthews (of BOSS by Integra) summarized the cultural shift well: “My favorite clients lean heaviest into the service and detail-oriented aspects of the work. They do not require landscaping experience and find it easier to train through mentoring and career pathing, versus hiring for it and having to deal with untraining bad habits.”

Recruiting Success Starts With Adaptable Hiring Strategies

The companies making real progress in today’s hiring market aren’t necessarily those with the most resources; they’re the ones willing to rethink how to recruit employees, where they look for talent, and how they bring people in. By loosening rigid experience requirements, tapping into overlooked talent pools, and investing in development, they’re building workforces that are both capable and committed.

That kind of adaptability takes more than a mindset shift; it takes tools and processes that support fast, coordinated hiring decisions. That’s where Team Engine helps. From attracting applicants through better job ad distribution to accelerating collaboration between hiring managers, Team Engine makes it easier to move good candidates through the hiring funnel before someone else snaps them up.

Businesses looking to sharpen their talent acquisition strategies and diversify candidate sourcing can use Team Engine to distribute job ads, streamline applicant communication, and accelerate hiring decisions across the team.

‍Book a demo today to see how Team Engine’s AI recruiting software and recruitment automation platform can help you implement modern hiring strategies, uncover better candidates, and put all of these recruiting tips into action.