Recent data collected by the crop protection industry from the USDA, FAO and StatisticsCanada shows that bee populations even in intensely farmed areas of the world are increasing rather than rapidly decreasing.

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is coordinating a series of activities throughout 2015 International Year of Soil (IYS) to educate the public about the importance of soil. February’s theme is “Soils Support Urban Life.” In SSSA’s February Soils Matter blog post, staff from Chicago’s Metropolitan Water Reclamation District explain how rain gardens work.

Last week, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its annual list of the Top 10 States for LEED, the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system, ranking states in terms of square feet of LEED space per state resident. The per-capita list highlights states throughout the country that are making significant strides in sustainable building design, construction and transformation. Colorado placed #2 on the list for 2014.

In an industry that requires skill in execution and the consistent delivery of services, common sense logic would indicate that job skills are number one and that experienced workers are always in the driver’s seat when it comes to being hired. Seems logical, yes, but the results of ALCC’s Fast Friday poll earlier this month indicate that some companies have always prized character and others are shifting their priorities in that direction.

We asked, “What’s your #1 hiring priority, job skills or character/qualities?” And for those willing to say more, we also asked if they had changed their recruiting game plan during the last couple years in response to the shortage of people to fill positions at all levels.

While only 10% of ALCC Fast Friday poll respondents value skills more than character, they are informed dissenters who speak with conviction based on many years of experience in the industry. Below is one business owner’s position on why skills are No. 1.

As a small business owner, my hiring priority is job skills. Always.

Do you receive resumes that list courses and certifications that you don’t immediately recognize?

If you work in the Denver metro area, you might have seen Mi Casa Resource Center or Mi Casa Innovation Lab on a resume but moved right past it. For Denver area businesses, it is worth your time to be aware of Mi Casa programs to find quality candidates with a drive to succeed.

Mi Casa Resource Center offers many services to help working families achieve lasting economic success. While services are mostly targeted to Latinos, they welcome everyone looking to improve their financial health and develop a career path. Several programs could serve as a resource to landscape companies seeking qualified, reliable staff.

Building with wood is poised to be the next big trend in green construction and the United States Forest Service (USFS) is working diligently to make it a reality.

The environmental benefit of using wood in building products creates fewer greenhouse gasses than commonly used materials. And wood – including beetle-killed trees - harvested from Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain region could become a major resource in this next step of green building.

The most common New Year’s resolutions among Americans are to lose weight and exercise more – among almost 25% of us. But if you combine all the health-related resolutions (stop smoking, eat healthier, etc.) improving health constitutes almost 50% of our top concerns and changes we plan to make this year.

Month 1 is about to end and even if you’ve fallen off your path, it’s not too late to get going again. Improved health brings a sense of well-being. It makes us sharper in our jobs and other pursuits. And for businesses, good health among the team can result in less down time and reduced insurance premiums. 

A new year is a new start. What you do in the next 12 months will determine where you are this time next year. Where do you want to go in terms of operations and efficiency, safety, business management, marketing and environmental stewardship?

As the saying goes, you won’t know how far you’ve come until you know where you started. To chart progress, we need benchmarks to know those starting points. Where are we right now and where do we want to go?

Almost all landscape firms are impacted by the lack of trained and skilled employees. Most say they could do more work—and move up the backlog—if they had more people. This situation is pushing many companies to think differently about how, when and where they recruit.

Following are 3 strategies that challenge traditional recruiting methods. They were shared by a key HR and recruiting team member with a Denver-area landscape company.