Spring Events 2022 —
Kicking off spring with the feeling of h accompanies it By Nina Koziol
Call it cabin fever,
or a strong desire to meet face-to-face again with friends and peers. There were many reasons 110 women and a few men attended the late-winter Women’s Networking Group (WNG) event at Chandler’s Chophouse in Schaumburg. They came to catch up, renew relationships, network and to hear landscape pro Stephanie Leveling of the St. Louis-based Integra Group who discussed the importance of mentoring. She shared examples of how mentors helped her over three decades working in the landscape industry. “I have a feeling that many of the women here today think they may need a mentor,” said Brenda Ward, a member of the WNG committee. “I feel like we also have to step up and be a mentor.” The event introduced ILCA’s new mentoring program, developed by a WNG subcommittee. There are two applications on ILCA’s website—one for mentors and one for mentees. A few days after the event, ILCA received 14 applications and more are expected. This was Mia Olson’s first WNG event. “I’m just starting my journey,” she said. “I retired from teaching after 30 years and worked for College of DuPage for 10 years and now I’m back as a student. I’ve always liked working outdoors and I like getting dirty. I like to plan and I’m a natural teacher.” Olson graduates next year and attended the event to network. Aleksandra Bednarz is a recent grad of College of DuPage. “I had some history with floral design but I was going for medical courses. I took horticulture, science, and plants and changed course from there. I’m an artist and I’d like to be a designer but I’m open about opportunities. I like working outside in a garden — I love it.”
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Bednarz is part of the generation that will help shape the landscape industry in years to come. “We believe the people in this room can grow the landscape industry,” Ward said. “We’re going to track our mentorship program successes.”
The Shape of Things to Come
“This is the first time we’ve had four generations working at the same time,” Leveling said. “We’re dealing with different upbringings and expectations. By 2025, 75 percent of the workforce will be Millennials.” Citing survey data, Leveling pointed out that 59 percent of Millennials say the opportunity to learn and grow is extremely important and 87 percent said professional development and career growth opportunities are very important. Forget about how Amazon or Google does it for their employees. “It’s not ping pong tables—that’s insulting to them,” Leveling said. “And, annual reviews are dumb. They prefer real-time feedback and one-third want collaborative work spaces.” When she attended Illinois State University’s horticulture program, she was one of a half-dozen female students. “The statistics for horticulture programs have changed and now we have many women in the green industry who can be role models to younger staff.”
New Hires=New Approach
There are simple ways owners and human resource managers can get new hires off to a good start. “Onboarding activities—having a buddy system—is important. A buddy system really works.” Matching a seasoned associate with a junior one eliminates the “baptism by fire” experience that is a turn-off for
The Landscape Contractor April 2022
