Interview Questions for Landscapers: 10 Questions to Ask

If you’re looking to build your dream team, you need to know the right landscaper interview questions to ask. 

Future employees are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them! 

So make sure you are asking the right questions so both you and your future employees know you are a good fit for each other. 

In this landscaper interview questions guide, we’ll share with you:

• 10 powerful job interview questions
• Tips for conducting an interview in person and remotely
• How to ask better questions
• And so much more!

How to Ask Questions

Before we jump into which questions to ask, you should know how to ask the right landscaper interview questions.

Because, yes you do want to know about their background, experience, and qualifications…

But how you communicate and listen to their answers is key, and using these four techniques can help you get the best answers from your candidates.

Want to know how to find, train, AND keep great employees?

Get Your FREE Lawn Care Hiring Guide Now!

Ease into the Interview

It is okay to start with a little small talk, which can help build rapport and help candidates relax.

Remember that lots of candidates may be nervous at an interview which means they might talk a little faster or act a little anxious.

Keep the tone professional yet friendly!

Open the Dialogue

Do your best to avoid yes/no job interview questions, and try and keep them open-ended like:

• "Tell me about..." 
• "Describe a situation where..."
• “What do you think is…”

Ultimately this gives candidates room to answer and shows their thought processes and skill sets.

Active Listening

Even interviewers can be a little nervous, as you really want to find the right team players.

When you’re in that frame of mind it can be really easy to just ask a question, and then miss the answer because you are thinking about the next question to ask. 

So be sure to be an active listener!

Pay close attention to their responses, ask clarifying and follow-up questions, and gauge their enthusiasm. 

Also, it can be helpful to repeat some of what they said…

For example, “So before you worked in landscaping you were a student at the local university, right? 

Think Outside of the Box

When thinking about job interview questions and answers it is important to use “illustrative scenarios.”

These can be questions that start with “Tell me about a time when____”

You can also ask job interview questions about hypothetical situations they might encounter on the job and ask how they would respond. 

For example, "What would you do if a customer came out of their house and was really angry about the last project we did for them?”

Or “What if a customer yells at you over the phone about a mistake after you finished a job?”

Ultimately this helps candidates give good answers that tell you more about them, their career goals, and skills and experience.

Top 10 Landscaper Interview Questions and Answers

So what questions should you ask in an interview to find your future team members? 

We’ve put together the top 10 landscaper interview questions you can use to find the right team players.

1. Walk me through your landscaping journey. Tell me about a few specific projects you've worked on and the skill sets you've developed.
   1. NOTE: you might be interviewing somebody who is new to the landscaping industry. That is okay! A junior hire can be great as long as you have the bandwidth to train them. Ask them to share any related experience or work ethic that might relate to this job.
2. Describe your ideal work environment. Are you more comfortable working independently or collaboratively?
3. What ignites your passion for landscaping? Is it the creative aspect, the problem-solving challenges, or something else entirely?
4. Tell me about a challenging project you overcame. How did you approach the difficulties and achieve success?
5. How do you stay current with the latest landscaping industry trends and techniques?
6. Imagine you encounter an unexpected issue (or weather condition) on the job. How would you handle it?
   1. It’s great to give a specific, real-world example that you have faced in your business
7. Share an example of a time you went above and beyond and provided amazing customer service. What was the situation, and how did you exceed their expectations?
8. Do you have experience operating landscaping equipment? If so, which specific tools are you comfortable with?
9. Landscaping is an active job. Describe your physical fitness level and ability to handle demanding tasks.
10. Why are you interested in working for our company specifically? What aspects of our work resonate with you?

Streamline communication between the business and the client!

Download Your FREE Template NOW!

Interview Tips

Those landscaper interview questions are a great place to start the hiring process, but remember that you need to customize them for your business, area, and clients.

Also, before you go into an interview be sure to do the following things:

• Resume review: Be sure to spend some going over their resume and try to ask questions specific to their unique background.
• See examples: If the person you are interviewing has landscaping experience, it might be good to ask to see some visuals of projects they’ve worked on in the past.
• Take notes: Be sure to have a way to take notes so that you can go back and reference them later.
• Clear next steps: Don’t leave your interviewees hanging! Be sure to let them know when they might hear about the next step, and make sure you let candidates know whether they did or didn’t get the job.

Find Your Next Landscaper

There you have it–you’re ready to start interviewing potential team members:

• 10 great landscaper interview questions
• Strategies to asking better questions
• Tips to make the most of an interview

Remember to be an active listener and good luck on the interviews!

Related: Top 100 Landscaping Company Names to Inspire You 

Published Feb 15, 2024 12:00 PM