LandCare, a prominent national commercial landscape management company, has fundamentally transformed its talent acquisition strategy through the strategic implementation of Workable, an advanced applicant tracking system. With 76 locations spanning 23 states and a robust workforce of approximately 4,000 employees during peak season, LandCare stands as one of the largest field-based organizations in its industry. The company’s journey from a manual, fragmented recruiting process to a streamlined, data-driven function underscores the critical role of modern technology in scaling operations and enhancing organizational effectiveness. This transition, spearheaded by Alex Kline, Director of Talent Acquisition and Employee Services, has not only accelerated hiring metrics but also significantly elevated the strategic importance and credibility of the TA team within the broader business structure.
The Landscape of LandCare: A National Presence with Unique Hiring Challenges
LandCare’s operational model is inherently complex dueifying its talent acquisition needs. As a commercial landscape management leader, the company’s success hinges on its ability to attract and retain a diverse range of professionals, from corporate specialists to a vast network of field-based personnel. The roles LandCare hires for are extensive, encompassing critical corporate functions such as finance, information technology, human resources, marketing, and operations. At the regional and branch levels, the company seeks talented individuals for positions like branch administrators, production managers, account managers, and branch managers. Furthermore, periodic executive searches for VP and director-level roles require a meticulous and discreet approach.
A significant portion of LandCare’s workforce consists of crew-level employees, whose recruitment is decentralized and managed directly at the branch level. This distributed hiring model presents a unique set of challenges: ensuring consistency in candidate experience, maintaining brand standards, and providing adequate support and resources to local hiring managers who often juggle operational duties with recruitment responsibilities. The sheer scale and geographic dispersion of LandCare’s operations necessitate a talent acquisition system that is not only powerful and comprehensive but also exceptionally user-friendly and accessible from any location. The competitive nature of the landscape management industry further amplifies the need for speed and efficiency in hiring, particularly as the company gears up for its seasonal peaks, where thousands of employees are onboarded.
Before Workable: Navigating an Antiquated Recruitment Landscape
Prior to adopting Workable, LandCare operated without a dedicated, comprehensive applicant tracking system (ATS). The company relied on a plugin integrated with its UKG human resources information system (HRIS), which, while functional for basic processing, fell far short of the demands of a rapidly expanding national enterprise. This system was largely manual, limited in its capabilities, and fundamentally incapable of supporting the high-volume, efficient hiring that LandCare required to sustain its growth trajectory.
Alex Kline vividly describes the previous state: "It was a very antiquated process. There was really nothing about it that allowed us to manage our recruitment effort through that system. We were managing it kind of outside and then just processing everything through it." This meant that while the UKG plugin could handle administrative tasks, the core recruitment activities—candidate sourcing, communication, screening, and pipeline management—were largely managed through ad-hoc methods, spreadsheets, and manual tracking. This fragmented approach introduced significant inefficiencies, increased the risk of human error, and made it nearly impossible to gain a holistic view of the talent pipeline across the organization.
One of the most significant pain points was job posting. The UKG integration primarily pushed job openings to LandCare’s internal careers page. For broader reach, each additional platform, such as industry giants LinkedIn and Indeed, necessitated a separate, manual posting process. As LandCare continued its growth, this cumbersome, platform-specific manual effort became an unsustainable drain on resources and a bottleneck to achieving desired hiring velocity. In a competitive labor market, where speed to market with job postings and a seamless candidate experience are paramount, LandCare’s existing system was increasingly hindering its ability to attract top talent efficiently. The lack of a centralized system also meant that valuable candidate data was scattered, making it difficult to track source effectiveness, measure time-to-hire, or analyze recruitment metrics, thereby limiting the TA team’s ability to make data-driven decisions.
A Deliberate Search: Why Workable Emerged as the Clear Choice
Recognizing the urgent need for a robust and scalable solution, Alex Kline embarked on an exhaustive evaluation process. This thorough and deliberate search began with a longlist of approximately ten different platforms, which was meticulously narrowed down to five, then three, and finally two finalists. The selection criteria were stringent, focusing on a balance of advanced features, user-friendliness, and scalability to meet LandCare’s unique operational demands.
The competing finalist in the final stage presented an impressive array of features, boasting robust reporting capabilities and a comprehensive suite of tools that typically appeal to seasoned talent acquisition professionals. However, LandCare’s distinctive organizational structure—with a significant proportion of its hiring managers operating in the field, away from traditional office desks—posed a critical challenge. For any new system to succeed, it needed to be intuitive enough for these field-based managers to adopt with minimal training and integrate seamlessly into their mobile workflows.
Workable ultimately emerged as the clear choice due to its unparalleled commitment to user experience, particularly for non-recruiting professionals. Alex Kline articulated this pivotal factor: "If we would have put the other platform in front of our hiring managers, we would have never been able to get the buy-in from them that we have now. Workable makes it so simple for them." This insight highlighted a fundamental understanding of LandCare’s operational reality. While advanced features are desirable, they are meaningless without widespread adoption and engagement from the end-users. Workable struck the perfect balance, offering the sophisticated reporting and talent acquisition tools that the TA team required, while simultaneously delivering an exceptionally user-friendly interface that field-based hiring managers could effortlessly navigate and integrate into their daily routines. This combination of functional depth without unnecessary complexity was the decisive factor, ensuring that the new ATS would not only serve the TA team but also empower the entire organization.
A Phased Rollout: Strategic Implementation for Seamless Integration
The implementation of Workable at LandCare was a meticulously planned and strategically executed project, personally overseen by Alex Kline, who served as the primary project manager. Working in close collaboration with Workable’s dedicated implementation partner, Kashaw, the team adopted a phased rollout approach rather than attempting to manage every element simultaneously. This strategy was designed to ensure a smooth transition, minimize disruption, and maximize user adoption across the vast organization.
Key components of the implementation were delegated deliberately to leverage internal expertise and streamline the process. The core Talent Acquisition team took responsibility for building out candidate communication templates, ensuring consistent and professional messaging throughout the recruitment journey. Simultaneously, the HR team focused on aligning LandCare’s intricate organizational structure within Workable, meticulously mapping it to the company’s existing HRIS. This critical step ensured that candidate flow and data synchronization made logical sense across both systems, preventing data silos and maintaining data integrity.
The collaboration with Workable’s implementation partner was characterized by a highly responsive and symbiotic relationship. Alex Kline noted, "The relationship was very symbiotic. We’d bring things to their attention in the afternoon and come back the next morning to viable solutions." This agile and supportive partnership proved invaluable in addressing unforeseen challenges and optimizing workflows in real-time.
The phased approach yielded impressive results, demonstrating the effectiveness of careful planning and execution. The TA team achieved full operational capability on Workable within a remarkable six weeks. Following this initial phase, a two-week period of internal use was dedicated to refining workflow details, identifying and documenting edge cases, and ensuring all processes were robust before a broader launch. This crucial internal testing phase allowed the team to iron out any kinks and build confidence in the system. Subsequently, Workable was rolled out to the broader business, achieving full company adoption within an impressive eight weeks of the initial implementation. This rapid and efficient deployment showcased not only the inherent user-friendliness of Workable but also the organizational commitment and strategic leadership driving the transition. Such a phased approach is a recognized best practice in large-scale software implementations, minimizing risk and maximizing the likelihood of successful user integration.
Measurable Gains: Quantifying the Impact of Workable
The implementation of Workable in the fall of 2023 marked a significant turning point for LandCare’s talent acquisition function, yielding immediate and compounding positive impacts on key hiring metrics year over year. The data clearly illustrates a substantial improvement in both efficiency and volume.
Focusing on four core branch-level positions, a critical segment for LandCare’s operational capacity, the hiring numbers demonstrate a clear upward trend. In 2023, the last full year operating under the previous UKG system, LandCare hired 122 individuals for these roles. Following Workable’s implementation, this number saw a notable increase, reaching 136 hires in 2024. The positive momentum continued into 2025, with 138 hires for the same positions. This consistent growth in hiring volume underscores Workable’s ability to support LandCare’s expansion and meet its talent needs more effectively. The modest but steady increase year-over-year reflects a more streamlined and productive hiring engine.
Even more striking is the improvement in efficiency. From 2024 to 2025, LandCare’s time to hire—a crucial metric reflecting recruitment efficiency—decreased by an impressive 23%. This significant reduction means that positions are being filled much faster, minimizing operational gaps, improving team productivity, and ensuring that new employees are integrated into the workforce more promptly. Faster time to hire is a direct competitive advantage, allowing LandCare to outpace competitors in securing top talent and rapidly scale its teams.
Beyond raw numbers, the quality of hires has also seen indirect improvements. While Alex Kline wisely attributes reductions in turnover to a combination of factors, the enhanced capabilities provided by Workable undeniably play a role. The ability to move candidates faster through the pipeline, reach a broader and more diverse pool of applicants, and provide hiring managers with genuine visibility into their own pipelines contributes to better-informed hiring decisions. When hiring managers are more engaged and have a clearer understanding of the recruitment process, it naturally leads to stronger candidate selection and, consequently, improved retention outcomes overall.
Visibility and Credibility: Elevating Talent Acquisition’s Strategic Role
One of the more profound, albeit initially unexpected, outcomes of Workable’s implementation has been the unprecedented clarity it brought to the business regarding the scope and effort involved in talent acquisition. By providing hiring managers with direct access to the platform and a transparent view of their specific job pipelines, Workable demystified the recruitment process, revealing the extensive effort that goes into every hire. This transparency has been instrumental in strengthening interdepartmental relationships and significantly elevating the TA function’s credibility with leadership.
A compelling anecdote illustrates this newfound understanding. When LandCare’s marketing director posted a graphic designer role, she was initially overwhelmed by the sheer volume of applications, receiving an astounding 2,000 in a single month. Her initial understanding of the TA team’s work shifted dramatically once she gained insight into the filtering process through Workable. Alex Kline recounted the impact: "For her to understand that yes, you may only be seeing five candidates you like to talk to, but this is the level of effort that went into it. Out of 400 candidates, we disqualified 350, scheduled calls with 50, only 30 showed up, we liked 15 of those, 10 made it through the behavioral assessment, and those are your top five. It really gave the TA team a lot of street credit in the business."
This level of transparency transformed the perception of the TA team from a transactional "order-taker" to a strategic partner whose expertise in navigating a vast candidate pool is invaluable. When departmental leaders witness firsthand the meticulous screening, numerous touchpoints, and analytical rigor required to present a select few qualified candidates, it fosters a deeper appreciation for the TA team’s strategic contribution. This enhanced understanding has not only improved collaboration but has also positioned the talent acquisition department as a critical, data-informed driver of business success, earning them a more prominent "seat at the table" in strategic discussions.
Empowering the Field: Key Features Driving Adoption and Efficiency
Workable’s success at LandCare is significantly attributed to specific features tailored to the unique needs of a distributed, field-based workforce. These functionalities have not only streamlined processes but also fostered unprecedented engagement among hiring managers.
One Click, 15 Job Boards: The operational shift in job posting alone represents a monumental leap in efficiency and reach. The antiquated UKG plugin pushed roles only to LandCare’s careers page, necessitating laborious manual reposts to other platforms. Workable, in stark contrast, distributes job postings to over 15 leading job boards with a single click. While LinkedIn and Indeed remain primary candidate sources, this broader distribution carries an invaluable brand awareness benefit. As Alex Kline noted, "Just having your brand out there in all the different areas ultimately drives applicants to you in other ways as well." This extensive reach ensures LandCare’s brand visibility across numerous channels, passively attracting candidates who might not actively be searching on specific platforms, thereby enhancing the overall talent pipeline.
The Mobile App: Built for the Field: For a company where hiring managers are frequently on job sites, in transit, or away from a traditional desk environment, the Workable mobile app has proven to be a game-changer. It is, in fact, the primary interface for most of LandCare’s field-based hiring managers. The app’s intuitive design allows managers to receive immediate notifications when a candidate progresses to a new stage in the workflow. From their phone, they can click directly into Workable, review resumes, provide feedback, and signal approval or rejection instantaneously. This eliminates the need for a laptop, removes delays associated with returning to an office, and empowers managers to make timely decisions, significantly accelerating the hiring process. Even Alex Kline leverages the mobile app daily, approving offer letters from his phone, underscoring its indispensable nature. "That is probably one of the biggest highlights of the system. Our hiring managers – that’s all they use," he affirms, highlighting its central role in their operations.
Reporting That Travels Outside the Platform: Workable provides robust built-in reporting capabilities that offer an immediate operational pulse on recruiting performance, covering key metrics like hiring velocity and time to hire. However, LandCare’s sophisticated approach to data analytics extends beyond native reporting. The team seamlessly pulls Workable’s raw data directly into Power BI, their business intelligence platform, allowing them to run highly customized reports through their internal data warehouse. This capability demonstrates Workable’s adaptability and its seamless integration with more advanced analytics environments. Alex Kline praises this flexibility: "It’s easy to communicate with the internal mainframe of Workable. We’re able to pull that data into Power BI and run very custom reports." This hybrid approach ensures that LandCare can leverage Workable’s native features for day-to-day operational oversight while simultaneously performing deep-dive analyses to inform strategic talent decisions.
Self-Scheduling and Custom Questions: Enhancing Candidate Experience and Precision: Workable’s self-scheduling links have received consistent praise, particularly from candidates, who appreciate the efficiency and autonomy they offer. The ability to receive a stage-advancement email and immediately book a Teams interview without the typical back-and-forth communication significantly improves the candidate experience, portraying LandCare as a modern and efficient employer. Custom application questions add another layer of precision, allowing LandCare to gather vital information without creating manual steps. These questions are used to attribute sourcing data from LinkedIn messaging campaigns and enable intern candidates to specify their preferred region, helping to route and prioritize applicants effectively. These features collectively streamline the process for both candidates and recruiters, contributing to a more positive and efficient hiring journey.
A Resounding Endorsement and Future Outlook
Without question, LandCare unequivocally recommends Workable. For field-based organizations managing distributed hiring across dozens of locations, the ability to genuinely engage hiring managers in the process without extensive training is, in itself, a significant competitive advantage. LandCare’s talent acquisition team has successfully transitioned from a manual, limited system to a nationally coordinated recruiting function. This transformation allows them to demonstrate their impact with concrete data, move candidates through the pipeline faster, and reach a broad talent pool across over 15 platforms with a single action.
The numbers undeniably tell a compelling story: a remarkable 23% faster time to hire, 138 hires across four core branch positions in a single year, and a TA team that has earned unprecedented credibility with leadership due to the platform’s ability to make their work transparent and quantifiable. Beyond the metrics, Workable has empowered LandCare to foster a culture of shared responsibility in talent acquisition, where every hiring manager is an active participant, contributing to the company’s growth. As LandCare continues its national expansion and faces the dynamic challenges of a competitive labor market, Workable stands as a foundational pillar, enabling the company to attract, engage, and secure the talent necessary to maintain its leadership position in the commercial landscape management industry. The strategic partnership with Workable ensures that LandCare’s talent acquisition capabilities remain agile, efficient, and aligned with its ambitious business objectives.
