There's a moment every growing tree care business hits: you're turning down work because you can't be in two places at once. Hiring your first crew is how you break through that ceiling — and it's also where a lot of owners stumble, because being a great climber doesn't automatically make you a great employer. Here's how to make your first hires count.
Hire for the bottleneck first
Don't hire a title; hire the thing that's actually slowing you down.
- Most owners' first hire is a groundworker. A reliable ground person — dragging brush, feeding the chipper, running ropes, keeping the site safe — frees the owner to climb and cut, which is usually where the money is. It's the fastest productivity gain per dollar.
- A second climber comes when demand is steady enough to run two operations or split crews. That's a bigger commitment, because good climbers are scarce and expensive to keep.
Be honest about which problem you're solving before you write the job post.
Know what "good" looks like
In a dangerous trade, attitude and reliability outrank raw experience for entry roles.
- For groundworkers: dependability, a willingness to learn, physical capability, and respect for safety. You can teach the tasks; you can't easily teach showing up and paying attention.
- For climbers: demonstrated skill, sound technique, and a safety-first mindset. Ask about certifications and real experience, and take references seriously — this is someone you're trusting with rigging near houses and lines.
Whatever the role, the compliance side of employing people — from classification to training requirements — is regulated and varies by location; use the regulations overview as your reference and confirm specifics with a professional.
Write a job post that filters for the right people
Vague posts attract vague applicants. A good tree care job post is specific:
- The actual role and daily work (be honest — it's hard, physical work).
- Whether experience or certification is required or just preferred.
- Pay range, schedule, and what makes your shop a good place to work — safe sites, good gear, room to grow.
Specific posts get you fewer, better applicants. That's the goal.
Where to find crew who'll actually show up
Word-of-mouth and yard signs are slow, and general job boards bury a climbing job under office listings nobody in the trade is reading. The faster path is to post where tree care people already are. That's the idea behind the One Stop Tree Shop jobs board — homeowners post work, and tree care professionals and job-seekers are already there looking. Post your job listing in front of an audience that knows what a rigging line is.
Keep them once you've got them
Hiring is expensive; turnover is worse. In a trade where good people are hard to find, keeping them is a competitive advantage:
- Pay competitively. Underpaying your best climber is how you train someone for a competitor.
- Run safe, well-equipped job sites. Nothing burns out a crew faster than dangerous, disorganized work.
- Offer a path. Groundworker to climber to crew leader — a visible ladder keeps ambitious people from leaving to find one.
Build your crew where the trade lives
Your first hire is the leap from working in the business to building one. When you're ready, post your job on One Stop Tree Shop and set up your company profile so applicants can see the kind of operation you run. Hire for your bottleneck, filter for reliability, and keep the good ones — start by posting your first job today.