If you’re feeling stretched too thin—putting out fires, coordinating crews, and fielding constant client calls—it might be time to bring in help. Learning how to hire a lawn care operations manager is one of the smartest ways to scale your business, boost efficiency, and ensure consistent quality across every job.
This will show you exactly how to hire a lawn care operations manager, including:
Hiring too soon can hurt your bottom line. Hiring too late leaves you burned out. So, how do you know it’s time?
Ask yourself:
If you said yes to any of the above, it’s probably time to hire. A good operations manager frees you up to work on your business instead of in it.
Pro Tip! Even if you're ready now, the hiring process takes time—so start before you're desperate.
Before you hire, know what you're looking for. The best lawn care ops managers usually have experience:
They should be highly organized and comfortable juggling crews, schedules, and client needs—all at once.
Ask your team. Your crew might know someone from past jobs who would be a great fit.
Your job post should go beyond buzzwords. Include:
Start with a phone screen to confirm experience and culture fit. Then, move into in-person interviews using scenario-based questions, such as:
Other things to look for:
Consider having them meet key team members during the interview process. Their chemistry and ability to connect with key staff are crucial.
Research local pay rates and be realistic: top talent isn’t cheap. Offer:
While salary isn’t everything, most ops managers are looking for things like health insurance, paid time off, and professional development opportunities. This is a great way to make the role more appealing than your competitors in the area.
Hiring is just the start. A proper onboarding plan sets the tone for long-term success.
Remember, an onboarding plan is more than just an employee handbook. Your 90-day plan needs to demonstrate all aspects of your company.
Ride-alongs with experienced crews show new ops managers the ropes of your lawn care business.
Set clear expectations and measurable goals from day one. Regular check-ins during the first few months help tackle challenges before they become problems.
Instant invoicing
Better scheduling
Manage your clients and employees all in one system
Hiring an operations manager means trusting them to make decisions and take ownership. Support them with:
Remember, the best operations managers can be a huge win for your team. But it can sometimes be a struggle for business owners who built their business from the ground up.
Regular check-ins, especially on major business decisions, are an excellent opportunity for them to provide input and get to know your business from the inside out.
Knowing how to hire a lawn care operations manager is one of the smartest ways to take your business to the next level. Ideally, you want to find someone who has industry knowledge with strong leadership skills and aligns with your company culture.
Here’s a quick summary of how to hire a lawn care operations manager the right way:
Be patient. The right person is worth waiting for—and once you find them, they’ll be a game-changer.
Ready to set your new ops manager up for peak success? Book a demo of the best lawn care software to see for yourself!
Related: Simple Fixes to Your Main Lawn Care Hiring Problems
Published on July 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Tags: Business Operation, Featured Post
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