7 H-2B Alternatives for Employers Struggling to Find Seasonal Workers

For many seasonal employers, the H-2B visa program has become an important source of workers.

Landscaping companies, hospitality businesses, resorts, construction companies, seafood processors, and other seasonal employers use H-2B workers to fill jobs they struggle to fill locally.

But relying heavily on H-2B can also create uncertainty. What happens if your company doesn't receive the workers it requested? What if visa availability changes? What if your workforce arrives later than expected? What if your business is growing faster than the number of H-2B workers you can secure?

For a landscaping company heading into spring, these aren't minor problems. You may already have customers, contracts, and equipment. But without enough workers, you can't build the crews needed to perform the work.

That's why employers should understand the alternatives to H-2B workers.

1. Recruit Workers From Puerto Rico

For U.S. employers searching for an H-2B alternative, Puerto Rico should be one of the first labor markets to consider.

Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Workers from Puerto Rico do not need an H-2B visa simply to accept employment with a mainland U.S. company.

That makes recruiting from Puerto Rico fundamentally different from recruiting foreign seasonal workers. An employer can recruit U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico for mainland employment just as it can recruit workers living in any state.

The major difference is that many mainland employers have never seriously recruited there. That creates an additional labor market for employers struggling to find enough workers locally.

Recruiting Landscape Workers From Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico recruiting can be especially useful for landscaping companies.

• Landscape maintenance

• Lawn maintenance

• Mowing

• Landscape installation

• Hardscaping

• Irrigation

• Construction

• Equipment operation

• Crew leader positions

• Seasonal landscape work

Instead of relying entirely on local recruiting and H-2B workers, landscaping companies can add Puerto Rico as another recruiting pipeline.

This doesn't necessarily mean abandoning H-2B. A company might employ H-2B workers, local employees, returning workers, referrals, and workers recruited from Puerto Rico at the same time. The goal is workforce diversification.

2. Expand Local Recruiting Beyond Job Boards

Posting a seasonal position on a job board and waiting for applications isn't a complete recruiting strategy.

• Employee referral programs

• Local workforce centers

• Community organizations

• Trade schools

• High schools

• Community colleges

• Social media

• Local Facebook groups

• Job fairs

• Former employees

• Previous seasonal workers

• Local recruiting events

However, local recruiting has a natural limitation. There are only so many available workers within commuting distance.

3. Recruit Workers From Other Parts of the United States

Another alternative to H-2B is domestic relocation recruiting. Employers don't necessarily have to recruit internationally to expand their workforce.

Instead of asking, “Who wants this job within 20 miles of our company?” ask, “Where can we find workers willing to relocate for this opportunity?”

The larger your recruiting geography becomes, the larger your potential labor pool becomes.

4. Build a Returning-Worker Strategy

One of the most valuable sources of seasonal employees is often people who have already worked for your company.

Returning workers understand the job, schedule, supervisors, equipment, expectations, customers, and company culture.

The best seasonal employers don't rebuild their workforce from zero every spring. They build a returning workforce.

5. Increase Employee Referrals

Employee referrals can become one of the fastest ways to expand a seasonal workforce.

Consider paying referral bonuses in stages—for example, part after the referred employee starts and the remainder after 60 or 90 days. That encourages employees to recommend people they believe will actually stay.

6. Improve the Job Before Increasing the Recruiting Budget

Sometimes the problem isn't where you're recruiting. It's the job you're trying to fill.

• Hourly pay

• Overtime

• Guaranteed hours

• Schedule

• Benefits

• Transportation

• Housing

• Bonuses

• Advancement

• Supervisor quality

• Equipment

• Working conditions

For seasonal employees, hours matter almost as much as hourly wages. Candidates think about total earnings.

7. Reduce the Number of Workers You Need

The final H-2B alternative isn't another source of workers. It's reducing your labor requirement.

For landscaping companies, that might include larger or more efficient mowing equipment, robotic mowing, route optimization, better crew scheduling, improved loading procedures, more efficient equipment, automated administrative tasks, and better job-site planning.

If operational improvements allow a landscaping company to perform the same amount of work with 45 employees instead of 50, the company has effectively solved five open positions without recruiting anyone.

Should You Stop Using H-2B?

Not necessarily. H-2B can still be an important workforce solution for seasonal employers.

The bigger risk is depending entirely on one labor source.

A diversified seasonal workforce might include H-2B employees, local employees, returning seasonal workers, employee referrals, workers recruited domestically, and workers recruited from Puerto Rico.

Why Puerto Rico Is Different From Other H-2B Alternatives

Recruiting workers from Puerto Rico allows employers to expand beyond their local labor market while continuing to recruit U.S. citizens.

If you recruit only locally, your candidate pool is geographically limited. If you recruit internationally, immigration and visa requirements may apply. Puerto Rico gives mainland employers another option: recruit American workers from a labor market more than a thousand miles away.

Housing and Transportation Matter When Recruiting From Puerto Rico

Recruiting workers is only the beginning. When employees relocate, employers need to think carefully about what happens after arrival.

• Where will employees live?

• How much will housing cost?

• Is temporary housing available?

• Will employees share housing?

• How will employees get to work?

• Is public transportation available?

• Will the company provide vans or transportation?

• How quickly can employees establish themselves financially?

These issues are especially important for landscaping companies, where crews may report to the shop very early in the morning.

Retention Starts Before Workers Relocate

Recruiting workers from outside your local market only makes sense if they stay.

For landscaping positions, explain early start times, physical demands, weather, seasonal hours, overtime, six-day workweeks if applicable, equipment expectations, transportation, housing, and cost of living.

Realistic expectations improve the chances that the person who accepts the position is actually a good fit.

H-2B Alternatives for Landscaping Companies

Landscaping companies are particularly vulnerable to seasonal workforce shortages. Spring arrives whether your workforce is ready or not.

If a company planned for 60 employees but only has 45, those missing 15 workers can affect the entire season. Routes become overloaded, managers work in the field, overtime increases, projects get delayed, and companies may turn down profitable work.

That's why landscaping employers should develop backup workforce strategies before they know whether their primary labor source will produce enough workers.

How Isla Talent Helps Employers Recruit Workers From Puerto Rico

Isla Talent specializes in recruiting workers from Puerto Rico for mainland U.S. employers.

• Landscaping

• Construction

• Manufacturing

• Hospitality

• Skilled trades

• Warehouse and logistics

• Other blue-collar industries

We help employers identify workforce needs, recruit candidates in Puerto Rico, screen applicants, coordinate interviews, set realistic expectations, and plan for relocation.

For landscaping employers, that can mean recruiting workers for maintenance, mowing, installation, irrigation, hardscaping, construction, equipment operation, and crew positions.

The objective isn't to tell employers they should abandon H-2B. It's to give companies another workforce pipeline.

Don't Wait Until Your Season Is Understaffed

The worst time to develop an H-2B backup plan is after the season has already started.

Continue recruiting locally. Build your returning-worker program. Encourage employee referrals. Improve productivity. Use H-2B when it makes sense. And consider expanding your domestic recruiting to Puerto Rico.

The strongest seasonal workforce strategy isn't necessarily choosing one source of employees. It's making sure your company has enough ways to find workers that one setback doesn't derail your season.

Looking for an H-2B Alternative?

If your landscaping company or seasonal business is struggling to find enough workers—or you want to build an additional workforce pipeline alongside H-2B—Isla Talent can help you explore recruiting workers from Puerto Rico.

Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, and employers can recruit candidates for mainland employment without relying on an H-2B visa simply for work authorization.

Contact Isla Talent to learn how recruiting workers from Puerto Rico could fit into your seasonal workforce strategy.