tree climber

lawn care specialist

arborist

groundskeeper

health specialist

SavATree

Used to be a decent place to work, pay is good even if you're not experienced. Its hard work, as it goes in this industry,  not for the weak bodied or lack of endurance. Be ready to work in all weather conditions. Most Coworkers are great,  we still keep in touch. The equipment made available is not bad, some things are outdated and need to be upgraded, especially the arborjet injection system. I did learn a lot in my time here, but quickly outgrew it and needed more.

If you're looking for work-life balance this is NOT the place AT ALL. You're expected to work yourself to the bone and at the end of the day the only incentive is a paycheck. There was days I would work 12-13 hrs and have less than 12 hrs before i had to be back for the next day. Complaints about dropped jobs were still made despite the hrs put in.  Management does not take care of their employees as they should, it's all work work work and no morale. Management is underqualified i.e. not certified arborists, college degree related to arboriculture, no field experience all of which makes it really hard to communicate issues. 
There was times when I thought my career was being stifled as a means to keep me on as a production horse as well.

There has been a numerous (a lot) times when ops manager blatantly trashed talked other coworkers behind their backs seemly not realizing that a lot of us hang out outside of work and know what has been said about us. Extremely untrustworthy, you have to watch what you say. Will throw you under the bus if trouble could come from it.

The science aspect is lacking, a lot of treatments are redundant and oversold. Would have liked to be taking samples and getting them lab tested for true prescription treatment of the trees. Educational meetings are the same year after year, no new material is brought forth despite requests for further training. They would rather throw you in a truck and just push production instead of properly training you. Which has lead to a lot of reworks and screw ups.

Unfortunate to hear it has only gotten worse since I left. It seems money is all they care about and saving trees takes a back seat.

Overall I would steer clear of this particular branch, cannot really speak for the quality other branches in the region.

Used to be a decent place to work, as the years went on it become more and more evident that it was time to leave. Coworkers were a great and professional group of guys, and I still keep in touch with most of them. While its nice to be able to work on your own all day, you're constantly monitored by management via GPS, so much to the point that they will stuff more work down your throat if they see you're ahead for the day. You're expected to work astronomical hrs, leaving little time to yourself at the end of a day, so much so sometimes you would be back to work the next day in less than 12 hrs. The work-life balance at this particular branch is horrible.

Management is extremely underqualified, holding no ISA certifications, arboricultural related college degrees, or even field experience. This makes it hard to communicate issues. Respect is expected but never given in return. Emotions run the show, not logic. Management observed many times doing what's good for them and their year end bonus  while not taking care of the field workers.

Multiple times in my tenure, I felt as though my career was being stifled. I was told I was not ready for certain things when I knew full well that I was. This was coming from someone who knew almost nothing about trees. It seemed like I was being road blocked to be kept on as a work horse in production instead of being pushed forward to next level of the company despite all my hardwork and efforts.

Company will not pay you for outside work related tasks that you are required to get to work. DOT physicals, pesticide licensing, certification tests etc.  All have to be done on your own time with little to no help from the company. I'm sure they will be cheap with the new required weekly testing  for Covid as well.

At the end of it all, SavATree has become  company that places saving trees low on the list, it's all about the money now. 

I cannot speak for other branches, but I would steer clear of this one. 






A typical day / week.

	⁃	$4.0 million in business (2010)
	⁃	Responsible for 2600 clients with over 3500 properties maintained
	⁃	Responsible for 29 employees (2 management, 7 office and 20 field)
	⁃	Ensure business growth based on monthly and yearly budgets 
	⁃	Conduct daily sales and operation assessments and monitoring of all location transactions
	⁃	Review and manage profit and loss statements, return per hour summaries, accounts receivable reports generated by the accounting department, and perform production projections
	⁃	Responsible for the verification of employee labor hours, running weekly staff meetings, debriefing crews and arborists, review the week's production schedule, plan for following week’s work and supply needs, direct & manage field staff
	⁃	Monitor staffing levels, changes in staff skill sets and overseeing training and development programs 
	⁃	Achieved the timely delivery of services to ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction
	⁃	Responsible for customer service requests, maintenance of customer expectations and complaint management 
	⁃	Assign territories and coordinate field employee’s daily routes 
	⁃	Oversight of work areas
	⁃	Monitor and enforce all safety and quality control standards for branch personnel– office, shop and field
	⁃	Manage and maintain branch purchase order system
	⁃	Prepared estimates for all areas of general tree care, plant health care and lawn care
	⁃	Responsible for maintaining branch inventory and material availability, order materials for general tree care, plant health care and lawn care divisions 
	⁃	Conduct annual performance evaluations for all branch employees 
	⁃	Manage the mechanic department - supervise fleet and equipment repair/maintenance
	⁃	Assist service line crews in all areas of general tree care, plant health care and lawn care

While my role at SavATree allowed me to build technical knowledge in plant health care, the overall work environment was difficult and ultimately harmful to my well-being. I encountered unprofessional behavior, including inappropriate comments and conduct that made the workplace feel unsafe and unsupportive.

Despite raising concerns through the proper channels, I did not feel adequately supported by management or HR. Instead of resolution, I experienced increased isolation in the workplace, which contributed to significant mental and emotional stress. Communication during key HR processes was also unclear and left me without guidance during a critical time.

I encourage potential applicants to carefully consider whether the company culture aligns with their values and mental health needs. Those who may find themselves in difficult situations should be aware that internal support may be limited.

Advice to Management:

Establish and enforce clear, zero-tolerance policies for unprofessional behavior and harassment. Ensure all employee concerns are taken seriously and addressed promptly and impartially. Prioritize training for supervisors on how to handle sensitive issues with empathy and professionalism. A respectful, inclusive, and safe environment is key to employee success and retention.

The job description didn’t accurately reflect the responsibilities I would face. The onboarding process was equally unclear, with little information provided about company policies or what was expected from me. This initial lack of transparency set a troubling precedent for my entire experience at the company.

On a daily basis, communication from management was often insufficient. Important decisions were frequently made without any input from employees, and crucial information was either withheld or poorly communicated. This created a chaotic work environment where employees were left in the dark and struggled to keep up with ever-changing directives.

The company's policies and procedures were another area of concern. There was a noticeable lack of clarity around these policies, and changes were made without informing the staff. This constant uncertainty led to confusion about how to perform our jobs effectively and led to frequent frustrations among the team.

When it came to performance reviews and feedback, the process was equally opaque. The criteria for evaluations were vague, and feedback was rarely specific or constructive. Promises of raises, promotions, or additional benefits were often made but rarely fulfilled, leaving many of us feeling undervalued and demotivated.

If you’re considering a position here, I would advise looking for a company where open communication and clear policies are a priority.

I have no doubt that SavATree had its moment sometime in the 2010s. But it is now owned by private equity and ran with nothing but growth in mind. I was part of their newly acquired 84th branch. Fast forward a year and they are now over 100 locations. That level of growth is unsustainable and it shows. Management is inexperienced and incompetent. I was assured that crews would be well trained, they are not. There is one general tree care trainer for the entire eastern US and he comes around about once per year. As a sales arborist, I was given sales goals that were unrealistic and unattainable in the first year of a new branch. Expect to work 12 hour days and still be told you should be working nights and weekends to meet your sales goals. Management pretends to care about people, but their actions say otherwise. I was let go due to “underperformance”. But the branch had been underperforming for 14 months due to obvious mismanagement. And the managers are all still working, running the place into the ground. 

SavATree is an opportunity I took to challenge myself and get a different perspective in Talent Acquisition from a different industry. The organization, opportunity, and development of the company, exceed that from which I would've assumed looking at them from the outside as just a "landscaping" company, and would highly recommend an opportunity here. It promotes a positive quick paced work environment where career growth is available in the different work groups, management inspires to think differently and commit to your actions which helps get the job and done and helps you develop through experience. The company culture consists of friendly people who make an effort to treat you like the person you are instead of some cog in the wheel, and also nurture ones potential. The most enjoyable part of the job is realizing that while working here you aren't dedicating your time to earn a living, but dedicating your time to make an impact on a brand that'll continue to grow and knowing that you're playing a role in that.

Savatree is a decent company, with decent pay but here are my 3 main frustrations while working here. 
1. Communication and Clarity 
Fairly often you will not have all the needed information to finish a service. Important information about operations is not always given or clear ( environmental hazards, actual pesticide modes of action, etc). Resources available to counter this seem sparse or illusive (in the work space). 
2. Benefits and bonuses
Only perceived bonuses working in my position were attendance bonuses which were not of real significant value. Health insurance is spoken of poorly among coworkers, but dental and vision seem fine. 
3. Working alone and feeling like a valued member of the team
Actually being alone during shifts is perfectly fine, that is part of the job. However, your performance is hardly measured and it can be difficult to gage how well you are supporting your department or feel like you are a noticed employee there. This part is only a small gripe, but it is noticeable enough to mention it. 

I worked for the company before they were swallowed up by Savatree. Worst move ever. I should have known from the start it was going to be bad. The acquisition was a nightmare, corporate came in and switched out all our computers and gave us zero training on the new systems. Gave the Arborists tablets that none of them knew how to use with also no training. I had a manager tell me in a meeting with three other people to "Do as your told and don't ask questions." They refused to allow the office staff to work remote during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, and even allowed an arborist with Covid to come into the office. 

No regard for the health and safety of their employees. All they care about is money. We didn't have half of the equipment to perform new services corporate kept adding, but they were still encouraged to sell them. 

The health insurance is trash and it's absolutely ridiculous you have to get a urine test annually to get a "discount" on your premium.  

This company is fast paced,challenging, and full of hard working creative individuals who on a daily basis find solutions to unique problems. This Company is highly collaborative as there are many branches with very different working styles and objectives that need to be met on a daily basis. Each team works in tandem to make sure that all customers questions are met, and that all services are performed on schedule. There are challenges in that our head office, and accounting department are located in Bedford Hills NY, However the management, HR, and supervising teams are all equipped to assist all the staff in the office(s) should any problems arrive that require the attention of our head office. If you are a critical thinking individual who is also good at being able to solve problems within the guide lines provided by a company than you will find this a rewarding place to work.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Tree climber 22 salaries reported	$29.25 per hour
Lawn care specialist 48 salaries reported	$24.05 per hour
Arborist 5 salaries reported	$136,000 per year
Groundskeeper 21 salaries reported	$22.05 per hour
Health specialist 3 salaries reported	$23.33 per hour

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