The COVID-19 pandemic no doubt changed the way your greenhouse business operates. But perhaps to an even greater degree, it’s also changed how your current and potential future employees think about their jobs and careers. “The changes that have taken place the last 18 months are here to stay, and they can be very positive to your business long-term,” said Mark Waschek, Vice President of Agronomy at Ag1Source. “However, as a business owner, you need to be cognizant of how your employees’ values have changed.” The good news, Waschek said, is that during the time of the “Great Resignation,” those employees who stayed with you did so for a reason. “They showed you how loyal they were, and these are the types of employees you want to not just retain, but attract as you plan for new hiring,” Waschek said. Here are five strategies Waschek suggests following as you plan for future employment opportunities.
Your future employees want to know they’re coming to work for an organization that has its stuff together.”
People aren’t leaving their jobs for money anymore, Waschek said. They are leaving them because their values have changed. As an employer, you also need to make sure your values are clear and highlight them when you're posting job openings.
“Career pathing is something that is hugely impressive to a candidate,” Waschek said. “It’s also critical to employee retention. We like to pick on the millennial generation, but the reality is they often want to be on a long-term path from the moment they’re hired.”
It doesn’t cost anything, although you can spend money to build one. “Better yet, if you have an employee refer a candidate to you, there's a high probability that this candidate has been pre-screened, because they're friends,” Waschek said. “A good employee of yours is not going to refer a bad person, they're going to refer somebody that is a reflection of themselves. The real value of an employee referral program is it's massively impactful on employee retention.”
“Your best future employees may not be looking for a job now, but when they get to a point where they want a career change, they will turn to those organizations that they’ve heard might be good employers,” Waschek said. “You want to constantly promote how great your company is to work for, so when you have a job opening, people already know about your reputation.”
While you don’t want to make snap decisions when hiring a candidate, in today’s competitive job market, delays can be costly. “If you have a talented candidate with the type of skills and background that you're looking for, interview them with the assumption that they already have two job offers in their back pocket,” Waschek said.
People aren’t leaving their jobs for money anymore."
