Finding inspired employees

One of my favorite questions to ask during editorial job interviews is which magazine inspires the candidate. It offers an interesting look into the person’s passion and what motivates them, and their pick is often unexpected. One female candidate recently named a magazine that’s geared toward a male audience as her inspiration, not for the topics, but because of its quirky attitude and stellar social media strategy. Her answer showed me that she was willing to think outside of the box, and would likely bring an interesting perspective to the team.

Another point I always take into consideration is that, while one candidate may not have as much (or any) experience as other candidates in an area, if they have the right attitude and drive, they might still be the right person for the job. And, while hiring an editor is a little different than hiring a new head grower or accountant, bringing the right person on board is important for both. In our October State of the Industry Report research, 52 percent of growers that we surveyed ranked finding high-quality hires “difficult” or “very difficult” (4 and 5 on a 5-point scale, with 5 being very difficult).

As you’ll read in this month’s cover story, some greenhouse owners have had just as much luck hiring a smart and enthusiastic person with little or no growing experience as they have looking for someone who already has a degree in the field. We take a look at the current state of greenhouse labor and programs such as H-2A, H-2B and E-Verify, how to fill your open positions and other aspects of labor starting on page 16.

We hope this information will help you to make better hiring decisions and strengthen your work force. Happy hiring!

Karen E. Varga , Editor kvarga@gie.net

216-393-0290 | Twitter: @Karen_GIE