April 2022 - 31

MANAGEMENT
relevant departments. We're not recruiting the whole class, just a few at
most, we tend to get really high-quality candidates. It also allows us to
focus more on core talent and character. "
We agreed that resumes tell you what someone has done but in
terms of predictive capabilities, well, maybe it's not as data-driven as
an AI robotic algorithm for greenhouse monitoring. " Another trick I
shouldn't share is to think as far ahead
as possible. When we want to hire
someone in May, if we can, we begin the
search the prior September. Our goal
is to find creative problem solvers that
anticipate and get in front of problems
before they exist. If you're looking for a
job that far in advance, there's a better
chance that you have what we look for, "
he says.
Lastly, Ledebuhr stressed managing
expectations. " I'm a GenX-er. I had my
first paycheck job at age 14, " he says.
" When we hire a college grad now, it's
not uncommon that we may be their
first or second employer, so you can't
assume they come with the same basic
work experiences. They're not less
capable, just less experienced. The
good news is they go through those
fundamental building block stages of
learning to be a good employee very quickly because they know how to
learn. If you skip those steps in employee development that you might
have learned earlier in life, both you and the employee will likely be
frustrated. Placement offices know this is a place where you're going
to have dirty hands and get to a place where you make real decisions
quickly. "
If you don't do
a hands-on internship,
you graduate without a
real understanding of
what it's like to grind as
a grower. Internships
are critical.
- Charlie McKenzie, Crop Walk/Crop Talk
Strikingly, no one has yet complained
about or focused on the lack of a
particular skill set or a deep need for
universities to revamp their programs to
account for the rapid rise in agricultural
technology. According to Erika and
Mark, consultants who are constantly
in touch with industry professionals
nationwide, it's not the preparation
that is the cause of a labor shortage.
Essentially, they're not seeing recent
grads who take an inordinate amount
of time to learn how to master today's
platforms, controls, and sophisticated
plant monitoring systems.
Almost everyone in the CEA world
has heard of Charlie McKenzie and Crop
Walk/Crop Talk, and if you haven't, you
probably know someone who has.
" Students are graduating, and
they have the technical skills such as
substrate moisture, pH; for the most part, they learned those things.
What they don't get a chance to dive into is emotional intelligence,
communication, and leadership. There's a good chance that they're
going to end up as a manager or supervisor very quickly. A lot of them
are falling short in being able to connect with the people they work with
and to communicate in a way that's really productive to the business and
their career, " McKenzie says.
" Autonomous greenhouses or not, either people are growing the plants or
people are managing the technology that grows plants. It still comes down
to the human element. What's the best way to gain those skills? " he adds.
" If you don't do a hands-on internship, you graduate without a
real understanding of what it's like to grind as a grower. Internships
are critical. I left school for six months to spend time as a grower ...
anywhere from mixing soil substrates to selling the product at the stores.
Absent that, I would have had no idea what it's like to be a grower.
" Internships are the absolute best recruitment tool for growers. If you
find three people who can do a great job and they know your processes
and they enjoy where they're working, hire them. We have to focus on
helping our people become educated on growing people to grow plants, "
McKenzie says.
Three professionals with at least 15 years of experience as highly
successful growers looked at the problem and the same theme came up.
One of the best ways to train and retain quality growers is for universities
to encourage students to experience life in a greenhouse while they're
still students. Employers can significantly reduce turnover and, at the
same time, students get a sense of what life will be like as a grower. They
experience first-hand what it's like working in a team atmosphere where
everyone doesn't necessarily have the same skill level or educational level.
Just as importantly, they learn early on in their careers how to successfully
manage employees through leadership and communication.
Mark Ledebuhr of Application Insight works with growers to solve
greenhouse pest problems.
Carl Silverberg is senior vice president of outreach and public affairs and
Kelly Ward is director of projects at iUNU. Silverberg can be reached at
csilverberg@iunu.com.
GREENHOUSE PRODUCT NEWS 31
April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2022
