February 2022 - 20

POHMER ON...
It Takes People, People!
support programs, plus we're currently in a period of
rising wages
By Stan Pohmer
I
've mentioned in past columns that what has the biggest
impact on your customers' experience and your brand
image isn't your advertising and marketing, your product,
your displays or your pricing; it's the lowest-paid members
of your team - the folks in the garden center with the
hose in their hands answering questions about where to
find products, the folks stocking the displays and helping
the customers take their purchases to their cars, the folks
sweeping up the dirt from a plant the customer's kid knocked
over, the cashiers trying to move customers through the lines
as efficiently as possible while keeping a smile on their faces
after being on their feet for four hours straight.
Recognizing the critical importance of entry-level, parttime
associates is one thing; finding them, hiring them, and
retaining them is becoming a challenge. The covid pandemic
provided the impetus for many workers to re-assess their
work/life balance, creating The Great Resignation, a " freeagency
movement, " especially for low-income employees,
to switch jobs that provide higher wages, better hours, and
improved working conditions. Driving this movement is the
confluence of multiple factors, including:
* A 3.9% unemployment rate (4.5% is considered as " full
employment " ). There are millions more open positions,
particularly in the retail and hospitality industries, than
there are people to fill them.
* More financial security; Americans built up $2.7 trillion
in extra savings during the covid-related government
20 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | FEBRUARY 2022
* Lack of childcare, preventing parents - especially
mothers - from returning to full-time employment.
* Covid-related workplace stress felt in positions with
close customer contact, such as retail; the highly
contagious omicron variant adds to the workplace fears
of virus spread.
* Increased workloads due to fellow workers on sick leave
or in quarantine.
With the supply and demand scale weighted in the
worker's favor, the workers have the upper hand, leaving their
current positions to seek/demand opportunities that can
better address their personal needs, such as workplace safety,
higher pay, more and flexible hours, and enhanced work/
life balance. As a result, we'll likely see changes in flexibility,
skills-based hiring, training opportunities, and a new chance
to re-engage with worker and employer from a place of trust
and support that's been lacking in the workplace.
Hiring and Keeping Good Employees
So, what are retailers doing to attract and retain the
employees needed to take care of their customers as well
as driving sales and profits? Here are a few of the activities
that some key retailers are enacting in this effort.
Patagonia is a privately held, high-end international
sporting goods and apparel manufacturing and retail
company that has a unique business model; their mission
is simply stated and direct - to make the world a better
place for all living things in it. It produces its products in the
most environmentally and socially responsible way, including
nearly 90% of its products are made from recycled materials
and 100% of its U.S. electricity comes from renewable
resources. It self-imposes a 1% environmental tax on all sales,
Abby
February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2022
