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Revitalizing Retail :: Catherine Evans
Published:4/1/2008
Hiring The Right People
That’s where the big question comes in: How do I know who’s the best fit for my garden center? Yes, a lot of people look great on paper, and they can make an even better first impression. But then that first day hits and everything falls apart. How were you supposed to predict this person you hired was going to be a dud?
One of the popular tracks at ANLA’s Management Clinic focused on human resource (HR) issues, and hiring was one of the main topics. Attendees flocked to these sessions to learn how to handle a wide range of HR situations, such as hiring and firing. It was amazing to hear some of the questions attendees had … and some of the illegal questions they were asking on their employment application forms!
That’s where Jean Seawright, an HR consultant from Seawright & Associates (also a member of the Garden Center Group’s consultant team) came into play. She gave two talks about smart hiring (she also wrote an article on this topic for the March issue of Green Profit) and the top 10 things you should know about human resources.
For instance, attendees asked questions about the wording on their applications. One person had been asking applicants their weight and age because it was a labor-intensive job and the company wanted to assess the applicants’ ability based on those two standards—a BIG no no!
Recently, on ANLA Connect (ANLA’s listserv dedicated to the industry), several members chimed in on some of their favorite questions/scenarios to ask in an interview. There were a lot of interesting questions, and using some of these just may help you find the best employees. (These questions are reprinted with permission from ANLA):
•How much money would you like to be making three years from now?
•Tell me about the toughest problem you’ve ever faced on the job. More importantly, what did you do to solve it?
•Name three weaknesses.
•What do you do for fun?
•What method, if any, do you use to organize your life on a daily basis?
•What do you do if you’re running late or feeling sick?
•Describe a situation where you had to work under adverse conditions.
•Tell me a moment you’re most proud of in your professional/school/personal life.
•Have you ever been employed in a seasonal/project-oriented job and how did you prepare for the end of that position?
•What motivates you to work?
•Describe a situation where something went wrong at work and how you handled it.
•Describe a situation where you had to lead a group of people.
•What did you like and/or dislike about your last job?
•How would you describe the level of supervision that you require?
•Do you have any conflicts, or vacation plans in the foreseeable future (explanation needed for attendance in April-June)?
•Why do you want to work here?
•What measurements will you use to determine your effectiveness in this position?
•What personal goals do you plan on achieving by working for (company name) as a (position)?
•What do you expect from the company and from me to make you successful?
•What can I expect from you?
•Go through a list of qualities of the person and have them quickly rate themselves, 1 through 10, as to where they feel they are.
•What have you been able to learn quickly? What comes easy to you?
•What do you find to be tedious or what bores you?
•What was some inefficiency you saw at your last job, and how would you have done things differently if you were in charge?
•Describe a typical day at your ideal job.
•What are some things you want to avoid in your next job?
Hope for Consumer Spending in Sight
I’m sure you heard that President Bush recently signed the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008. The $152 billion measure will provide tax rebate checks of up to $600 per working individual and $1,200 per married couple, plus $300 per child for families with children and new tax incentives for job-creating business investments.
But will we spend it or save it? That’s the big question analysts are asking. According to a new National Retail Federation survey, conducted by BIGresearch, consumers plan to spend 40.6% of tax rebate checks, which will provide an immediate $42.9-billion boost to the economy. The survey also found that the $105.7 billion distributed in tax rebates will be used to pay down debt ($30 billion), saved ($19.8 billion), invested ($4.4 billion) and used to pay down medical bills ($4.6 billion).
While women will spend a larger percentage of their rebate check than men (43.6% vs. 37.3%), both genders plan to set aside the same percentage for savings (18.7%). Young adults age 18-24 will spend more of their checks (46.2%) than any other age group.
Help your Customers Reduce Gardening Stress
In a recent article from the Associated Press, author Dean Fosdick offered some tips on how aging gardeners can reduce the stresses gardening can put on their bodies. Since many of your customers are getting up there in years, you want to make sure their gardening experiences are good ones so they come back to your store for more. Make an informational sheet they can take home or post small signs around the garden center with the following tips to view as they shop:
• Start by knowing your limitations. Rest frequently and pace yourself while occupied with extensive and repetitive garden chores. Gardening is all about puttering. Take your time and enjoy it.
• Keep gardens or flowerbeds small or sized in scale with your capabilities. Don’t overdo or become overwhelmed by a too-optimistic workload.
• Plant gardens near a water source or lay out a system of hoses conveniently near the work sites. Store tools in a nearby shed, cabinet or perhaps a large mailbox. Build trails wide enough for wheelchairs, wagons and walkers to pass. Add handrails for balance and place benches at various points for rest and reflection.
• Wrap tool handles or stuff gloves with foam padding to make grasping more comfortable. Adding a cord to the grips makes them easier to retrieve if dropped and conveniently at hand when looped around your wrist or neck.
• Choose low-maintenance plants that don’t need much in the way of deadheading, watering, spraying or pruning. Vegetables trained to climb a trellis will eliminate the need for bending when harvesting. Lighten the spring planting routine by selecting perennials, which will bring many happy and unassisted returns.
• Use equipment that makes everyday gardening chores easier on traumatized soft tissues and joints. That includes kneeling stools, long-handled “reacher-grabbers,” kneepads, potting benches, seed dispensers and wagons. Wear a smock or tie on a carpenter’s apron. Both are equipped with numerous pockets for seed packets, notepads and tools. Carry a magnifying glass with you to help read the fine print on planting stakes and seed labels.
• Confine your gardening to raised beds or containers, which will minimize stooping. Make the beds small enough so plants in the middle can be reached without an awkward stretch. Place large containers on wheels so they can be shifted to wherever they're the most convenient.
• Weed and cultivate after a rain when the soil is easier to work.
• Use large sprinklers that cover wide areas and require less moving around. Drip irrigation or drizzler hoses are easy-care water systems for thirsty plants.
• Carry a cell phone or whistle while working alone in distant corners of the yard. Don't hesitate to use them if you run into any kind of trouble. Better yet, garden with a buddy. You can share some ideas and keep one another company.
• Minimize risk. If a certain job places you in an uncomfortable position, like reaching, then figure out another approach or find a tool designed to serve.
• Super-size your tool collection. If you know you'll need two hands to make a cut with a pruner, then upgrade and reach for a lopper instead. That still may require using both hands, but the squeezing effort will be minimal.