Fertile Ground Webinar Series replay: Recruit Talent to Your Garden Center for Today and Tomorrow

The state of the labor market, especially in the green industry, means the thinking and strategy around recruiting must change.

The first session of the Garden Center Fertile Ground Webinar Series discussed how to recruit employees to garden centers.

Recruit Talent to Your Garden Center for Today and Tomorrow was hosted by Paige Franks and Ben Molenda from BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group. The platinum sponsor was First Editions Shrubs & Trees.

You can watch a recording of the session, from Aug. 13, 2024, above. If you're concerned with building your talent bench now and into the future, this session recording is for you.

The state of the labor market, especially in the green industry, means we must change our thinking about recruiting for our industry. Topics discussed include:

• How to recruit and onboard your employees, promoting retention.
• Organization structure, development and social capital (culture).
• How to develop career paths and strategically plan for succession.
• Compensation: lead, match or lag.
  

The free six-part series is guiding you through the biggest issues facing IGCs today, from digital marketing to human resources.

You’ll learn from industry experts and hear the stories behind their success as well as what they have learned from their mistakes. Not only will you find actionable ideas to implement at your garden center, but you’ll also find a collaborative community that will inspire you with ways to make your business the best it can be.

All sessions are free and will be held virtually via Zoom from 2 to 3 p.m. ET every Tuesday from Aug. 13 through Sept. 17. Attendees can register for one, a few or all six sessions.

Learn more about the rest of the sessions in the series:

Human resources for garden centers

Two other webinars will discuss the challenges IGCs face in human resources and proven techniques you can utilize to succeed with BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group:

Aug. 27: Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: How to Retain and Develop Your Team (Platinum Sponsor: Proven Winners)

Sept. 10: What Is Your End Game? Succession & Exit Planning Best Practices for the Green Industry with Chris Cimaglio

Digital marketing for garden centers

Three more webinars will focus on digital marketing with Rob Sproule, co-owner of Top 100 IGC Salisbury Greenhouse and owner of Dig Marketing:

Aug. 20: From Digital Marketing Strategy to Winning Tactics (Platinum Sponsor: Plantista / Gold Sponsor: Bobbex)

Sept. 3: Power Pages: Websites for Garden Centers 101 with Catalina Morales Vélez, director of digital marketing for Dig Marketing

Sept. 17: Leveraging Your List: Email, SMS and Loyalty Programs

To register, click the name of each session title above, or visit events.gardencentermag.com/gcfgws and click the "Register" button beneath each session you'd like to attend.

The Garden Center Fertile Ground Webinar Series is the revitalized, digital version of the Garden Center Conference & Expo and underscores the magazine's commitment to embracing the digital future and ensuring broader participation and accessibility to industry-leading educational content.