« Garden Mum Production. Pinch versus No Pinch. | Home | Preparing for Poinsettia Propagation »
Interviewing and Hiring a New Grower.
By admin | June 17, 2007
Now that our season is winding down, I am able to focus on some of our needs for next year while everything is still fresh in my mind. I have a long list of improvements that we need to make in both production and culture, but my most important change for next season will be to add to our growing staff. I am currently in search of a propagation grower to relieve much of the day to day burden from myself so that I can better manage the facility as a whole and the crop quality in particular. So what exactly am I looking for in a new grower, particularly a propagation grower? First, and most importantly, I need the proper commitment and work ethic. I have seen too many young growers get into our profession only to quit a few months into it because they didn’t realize what it takes to be a grower. So, if I’m upfront and if they don’t shy away, they then they’ve passed the first test. This is really important if you’re hiring a new graduate but each growing job is different especially from one company to the next so it’s essential that you lay it on the table. If a grower is experienced, then they know what the job is like and now you must determine if they have the commitment and work ethic. Contacting references or people who know the candidate is probably the best way to determine their work ethic and commitment level. At some point, you have to go with your gut and if your comfortable with the candidate then you move forward. So what else do I want in a grower? Attention to detail and trainability. A grower, especially a propagator, must have a strong attention to detail and they must be able to conform or be trained. If a grower has these two qualities, they can become a successful grower and it’s up to me to help them reach their potential. So now what do we pay them? Entry-level grower vs. experienced vs. plug/liner grower. What should I pay an entry-level propagation grower who has some greenhouse experience? Is it $35,000, $40,000 or more? What is a good grower worth these days? I would love to hear some feedback from my peers on this issue.
Topics: Day to day |
July 27th, 2007 at 4:59 am
Not sure about the economics in your area, but your wage range of 35 - 40K sounds about right to me for someone with some experience coming on as a section grower.
July 27th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Thanks for the comment PatsFan. I happen to be a Chiefs fan but since your in a different division your ok. If you were a Broncos fan then I might have to delete your comment. Just kidding. Anyway, I agree with you on the salary. I am still interviewing for our prop grower position and I have found a good candidate. I think I can bring him in for about that salary range.
Thanks again
October 29th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
[…] tons of resumes and conducting several interviews. When I first started blogging, I wrote a post about what qualities I was searching for in a grower. We feel comfortable that she has the […]