The right plants and seeds - selecting and recruiting for success

[Jason Stevens]

New blood v New Chlorophyll

 

What is your recruitment process and how does it compare to a gardener looking for new plants or a packet of seeds?

 

A Poor Manager in business may say…

               “I need someone”, “get bums on seats!” or, “they are walking and breathing so that'll do for now”

 

A Poor Gardener in a Garden Centre may say…

               “That looks nice”, “it’ll do”, just grab some plants” 

 

They’ll probably be okay for a few days and then they’ll start to “droop”.

And if you are disappointed with your plant then you may just get away with taking it back to the garden centre for a refund or exchange but you can’t do that with people so your selection and decision making process is critical for the success of your business.

 

What is the equivalent to the nursery or garden centre in your line of business?

 

Where did your best plants' and seeds come from currently?

 

What’s your history / form like when it comes to selecting people?

 

 

Interviewing Plants

Plants that are being interviewed will do their best to present themselves in full bloom – but they may only flower for those 60 minutes or however long the interview lasts. A good gardener will know how to test whether their petals will fall off as soon as they are in your garden or even identify the potential for blooming even better than they originally thought after reading their cv.

 

 

Always ask in the interview or before selecting

1.  How do you like to be managed?

2.  In order for us to get the best out of you and you get the best out of us / me – what needs to be in place or working  with regards to;

Management style

The environment in which you like to work Policy / Procedures and working practices – what do you like and not like?

Communication – How, where, when and who?

Teamwork – do you enjoy it? What roles do you like to play in a team?

Objectives and targets – how have you / do you achieve them?

Training & Development – what do you need and why? What other “hygiene” factors are important to you?

 

 

Check for Hardiness – resistance to disease, pests and sudden changes in climate.

Mental Toughness, attitude and resilience – what’s the background and history of new seed? The more hardy the seed /plant the more likely they will be able to deal with the challenges they face in the future.

 

What do you want the plant for? Matching up requirements with ability is important, you may have to pay extra to get the rare seed that will make the difference in your overall garden plan.

 

How to start seeds off – climate and depth – are they in too deep?

Depth = Speed to competence or speed to germination / bloom. Think of the individual goals and milestones you like them to achieve that will not be too shallow or in too deep. How long will it be before they are adding full value to your garden?

 

A good gardener knows that if you cover a new shoot with too much crap (manure) early on then they will burn (out) and die. Be careful about how much manure you give them in the early days.

 

Likewise if they are planted too shallow and spread their shoots too fast, they could be weak and will need extra and time consuming support later on.

 

For more details on I Can Grow People and other Management Topics download the ebook or contact Ican Development at [e-mail] or [e-mail]