It’s Time To Think Different When It Comes to the Hort Workforce
June 26, 2021 The horticulture industry faces an age crisis. Older growers, managers, and associated greenhouse folks working in the controlled-environment industry are reaching retirement age. Replacing them is going to be difficult. Add that challenge to the current difficulties with just sourcing able-bodied labor, and the troubles ahead look none too pretty.
We share this challenge with other industries in areas such as manufacturing, construction, trucking, and education services, to name a few.
Many companies see younger workers as the answer to plugging the hole. But these workers may not be ready to take on the mantle of leadership due to lack of experience, or they may not want to pursue a career path in horticulture at all. What’s even more interesting is that if companies do manage to attract millennials, some of those workers may not stick around long-term, either because of job-hopping or plans to retire long before the traditional retirement age.
Did you know there’s a fast-growing movement among young Americans to live thriftily, save aggressively, and retire early, and by early we are talking in their 30s and 40s? It’s called the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement. The goal of retiring early is not necessarily to quit working, but to retire to meaningful work the millennial controls, not work dictated by a boss. I see something like this as possibly going two ways.
Some of these millennials might see work in horticulture as meaningful if the job has a higher purpose (e.g., environmental, service, feeding the world, etc.) attached to it or if they can run their own niche business within the industry. On the grimmer side, the potential impacts to the labor market for all industries if this movement becomes mainstream could inflame an already bad situation by shrinking the labor force even further.
Still, attracting the younger crowd to the horticulture industry, if it can be accomplished, holds promise as the best hope for replacing an aging workforce, and companies know it. They also know the competition to recruit these capable workers will be fierce. But as companies become more obsessed with hiring millennials, does that blind them to other potential sources for labor?
This was one of the many actionable ideas raised in our recent online roundtable discussion, “Tackling the Greenhouse Labor Problem.” The roundtable was part of our monthly GROW Executive Series of digital events designed to help greenhouse owners and executive leadership tackle your most pressing business challenges.
During the discussion, Todd Downing, Managing Partner and cofounder at BEST Human Capital and Advisory Group, touched on opportunities missed when companies ignore great experience and talent in the 55+ age range. The Bureau of Labor estimates 13 million Americans age 65 and older will be in the labor force by 2024. Perhaps one of those workers could be working for you. Even if they started at 55 and retired at 70, 15 years is a good amount of time to spend employed at your operation.
Brian Stephens, Regional General Manager of BrightFarms, reminded attendees during the roundtable discussion not to forget veterans as potentially skilled workers. Employers may not recognize there is a crossover between the Armed Forces skills veterans possess and the skilled labor they need to acquire. For example, a supply corps officer might be just the person you need for a logistics and supply chain position. A utilities chief could be the one who keeps your transplanters, potting machines, and other equipment in perfect order. Additionally, you might receive a Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) when you hire veterans who qualify your company for the benefit.
The current labor crisis is an industrywide reality that will likely leave no operation untouched. Therefore, the collective power of the horticulture industry working together to address the problems may be what it takes to make some headway. Despite the competition for labor, this is not a time to hold back on sharing good ideas and solutions that work with others. Spread the word. The controlled-environment industry overall will be stronger for it.
Happy Growing!
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