How to Identify Top Candidates through Behavior-Based Questions
Recently, I came across an article in my newsfeed that claimed to share the best job interview questions from executives. When articles like this show up in my news feed, it feels like “clickbait.” I can’t help but read it and see what “experts” are saying. I often think to myself, “What are they doing differently, and what might I learn from them?” or “Is there anything of value that might help me do better in my role as Practice Leader for Strategic Human Resource Solutions at BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group?” However, reading these questions, I was appalled. Why? Most questions cited were future-looking, asking candidates to craft an imaginary response about what they “would” do. A response to such questions would lack behavioral evidence of future success. Any response to a future-phrased question is dependent on the real/actual situation with the employer where a candidate is seeking employment, which is unknown to the candidate at the time of an interview. A comprehensive understanding of the situation and environment cannot be adequately communicated to a candidate during the interview process to provide the proper context for them to frame an appropriate response. The questions asked by executives in the article, which we review below, lacked job relevance. Relevance to the job is critical when asking any question in a job interview. Asking questions lacking job relevance increases employer risk. Candidates have a right, and I would say a responsibility, to push back on these questions to seek understanding around their relevance. What’s Better? While past performance is not a perfect predictor of future occurrences, it is all one has to go on. Knowing what they have done, and the circumstances around the actions taken – behavior-based questions – helps an interviewer understand the potential performance a candidate brings to any role. Let’s examine how the questions from the article can be reframed as behavior-based questions: Don’t ask: “Imagine the scope of work has increased, but resources have not; what would you do?” Reframe and do ask: “Tell me about a time when the scope of work on a project you led or on which you were a key participant increased (encountered scope creep), yet the resources available to complete the project remained the same. What adjustments did you make to ensure the project was completed on time and on budget? How did you adapt existing resources, team member participation, or your own performance to ensure the project was completed at the quality level expected?” The ”Tell me…” statement sets up the scenario you want the candidate to discuss. The questions that follow provide the appropriate context. They dig for more details from the candidate to encourage a response that can demonstrate relevance to the job. It is general enough to encompass a wide variety of projects that a candidate can draw on as a response, yet specific enough to help the interviewer understand the candidate’s thought processes, knowledge, skills, abilities, and decision-making style. All projects are challenged by scope creep, time, resource, and budget constraints. An adequate response would address these concerns and shed far more light on what is important for the role – because it draws on what the candidate has done. Don’t ask: “What impact will you have on your team?” Reframe and do ask: “Describe a situation when you stepped into a leadership role for an existing team. Why were you tapped to lead the team? What were the top 2 – 3 challenges the team was facing at the time you stepped into this leadership role? Share the key actions you took to address each of these top challenges and the impact your actions had on the team’s success.” The “Describe a situation…” statement sets up the scenario for the candidate to respond. The supporting questions provide critical context that a candidate needs in order to formulate a proper response. This behavior-based question is rooted in what the candidate has done. Any interviewer can hear the response, evaluate it in the context of what this person would be doing in the role for which they are being interviewed. It gets to the heart of the job – stepping into an existing team, confronting challenges they may not fully understand or even be aware of until they take on the role, and having to develop a plan of action to address these challenges. The interviewer will be able to see how the candidate has accomplished this in the past, which informs them on how they will do it in the future without providing a fictitious answer. Don’t ask: “What brings you here today?” Eliminate this question entirely: The reason for a person to be in the interview today should have been uncovered well in advance of any “executive” interview. During an introductory conversation, usually with an internal or external recruiter, candidates should be asked about the reasons for their career transitions. For example, “I see you worked for Acme from 1/2020 through 5/2024. What prompted you to leave Acme and join Beta Corp?” What you are listening for is if there is a legitimate, positive reason for the transition – were they recruited? Was it for a career growth opportunity? Were there family concerns necessitating the change? – or reasons that are just beyond their control – Acme suffered financial distress, and their role was eliminated as part of a downsizing. This should be uncovered well before any “Executive” interview. Don’t ask: “How do you receive negative feedback?” Reframe and ask: “Share a time when you were unsuccessful. What feedback did you receive, and how did you personally and professionally deal with this situation?” This reframing gets to the heart of dealing with failure, receiving feedback, and whether or not the individual handles feedback about a failure positively. It is never the mistake or failure that is important, it is how we deal with it and recover that truly tells you something about the perseverance, ethical persuasion, temperament, and mental flexibility of a
Rooted in Wellness: How to Cultivate a Thriving Horticulture Team
Has the pace or demands of work ever pushed you to mental exhaustion or caused physical illness? Do you see your team’s productivity and engagement declining and turnover rising due to the challenges your business faces? Are you starting to wonder if it’s worth the stress? You’re not alone in our horticulture industry. In 2025, employee health and wellness will no longer be just a perk but a strategic necessity. With a surge of challenging business, personal, socio-economic, and global events, it’s no surprise that employees are struggling with their physical and mental health, leading to a potential burnout crisis. Why Wellness Remains Important in 2025 The horticulture industry has experienced notable changes since 2020 introduced us all to the pandemic. This drove the increase in remote work, extreme decline of in-person communication, and over-reliance on social media. These causes led to symptoms of isolation, depression, anxiety, and an entire generation in their formative years, not allowed to learn how to relate interpersonally. Thus, the rise of health and wellness has become a dominant issue. Multiple studies have shown that anxiety and depression rates have risen steeply since the pandemic. Unfortunately, many companies still treat health and wellness as an afterthought. Failing to prioritize your team’s individual health and employee wellness is destructive and costly. The World Health Organization identified that mental health is costing businesses around the world $1 trillion a year due to lost productivity. The American Psychiatric Association found that employees with unresolved depression experience a 35% reduction in productivity. Why Invest in Health & Wellness Programs Investing in and creating programs that support your employees’ focus on topics like employee motivation, stress management, and leadership directly impact wellness. The right strategies will make a world of difference. A recent SHRM report found that every dollar invested in health and wellness resulted in nearly six dollars returned in cost savings (think lower health care costs due to fewer claims, disability, and workers comp) and productivity. A study by Harvard Business Review found that companies with high employee engagement are 22% more profitable. A recent Gallup poll found that only 21% of employees feel their employer cares about their overall well-being. A clinical study done for Forbes “Live Outcomes Report” showed that employers save $580 per employee engaged with mental well-being tools. Absenteeism due to mental health issues is up 300% from 2017 per analysis from ComPsych, a mental health service provider. Improve hiring and retention! Millennials and Gen-Z want to work for companies committed to employees’ total health and wellness. They will tell their friends, improving your company’s brand as a top place to work in the community and industry. Burnout is real. The lower the stress level, the lower the chance of burnout occurring. How to Create a Culture of Health and Wellness Employee wellness has too many times been an afterthought in company’s benefit programs. Have a pizza party, employee of the month, casual Friday, or provide mental health pamphlets. While pizza can be a wonderful coping go-to it does not solve the root of the problems and creates additional physical challenges if utilized too much! To provide our teams a health and wellness program that works in 2025, we must focus on the longer-term behavior these programs can positively influence. When developing Health and Wellness programs, there are 3 initial steps that are critical to the foundation. First is recognizing that it is OK to talk about and address mental and physical health challenges as a society, a company, and as individuals. Reduce the stigma surrounding seeking help. The second is to meet your team where they are at when identifying specific programs. Don’t guess what is needed – communicate with them to listen to their stressors related to their mental and physical health. The magic is matching your programs to your people and your culture. The third is owners and key management leading by example. This includes budgeting for Health & Wellness programs. A WellHub study found that executives who lead by example increase wellness participation from 44% to 80%. A Sample of Effective Programs in 2025 Personalized Wellness Programs. The communication with your team to identify programs that address individual mental and physical needs. Work-life balance is not about time off, but flexible work schedules that identify when employees do their best work or have personal responsibilities such as picking up children or caring for elderly parents. Training leaders to spot signs of stress so appropriate support can be provided. Stress-reducing activities, including Mindfulness and Meditation programs Gym memberships or an in-house exercise area This one should be easy for our industry – the positive effects of plants at work! Health awareness initiatives Providing proper rest & recovery – think about your grower and production teams! Encourage and provide no-hassle Mental health days Virtual Therapy services Company or individualized wellness goal challenges Mentorship and or buddy programs Celebration of employee professional and personal milestones Ergonomic chairs, desks, and working conditions Incorporating calming or uplifting music Technology solutions offered by fitness trackers and apps are designed to de-stress. NOTE: These provide data to help in meeting your employees where they are. Relaxing break areas Availability of healthy foods Financial counseling and coaching provide significant peace of mind Group wellness education or sessions, such as yoga. Employees today are drawn to companies that promote a positive community at work and outside of work. Providing your team not just a physically safe environment but one that promotes an overall mental and physical health atmosphere will lead to comforting magic words both employers and employees want to hear and say – I love my job! Todd Downing is a Managing Partner for Best Human Capital Advisory Group and leads the Horticulture & Green Industry executive search and advisory services. He has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and a passion for supporting its continued professional growth.
6.1 Reasons to Join Us at Cultivate’25 and Grow Your Business
Cultivate is the event we look forward to most in our industry, so we look forward to seeing you July 12-15th at Cultivate’25 in Columbus, Ohio— the Green Industry event offering countless opportunities to grow your business and advance your career. We will be there with SIX in-person educational sessions on extremely timely industry topics such as talent acquisition, management, succession, exit planning, and more that you will not want to miss. Get educated and up-to-speed in these sessions. SATURDAY, JULY 12th Managing & Motivating the Multi-Generational Green Industry (Multi-Generational Panel) – 9:00 AM ET • Panel Discussion – Moderator: Paige Franks For the first time in history, five generations collide in the workforce: The Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Generation Z is quickly infiltrating the industry, and Millennials are stepping up to take over the preceding leadership positions, bringing new ideas surrounding technology, management and communication styles, company culture, and personal and professional values and expectations. In this panel, professionals across the four prominent generations in the workforce share their experiences, providing perspective and insight into what once was versus today’s reality. Join Paige Franks and a great panel of horticultural industry leaders to learn what the current understanding of the industry is from each generation’s perspective. How leaders manage and accommodate today’s workplace standards on company culture, communication, and work-life balance. Advice and insight on best practices when working alongside various generations. How generations view what is important in company benefit programs. Save Your Seat – Click here for a Session Description Game-Changing Trends in Recruiting Talent (PANEL) – Saturday, July 12 • 1:00 PM ET • Panel Discussion – Moderator: Harrison Downing What are the trends in 2025 in how we connect with potential talent to gain their interest? The latest recruiting and interviewing trends differ vastly from those in past years. But why the notable change? Along with the uncertain times we live in, we are experiencing generational workforce changes that bring with them new values, attitudes, behaviors, and expectations of employees. Change, especially with technology, is constant and faster than ever. The panel will share insights on the top trends shaping how companies in our industry recruit and assess candidates during the interview process. Attendees will learn how to optimize marketing strategies to reach candidates, how to balance virtual vs in-office approaches, how to assess candidate fit for behaviors and culture, and even what your company branding means in hiring. Save Your Seat – Click here for a Session Description Trends Changing Why Employees Stay with You! Saturday, July 12 • 2:30 PM ET • Moderator: Todd Downing Today’s workforce consists of five generations for the first time ever. Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. These generations were raised in different social, technological, and political atmospheres. Each generation corresponds to different childhood upbringings and family environments, which create different values, behaviors, and needs as employees. How do we engage our teams to be fulfilled in their job and remain passionate about your company? The panel will share insights on the 2025 trends shaping how they keep their teams of all generations motivated, engaged, and with them! Learn why retention starts at the top, what onboarding programs are successful with retention, how Training & Development programs are changing to meet the varying learning styles of employees, and how adjustments to Benefits, such as PTO, align with what employees want in 2025. Save Your Seat – Click here for a Session Description SUNDAY, JULY 13th Growing Forward: Release and Review of the 2nd Annual State of Succession and Exit Planning in the Horticulture Industry Report – 4:00 PM ET • Speakers: Chris Cimaglio & Ken Lane How prepared are you—and your peers—for succession or exit? What does life after business ownership look like? And in today’s market, how may economic and industry challenges influence long-term business strategies? Until now, getting answers to these questions has been a challenge. In this interactive session, bridge the knowledge gap with key insights from the PivotPoint Business Solutions 2nd Annual State of Succession and Exit Planning in the Horticulture Industry Report that was sponsored by Greenhouse Grower magazine. Key Takeaways: Assess your readiness in real-time by benchmarking against your peers across eight key business drivers. Discover how critical industry-wide issues—including the impact of immigration, tariffs, climate change, insurance costs, and access to capital—may affect operational decisions. Gain expert guidance on best practices to ensure a smooth transition and avoid common regrets. Save Your Seat – Click here for a Session Description MONDAY, JULY 14th 2025 Trends in Compensation and Benefits to Attract, Retain, and Motivate Top Talent Monday, July 14 • 10:45 AM ET • Panel Discussion – Moderator: Michael Maggiotto Over the past few years, compensation has accelerated faster than historical norms. Even as the rate of compensation increases begins to pull back, many are unaware of the intricacies of compensation and benefit design. Is it just about paying a salary we once paid five or 10 years ago, or offering the same benefits every year? Well, not if we want to attract, retain, and motivate top talent, it isn’t. Attendees will learn 2025 trends affecting compensation design to attract talent and keep up with the cost of living. Gain knowledge in identifying what benefit trends are working well in attracting and, importantly, keeping talent as generations of workers shift. Understand strategies to keep a company competitive without breaking the bank! Be ready to share, as we will be looking for the audience to provide their best practices–after all, you are the ones who drive the trends. Save Your Seat – Click here for a Session Description TUESDAY, JULY 15th Succession & Exit Planning: What’s Your Endgame for a Regret-Free Business Exit (Extended Session & Workshop) Tuesday, July 16 • 9:00 AM ET • Speakers & Moderators: Chris Cimaglio, Ken Lane, Larry Turow, and an Expert and Peer Panel “Begin with the end in mind.” What’s your endgame? Every business owner will eventually
The Never-Ending Puzzle of Compensation & Benefits in Horticulture
For all the wonderful attributes our Green Industry brings to our world and the careers of its employees, we continue to be highly challenged in attracting and retaining qualified talent. There are many Human Resource solutions to improving and retaining talent flow. Unfortunately, no one magic answer will fit all companies or their employees. Additionally, one topic in the equation is often uncomfortable or sensitive to discuss: compensation. In developing an attractive compensation and benefits program, it is important to understand the current economics involved, where to keep educated on compensation and benefits trends, set your specific company total rewards plan, and execute in an engaged manner with your valued team. The Economics We recently hired several positions across the country that were quite challenging due to the compensation set being below market. It is notable that compensation was not below market five to seven years ago, but more importantly, the compensation for these roles has not increased since then. Why does this matter in attracting talent? Understanding the economics of The CPI inflation calculator, which uses the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, sheds light on why. This data represents changes in the prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. A $65,000 Head Grower salary in January 2017 has the same buying power as $84,395.69 in September 2024. A salesperson’s salary of $80,000 in January 2019 has the same buying power as $100,210.80 in September 2024. These CPI numbers do not consider the additional increase effect of our country’s high cost of living areas. As compensation relates to retention, turnover costs companies six to nine months of an employee’s salary on average to replace them. Recent research by Harvard University revealed that increasing pay among warehouse workers by just one dollar per hour resulted in a 2.8% retention boost. Results also showed that every dollar-per-hour pay loss caused a 28% increase in turnover. While lower inflation may ease some pressure, many organizations are still catching up from the past couple of years of cost-of-living adjustments. Balancing real earnings growth with competitive compensation will be vital to moving forward, especially in industries still feeling the pinch. Employees continue to struggle to get ahead from the high inflation years, and employers must keep that in mind. When merit increases exceed inflation/cost of living, employees gain. Then, when inflation/cost of living exceeds merit increases, employees lose. While many employers have provided higher increases in the past couple of years, more is needed to keep up with inflation. As a result, it takes employees a few years to recover from higher inflation times. However, employees seem to forget that they make up ground when increases are higher than inflation; eventually, it all balances out. Many companies focus on adjusting pay based on market competitiveness and talent retention rather than on inflation alone. Every organization needs to look at their own situation and not just what everyone else is doing. The hope is that lower inflation facilitates more substantial salary increases. Typically, most employers see it as an opportunity to lower salary increases. If they do, they might struggle to attract and retain talent. We know we have been in a talent shortage for many more years simply because of the lack of people to fill the jobs continuously becoming more available due to massive baby boomer retirements. Where to Remain Educated One of the best ways to keep up with compensation and benefits trends is to read industry reports from reputable sources such as SHRM, WorldatWork, Mercer, or Willis Towers Watson. These reports provide insights into the current and future state of rewards, including salary surveys, benefits benchmarks, best practices, and emerging issues. Gather market data for your jobs that is specific to the demographics of where your company is located. (HR associations, staffing firms, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are excellent resources for this information.) Review the going rates for similar positions within comparable industries, companies, and geographies to establish your pay scale. Conduct a study like this at least annually to ensure you can maintain competitive compensation for all employees. Develop a Total Rewards Strategy If you don’t have the salary budget to stay ultra-competitive, rest assured that there is more to the employee experience than compensation. Gone are the days when compensation or hiring decisions were made based on salary history; 22 states plus 23 localities and counting have passed legislation banning employers from asking candidates for this information or basing hiring or promotion on the candidate’s current compensation. Hiring managers: please do not ask this question any longer! Should the unemployment rate remain low for the next five to 10 years, labor shortages will persist, especially in industries such as horticulture that have a vast number of retirements occurring. That said, bumping salary budgets alone won’t be enough to address recruitment and retention challenges. As a result, employers need to be creative and comprehensive with their total rewards strategy, which comprises compensation, benefits, developmental opportunities, recognition, and other rewards that motivate staff and enable a top-notch employee experience. The best approach to identify which benefits will attract and retain your employees, especially with so many earlier generations joining the horticulture industry, is to simply ask them which benefits they would value! In a smaller company, this can be done with one-on-one conversation, and with a larger employee base, there are many effective survey resources to gather this feedback. Per SHRM, there are 216 benefits companies serving employees up from 175 just 2 years ago. Consider offering benefits that better match what your employees want today, such as health benefits, well-being and family caregiving support, pet insurance, and financial planning services in your total rewards strategy. Invest in workers’ professional development with the idea that you can enable brighter futures through upskilling, internal career paths, or debt-free education. To set employee pay, first, determine your pay philosophy. Do you want to lead, match, or lag the market? The most common
The Benefits of Improving Transparency in Hiring
Like all other aspects of business, hiring and recruitment continue to evolve faster and faster. Implementing AI, such as in the hiring process, will increase the efficiency of the process itself. There are hiring changes that are not technologically based occurring that, when properly applied, are proving to have a positive impact on attracting talent, increasing the retention of new hires, and helping companies become a preferred place for careers. At the top of this evolution in hiring is one simple yet too often ignored approach – transparency! What are the Benefits of a Transparent Recruitment Process? Companies that provide candidates with a fully transparent interview process find that over time, they attract better quality talent, increase offer acceptance rates, get new hires up to productivity faster, improve long-term retention rates, and create a stronger employer brand in their community and industry. All the benefits of transparency and authenticity are intertwined. Top talent candidates who experience transparency in the interview process from the beginning are more likely to stay engaged throughout the entire process. Due to the transparency of compensation and trust developed with candidates, offer acceptance increased. Candidates can make decisions on their compensation offer well ahead of the actual offer letter and are more likely to be flexible on their compensation expectations due to developing a trusting relationship. Once on board and with a thorough training plan, the new hires reach productivity levels faster and often exceed them. Perhaps most importantly, long-term retention rates increase, especially when coupled with a Training & Development program that was shared with them during interviews. Over time, professionals in a company’s community or within the industry hear of the positive culture, strengthening the overall employer brand. How to Implement Hiring Transparency: Transparency Begins Before the Interview Develop job descriptions that accurately reflect the role’s responsibilities and, more importantly, define metrics of success in the role. Job descriptions with a vast number of responsibilities will leave candidates wondering just what the role’s real priorities are, and they may not even bother to apply. Keep responsibilities reasonable and in a prioritized manner. Defining three specific and realistic key performance indicator (KPI) metrics is incredibly helpful to a candidate’s understanding of the role’s mission. It is a core component to increasing productivity once on board. What is a realistic KPI? An effective way to set a realistic KPI is to ask yourself: if the candidate does not achieve the KPI in one year, will I have to fire them? This may sound harsh, but it does result in companies setting KPIs that are realistic, thus influencing positive long-term retention. Help Candidates Prepare to be Their Best Communicate interview timelines, including all the interview steps. Doing so prevents candidates from leaving the process out of frustration. Change is constant, and these timelines can often get derailed due to other business priorities and scheduling conflicts, but communicating any changes immediately develops the candidate’s trust. Provide candidates with company information, an accurate overview of the culture, the names and titles of the interviewers, the type of interview questions the company asks, whether a behavioral assessment tool is utilized, and whether they will be required to present to the hiring committee. Candidates are equally responsible for a successful hiring process. However, providing details does not mean doing the candidate’s job of conducting thorough follow-up research on these details! A Conversation, Not an Inquisition Once candidate conversations begin, transparency is increased by having just that – a conversation. Included in this is realizing that no company is perfect, thus, be prepared to be authentic and share with candidates where the company is challenged and what about the role will not be a bed of roses for any candidate. Be prepared to share the onboarding process and exactly how your company invests in further professional training in their teams. Scripted questions lead to sterile conversation and scripted answers by candidates. We learn so much more about a candidate’s behaviors during a conversation rather than a scripted dialogue, as they are more at ease and able to be themselves as opposed to someone they think you want them to be. Timely & Quality Follow-up Providing quality feedback within 48 hours to a candidate in a timely manner may be the best transparency a company can practice. High-quality candidates will stay engaged with the hiring process to the offer end. Top talent that doesn’t receive thorough, timely feedback will exit the process to focus on other job opportunities. Thorough feedback includes sharing how many candidates are in process. This is a critical transparency step. Please do not tell candidates the age-old HR line that we are interviewing several other candidates and will get back to you, especially if you are not. Be transparent – is it one? Is it 5? Or are there no more candidates? Sharing quality feedback to candidates being turned down will help candidates grow professionally and leave a positive impression of your company with them for the future. This is an important way to build a positive company brand image in the community and industry. Transparency in Compensation and Benefits Gone are the days when compensation decisions were made based on salary history; 22 states plus 23 localities and counting have passed legislation banning employers from asking candidates for this information or basing hiring on the candidate’s current compensation. Hiring managers: please do not ask this question any longer. Transparency of compensation and benefits begins with their inclusion in the job description and extends through the final offer. This requires companies to invest time and resources to identify fair and accurate compensation for the role, industry, and geographic location. When setting the compensation range, be clear on what the absolute max is and what the absolute minimum is. Many great candidates are now passing over job descriptions that do not share this. Discuss the compensation range from the first interview and share benefit details. You are building trust and increasing efficiency by eliminating candidates who are over your