What to Watch Out for When Getting Outside Advice
When you bring in an outside advisor — whether it’s an accountant, attorney, consultant, or broker — you’re doing the right thing. You’re acknowledging there’s something you don’t know and going to find someone who does. That’s smart ownership. But there’s a trap hidden in that process that most business owners never see coming. Every Expert Has a Favorite Tool There’s an old saying: to a hammer, everything is a nail. Think about it this way. You go to your doctor and say, “My shoulder has been killing me — I need help.” The doctor genuinely wants to help you. But whether you walk out with a prescription, a surgery date, a chiropractic adjustment, or a set of acupuncture needles depends less on what’s actually best for your shoulder — and more on which type of doctor you happened to walk in to see. The internist reaches for anti-inflammatories. The orthopedic surgeon schedules an operation. Each one treats your pain. Each one probably helps. But you’ll likely never realize that your treatment was shaped by who you chose to see, not by some universal best practice for shoulder injuries. The same thing happens when business owners seek outside help. The Advisor You Hire Shapes the Advice You Get When it comes to something as significant as planning your exit from a business, the type of advisor you engage will heavily influence the direction you’re pointed — often without you realizing it. Bring in an accountant and the plan will likely center on minimizing your tax burden. Hire an attorney and you’ll probably end up focused on asset protection or employment contracts. Work with a business consultant and the conversation will revolve around improving operations and boosting profitability. None of that advice is wrong. But it may not be complete — and it may not actually align with what you’re trying to accomplish in your life. A few years ago, a business broker added “Exit Planner” to his business card. When asked how he approached exit planning, his answer was straightforward: if an owner would agree to accept 100% seller financing, he’d help them sell. That was his tool, and he applied it to every situation. To a hammer, everything is a nail. What This Means for You Before you take any advisor’s recommendation and run with it, it’s worth asking yourself: Is this the best solution for my situation — or is it the best solution this particular advisor knows how to deliver? That’s not cynicism. Most advisors genuinely want to help. But their training, their experience, and frankly their business model all point them toward certain kinds of answers. The best advisors — the ones worth your time and money — will ask a lot of questions before they start offering solutions. They’ll slow down, make sure they understand your real objectives, and resist the urge to jump straight to their preferred tool. If an advisor walks into your first meeting already knowing what you need, that’s worth paying attention to. The clarity that comes from being genuinely heard saves time, prevents costly missteps, and leads to a plan you’ll actually follow through on. The right advice starts with the right questions — not the other way around. John F. Dini, CExP, CEPA is an exit planning coach and the President of MPN Incorporated in San Antonio, Texas. He is the publisher of the Awake at 2 o’clock blog and has authored three books on business ownership. The single largest transaction and transition of your life deserves special attention. Are you planning to exit and sell your business? Exit planning is quickly becoming a buzzword in the legal and financial communities. Your professional advisors position themselves to provide tax, risk management, wealth management, and contract preparation services. The BEST-PivotPoint Exit Plan Advisor has been trained to manage your team of tax, legal, business, and financial planners to navigate your exit strategy. Click here for more details on how to get started. If you want to see how prepared you are for transition, take the 15-minute Assessment at no charge: There is one indisputable fact – 100% of owners will eventually exit their business. The Assessment is a multiple-choice questionnaire that does not ask for confidential or financial information. Nevertheless, it is a critical first step in starting the discussion and planning process. Click here for more information concerning our free, no-obligation exit planning assessment.
The Right Benefits, or Why Healthy Growers Means Healthy Plants
As originally published on greenhousegrower.com. Click here for the original article. Since the pandemic, companies across all industries have invested heavily in improving employee benefits. Undoubtedly, one of the most challenging positions to hire and retain in the horticulture industry are growers of all levels. While the industry is responding with strategies and programs to attract a new wave of professionals who are passionate about propagation, the fact is we continue to have a significant gap in supply and demand of these professionals. Retirements are draining decades of grower expertise, and backfilling these roles is proving difficult. So, what role do benefits play in attracting grower candidates? And what benefits are most effective? Growers are the backbone to our industry, with the work being physically and mentally demanding. To attract and retain the limited talent pool, companies are shifting benefit strategies to support work-life balance, mental, financial, and physical health, and overall well-being. Here are the top areas of focus: Work-Life Balance A healthy work-life balance has always been key to a long-lasting career and retention. Virtual work is not possible for growers tending to plants demanding 24/7 care. Yet controlling work hours and providing support for growers with family responsibilities can be provided to improve work life balance to keep your growing team fresh. Flexible schedules: Options like a 4/10 work week or rotating shifts allow growers to manage family responsibilities and personal appointments. Dependent care support: This can involve childcare reimbursement or in-house childcare programs, as well as emergency backup care for children or aging parents. Lifestyle perks: i.e House cleaning stipends or on-site laundry or uniform service. Vacation and PTO This is another critical factor. Many companies still start growers at only five days of PTO with limited holidays in year one, which can deter candidates. Progressive options include: Unlimited time off – While controversial, data shows that this is not abused and employees do not use more than 15 days in a year. 9/80 work week – Employees working 80 hours over nine days gain an extra paid day off every two weeks. Family sick and bereavement leave Volunteer paid time off (valued by younger generations) Mental health days Floating holidays Birthday, anniversary, or work anniversary paid time off Health and Wellness Benefits Here’s why health and wellness is more relevant than ever today: 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. The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) 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 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. For growers, physical and mental burnout is real. The lower the stress level, the lower the chance of burnout occurring. Companies are responding with: Covering health insurance with low employee contributions continues to be an attractive benefit for growers of all ages. Disability, life, and death insurance especially with the physical nature of a grower role. Insurance becomes more challenging every year for all companies. At the very least, providing an insurance stipend to offset set what a grower at smaller company pays for self-funded insurance. In addition, progressive grower companies are adding wellness perks: Gym memberships, discounts, or reimbursement (or on-site facilities) Mindfulness apps and guided mediations Teletherapy or health coaching Mental health services Wellness rewards programs for gift cards Company-sponsored sports teams Healthy breakfast, lunch, or snacks On-site nurse or massage services Financial Wellness Programs 83% of HR Professionals reported in a SHRM study that personal financial challenges impact overall employee performance and 57% of employees cite finances as the top cause of stress in their lives. Standard offerings like a 401k or Roth retirement plan remain essential in attracting growers. Emerging financial wellness programs growers are being offered, including: Personal financial education Employee referral bonus Donation matching Identity theft coverage Legal counseling/resources Employee discounts on plant material Tuition reimbursement Pets Finally, don’t underestimate the power of pets! A vast majority of greenhouses and nurseries already have dogs or cats on site for morale. Adding pet-friendly policies and pet insurance can be a differentiator for attracting grower candidates. Millennials and Gen-Z growers will prioritize companies that invest in employees’ total health and wellness. These benefits don’t just attract talent; they strengthen your company’s brand as a top place to work in the community and industry. Healthy growers = healthy plants. And the right benefits make it possible. As originally published on greenhousegrower.com. Click here for the original article.
The Top HR Trends Reshaping Floriculture in 2026
As originally published on greenhousegrower.com. Click here for the original article. Just as the horticulture industry continues to evolve with new plant varieties, equipment, technology, substrates, and inputs, so does its most important asset: its people. In 2026, HR is being reshaped by shifting employee expectations, new workplace realities, and rapid advances in AI and digital tools. For growers and horticulture businesses, staying competitive now depends as much on how you hire, develop, and support your teams as it does on what you grow. Renewed Focus on Employee Engagement Employee engagement may feel like a familiar topic, but it isn’t going away. Disengaged employees slow everything down — from productivity and innovation to workplace culture. Today, engagement is less about perks or pizza Fridays and more about meeting core needs: recognition, clarity, direction, and strong coaching from managers. Engagement and performance are deeply connected. When systems are clear, fair, and transparent, employees perform better. As a result, HR teams are doubling down on building trust, communicating expectations, and creating real opportunities for growth. Give Managers the Time and Space to Lead A key trend gaining traction is freeing managers from doing too much. When managers are expected to chase their own accounts, coach their teams, and handle administrative work, something has to give — and usually it’s people leadership. That’s why many successful companies are carving out as much as 40% more time for managers to focus on developing their teams. In short, you must decide: do you want managers who grow people, or managers who carry a full load of individual responsibilities? You can’t realistically expect both. Hiring Based on Skills and Behaviors Traditional resumes and interviews are becoming less reliable as hiring filters. More organizations are shifting to a skills- and behavior-based approach — focusing on what candidates can actually do and how they demonstrate success, rather than just where they’ve worked or which products or customers they know. With the right assessments, companies are identifying talent that may not have the perfect resume but have exactly the abilities and behaviors needed to thrive. Return-to-Office vs. Remote Work The return-to-office conversation is far from over. With high interest rates keeping many employees in place, companies face a real challenge: the talent you want may not live anywhere near your operation. That leaves three real options: support remote work, offer relocation, or accept a smaller (and less qualified) candidate pool. Remote work brings its own challenges: Leaders need stronger skills to manage performance from a distance. Companies must invest in the right communication and collaboration tools. Remote-work policies must be clear, consistent, and enforceable. Policies only matter if you’re willing to enforce them. A recent KPMG report found that 83% of older CEOs expect a full return to the office within three years, up significantly from the year before. Younger CEOs, however, are more open to hybrid work — suggesting the future of work may be more flexible than some expect. Relocation Is Back in the Conversation If companies want to widen their talent pipeline, relocation needs to be on the table again. A strong relocation package can significantly improve both retention and talent attraction. That means budgeting for it, working with a relocation partner, and preparing package levels that address real-world challenges like housing availability, interest rates, and timing. Flexible, Personalized Benefits Benefits are becoming increasingly customizable. Employees want options that fit their lives, not a one-size-fits-all package. As a result, personalized benefits are quickly becoming a competitive advantage for both retention and recruitment. The key to getting it right is simple: listen closely to what your employees value. A Bigger Commitment to Mental Health Mental health is no longer “nice to have”. Companies are expanding benefits, offering more flexible schedules, training managers to spot burnout, and encouraging employees to use their PTO. Healthy, supported employees simply perform better — and stay longer. Supporting the Whole Employee Well-being is expanding beyond mental health alone. Today’s employees also need financial support, opportunities for social connection — especially in hybrid environments — and access to physical wellness programs. Companies that take a comprehensive approach to well-being tend to see stronger engagement and better long-term performance. Career Development Must Be Personalized Employees want clear career paths and meaningful development opportunities. This is especially true in industries like horticulture, where experienced growers and skilled labor can be difficult to find. As a result, more companies are building in-house programs to train, mentor, and develop future talent. At the same time, AI is reshaping skill requirements across the industry. High-performing companies are planning for widespread upskilling, so employees are prepared to work alongside advanced tools and AI. Today’s talent strategies must assume a blended human-AI workforce. HR and IT: Becoming Close Partners HR and IT are becoming more closely intertwined than ever before. In fact, 64% of IT leaders expect the two functions to merge within five years. As AI tools grow more complex, HR increasingly relies on IT to implement and manage these systems. At the same time, IT depends on HR to understand the human impact of these technologies. The two can no longer operate in silos. AI as a Day-to-Day HR Partner AI is no longer futuristic, it’s becoming a practical helper in HR. It can handle administrative work, speed up recruitment, analyze engagement trends, and even support employees directly. But with this convenience comes responsibility. HR leaders must set clear rules, ensure compliance, and make sure AI tools are used ethically. Most importantly, AI should never replace real, in-person interaction. You still have to keep the “human” in Human Resources. The Move Toward Pay Transparency More states and cities are requiring compensation details in job postings, and pay transparency is becoming a cultural expectation, not just a compliance issue. In response, companies are publishing pay bands, clarifying bonus and equity structures, and conducting regular pay-equity audits. While this shift requires thoughtful planning, it also builds trust with employees and reduces legal risk. Getting Comfortable With Constant Change Change is no longer a one-time event; it’s the baseline. HR teams are adopting the mindset
Ask HR: Would a previous customer be a good employee?
As originally published on gardencentermag.com. BEST is excited to partner with our friends at Garden Center magazine on their “Ask HR” column. Click here for the original article. QUESTION: I recently had a customer suggest they’d love to work at my Garden Center. I don’t know if they were serious, but it got me thinking. Would a previous customer be a good employee? And is there anything I’d need to do differently with them than someone I hired off a job board? THE ADVICE: This is such a fun question, and I’m so excited to explore it! I’ve personally been in this position both as a fan-girl customer turned employee (four times, actually) and as the hiring manager who hired a customer as an employee. And through each of these scenarios, I can certainly offer both positive and negative outcomes, because just like anything else, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I worked retail and hospitality throughout college and up until my current position. I was a previous customer at each place I worked, as well, and loved the idea of working there because I was so fond of my experiences. Now, this may go without saying, but it is a much different experience to shop somewhere than it is to work somewhere; the reality isn’t always as glamorous as it may seem, and sometimes the customers hold that impression simply because they love your product or they’ve had a fabulous customer experience (go you!) and want to be a part of that. However, they’re only getting a very surface-level idea of the organization – they likely aren’t aware of the company culture, the KPIs, the POS, the logistics, the physical labor, the long hours, etc. I remember when I was managing a luxury spa, our guests would say “I bet it’s sooo relaxing to work here!” and my colleagues and I would have mental flashes of having to silently tip-toe run through the halls while the services were underway carrying 50 pounds of robes and shoes, flipping the entire spa in 10 minutes, balancing various calls and the reservation books, stocking and reorganizing retail shelves, navigating upset customers…you get the picture. But we just smiled and said “Yeah, it’s sooo nice!” Full disclosure, I absolutely loved that job and was fortunate to work with an insanely fun and talented group of people, but even still, I would never call what we did “relaxing.” The discounted spa services and free cinnamon tea were certainly a perk, though. All in all, this worked out in my case because I was actually extremely passionate about what we offered and loved being a part of that experience for others. Still, there have also been jobs where the other side of the customer experience as an employee was not at all enjoyable (I’ve come to find that I do not enjoy tagging and folding clothes at 6:00 am and aimlessly wandering around with no tasks… I’ll leave it at that.) On the negative side of my experiences, there is one situation that stands out to me where I hired a former regular customer, and it did not turn out well at all, unfortunately. She was always so kind and bubbly when she was in, and was very smart, enthusiastic, and easy to converse with, which seemed to be a fantastic fit for the role we were hiring for. To keep it brief, in time, we came to have issues with sales ethics, behavior, trainability, and overall culture fit with this individual, and it left a very negative impact on the entire team. Of course, you can’t always predict these things in hiring – it was a very disappointing shock to all of us. And as you very well know, in retail, the hiring process for sales associates or cashiers isn’t typically extremely intensive, especially when you’re usually short-staffed and looking to fill as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, I’ve seen the other side, as well, where hiring a former customer was more in line with my positive experience, so really, anything is possible. Ultimately, these are just examples from my personal experience on both sides of the situation, positive and negative. I do think that more often than not, a previous customer expressing interest in your organization would be worth taking a chance on because they are arriving as an advocate for your product or service, displaying immediate knowledge to some degree, and bringing passion and enthusiasm. That excitement and interest in an employee can go a long way, especially in the green industry. The only thing I’d advise doing a little differently with this type of candidate, as opposed to one off a job board, is to emphasize that the working experience is different than the customer experience and try to give as clear an overview of job expectations as possible. All in all, so long as the interview process goes well and there are no major red flags or lack of alignment, I certainly advocate for taking a chance on the previous customer to join your team. As originally published on gardencentermag.com. BEST is excited to partner with our friends at Garden Center magazine on their “Ask HR” column. Click here for the original article.
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