GEAPS Exchange 2008

Opening Workshop

Workshop At Exchange ’08 To Tackle
Employee Recruitment, Retention Issues

In response to numerous requests, GEAPS volunteers have organized a workshop addressing what appear to be some of the industry’s top challenges: how to recruit, hire and retain good workers at grain facilities.

The workshop will be held Sunday, Feb. 24, from 7:30-11 a.m. at GEAPS Exchange 2008 in Omaha.

The employment challenges seem to be toughest at rural facilities, as younger workers tend to gravitate toward urban areas and the lifestyles and opportunities that they offer. However, facilities in larger areas also face similar hurdles.

In either case, the general topic of employee recruitment and retention has been requested more than any other by GEAPS members during the past several years, indicating that there is a problem out there. The workshop has been designed specifically to help facility managers and others find ways to resolve it. Speakers will include:

• Eric Spell and Melinda Mullenix, agribusiness employment specialists with AgCareers
• Rebecca Goranson, Employment & Training Manager, The Andersons
• Barb Quandt, Human Resource Manager, West Central, and
• Scott DeWeese, Chief Operating Officer, ProValue LLC, a human-resources consulting business

The workshop, developed by GEAPS’ Educational Programming Committee, will also offer an hour-long panel discussion, allowing the audience to ask questions or make suggestions on how best to tackle the challenges.