Shawn Scheffler and Matt Evans, Ryan Lawn & Tree

Engage, Train, Retain: Building a Skilled Workforce.  Green industry skilled labor is becoming more difficult to find… AND retain. Join us as we explore a recipe for success and one you can apply directly to your organization at any scale or scope. Participants will discover, interact with, and apply proven strategies to overcome:

  • Brown Spots – 15% Actively disengaged associates (Gallup: 41% Engaged, 44% Disengaged)
  • Shade and Stress – limited career growth, unclear compensation structure, competitor poaching
  • Deadwood – 50% first year associate attrition ($500,000 loss each year)
  • Shallow Roots–compliance oriented training culture based on “talks” vs learning & performance.
  • Uneven Growth – 6-month speed to competency, delayed productivity, safety concerns, lack of confidence.

Shawn and Matt will reveal their three-year journey that aligns Training with Leadership, Incentive, and Ecosystem support of learners to produce tangible results on the bottom line including:

  • HealthySoil – Increased Associate Engagement (Gallup: 41% to 55% Engaged, 15% down to 5% Actively Disengaged)
  • Light and Fertilizer – 19 new Promotions, 80% of associates with a defined career path,
  • Strong Limbs – first year Associate Retention up from 50% to 91%!!! (represents a $400,000 savings)
  • Deep Roots – Field Orientation completions up 68% to 97%, Field Assessment completions up 400%, 500+ courses now aligned to job levels.
  • Speed to competency down from 6 months to 38 days (Productivity Confidence, and Safety improvements)

Biography

Scheffler, Shawn – Ryan Lawn and Tree
Shawn joined Ryan Lawn and Tree in 2021 with 30+ years in learning & development field. He is passionate about developing confident, safe, and productive associates and believes his role is to LITE the fire of performance. His engaging and highly facilitative sessions provide direction, concrete examples, and the ability for participants to experience and apply concept to their own.

Evans, Matt – Ryan Lawn and Tree
With nearly three decades of history at RLT and a lifelong career in the Horticulture industry, Matt Evans is a bit of a legend around here. In addition to being an ISO Board Certified Master Arborist, Matt’s diverse experience in plant health care, pruning, and sales gives him a unique perspective and respect for what it means to be a Ryan Pro. Currently, as Director of Training, Matt enjoys sharing his knowledge and helping others grow their careers through education. This includes hosting a weekly virtual training session, Tree Talk with Matt, and a podcast about Green Industry topics, as well as overseeing our Ryan U program.