We're delighted to have as our guest on this week's episode Claudia St. John, the founder and CEO of consulting, recruiting and training firm The Workplace Advisors. As regular listeners might recall, The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle recently published the first-ever State of the Produce Manager report, and career pathing was one of the topics covered. To learn more about what career pathing entails, how different companies are approaching it, and the value it brings an organization, Ashley reached out to Claudia, whom she saw present back in 2021 at the Southeast Produce Council's Southern Innovations event. In this episode, Claudia also discusses the what the status of the labor market means for how companies need to approach their workforces; what employees today want; what career pathing looks like in practice; why training and other investment in employees in supervisory roles is so critical; the importance of developing "soft" skills; the ROI equation for investment in people; the correlation between happy employees and happy customers; the factors that play into job satisfaction for Gen Z; voluntary sabbatical programs; and more. Enjoy! 

For inquiries about the full State of the Produce Manager report, please reach out to Ashley Nickle at ashley@nicklegrowthstrategies.com or on LinkedIn.

We're delighted to have as our guest on this week's episode Claudia St. John, the founder and CEO of consulting, recruiting and training firm The Workplace Advisors. As regular listeners might recall, The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle recently published the first-ever State of the Produce Manager report, and career pathing was one of the topics covered. To learn more about what career pathing entails, how different companies are approaching it, and the value it brings an organization, Ashley reached out to Claudia, whom she saw present back in 2021 at the Southeast Produce Council's Southern Innovations event. In this episode, Claudia also discusses the what the status of the labor market means for how companies need to approach their workforces; what employees today want; what career pathing looks like in practice; why training and other investment in employees in supervisory roles is so critical; the importance of developing "soft" skills; the ROI equation for investment in people; the correlation between happy employees and happy customers; the factors that play into job satisfaction for Gen Z; voluntary sabbatical programs; and more. Enjoy! 
For inquiries about the full State of the Produce Manager report, please reach out to Ashley Nickle at <a href="mailto:ashley@nicklegrowthstrategies.com">ashley@nicklegrowthstrategies.com </a>or <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleynickle">on LinkedIn.</a>

The Produce Retail Podcast is the place for thought leaders in the industry to talk shop. Join us for conversations on strategy, business partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and much more. We'll have regular guests as well as more occasional visitors, and the goal is always to deliver conversations that inform, inspire and ultimately illuminate opportunities for growth. This podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, produce industry enthusiast and founder and CEO of Ashley Nickle Growth Strategies.  

The Produce Retail Podcast is the place for thought leaders in the industry to talk shop. Join us for conversations on strategy, business partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and much more. We'll have regular guests as well as more occasional visitors, and the goal is always to deliver conversations that inform, inspire and ultimately illuminate opportunities for growth. This podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, produce industry enthusiast and founder and CEO of Ashley Nickle Growth Strategies.&nbsp;&nbsp;