Vineyard & Winery Management

May/June 2013

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Keeping BY SUSAN G. HAUSER Good Employees As the economy improves, so does the job market ow that the economy is looking up, are your employees looking around for a new job? According to Amy Gardner, president of WineTalent, a Sacramento-based winery talent recruitment agency, the improved economy may allow some wineries to offer more enticing benefits and lure workers away from wineries where the purse + As the economy gets better, employees strings are still tightly held. may be looking for greener pastures. "Companies are now + Wineries are stepping up benefits in back into building and order to keep top talent. improving," said Gardner, + Benefits may come in the form of 401(k) "so the fight for talent is programs, flexible hours or company going to be more imporperks. tant and companies that are able to offer nice incentive + Investing in employees' education can programs are always going build loyalty and benefit the company. to be able to attract a very skilled group of workers." Conversations with winemakers, managers and human resources directors of wineries in California, New York and AT A GLANCE 84 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | May - June 2013 Oregon portray businesses both large and small that want in some way to demonstrate to employees that they're highly valued. But that appreciation takes many forms, ranging from offering flexible hours and wine allotments to full and generous benefit packages that include matching programs for 401(k)s and paid vacations. Sometimes the deal is sweetened with a big fat bonus. BONUSES AND BENEFITS Kristy Melton, winemaker at Clos du Val Winery in Napa, Calif., is continuing a bonus program that her predecessor introduced about five years ago. Here's the deal: Production-side employees have the potential of earning an extra $9,200 each year. That breaks down to $1 for every point in a wine score over 90 in four top wine publications for the winery's 23 wines. On top of basic benefits, the bonus is an effective motivator. w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m

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