Train to Retain: Creating a System for Employee Growth

The Beer Garden

Most of us have been guilty of it—handing a new hire a shovel and saying, “Follow this guy.” That might get the job done (barely), but it won’t build a high-performing team. In this episode of The Beer Garden, we dive deep into how to build a real-deal training program that actually develops your people—and your business.

We’re breaking down how to create a scalable, repeatable system that trains new hires, grows future leaders, and builds a strong culture of excellence. From onboarding to ongoing skill development to performance-based certifications, we lay out the full blueprint. Whether you're building a training program from scratch or upgrading your current system, this one's packed with practical strategies.

What We Cover:

• Why throwing new hires to the wolves isn’t a strategy

• What to include in your first 30–90 days of training

• How to build ongoing training that keeps your team engaged

• Designing a skill progression system with certifications and raises

• The DORAGI method for hands-on learning

• How to track training progress and ensure real results

• Why training is just as important for managers as it is for technicians

🎧 Whether you're a growing landscape business or a snow removal crew looking to level up, this episode will give you the tools to go from chaotic onboarding to a well-oiled training machine.

📚 Resources Mentioned:

•Quality Driven Software - https://www.qualitydrivensoftware.com/

•Trainual - https://trainual.com/

•Greenius - https://gogreenius.com/

•The Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin

•Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

🍺 The Beverages:

•Banded Peak Brewing - Mount Crushmore

•Ommegang Brewing - Cooper's Hop