Our Season, Our Structure,
and Our Hiring Process
(Read all of this first!)
(If you find yourself intrigued to work on this amazing team, find the link near the bottom of the page for our employment application!)
Our Season
Our business cycle is divided into our very busy, and very exciting spring season, followed by a few months of recovery and then a modest fall season.
We have two phases to our spring season that include a Production Phase that runs early February through early April, and a Retail Phase that runs mid-April through early July. Candidates who complete the interview process, receive and accept an offer of employment with Kopke’s, can expect a schedule that reflects the needs of their assigned team. Schedules are most often based on a combination of need, experience, a sprinkle of seniority, current availability of production materials and/or anticipated customer traffic for the day, and most frustratingly, the weather.
All of our current opportunities are seasonal opportunities during our spring season.
Our Structure
Our crew is subdivided into specific teams for Annual Department Growing, Production, and Stocking, Perennial Department Growing, Production, and Stocking, and Veggie Department Production and Stocking for our Organic and Conventionally-grown starter plants.
On our Retail side of the house, we have teams for Cashiering, Customer Service, and Outdoor Services. All teams report up to their team leads or managers, who then report to their department head. And of course, Gordy Kopke is the top dog, the big kahuna, the founder. We all do whatever he says! 🙂
Our Hiring Process
Our number one concern beyond the quality of our plants is the Customer Experience. A large part of that is definitely plant knowledge, but so much of it is finding staff who can connect with our customers, help guide them to success, and have the humility and hunger to learn from every source available, including our customers! Scheduling availability is also a very important requirement for an offer of employment.
(All of our current employment opportunities are for the Spring Season only. We currently do not have Summer or Fall opportunities available. Any applications received after April 8th, 2024 will generally be considered for the Spring of 2025.)
Potential candidates are first screened to validate these requirements, either by phone or in-person when applicable. Upon successful screening, they may then be given a second interview with a team leader or manager to determine if they are a good fit for that team. It can be a bit unnerving, but there may be more than one Kopke’s team member in on that interview to help ask and answer questions and evaluate the candidate.
If a potential candidate is found to be a good fit, they may be extended an offer immediately, via a call-back, or in writing at a later date. We pick the best candidates for each available position, and all others are given the option of being put on a waiting list in case a current employee becomes unavailable for the season, or they are welcome to reapply for the following spring season.
In most cases, a new hire’s first day will be filled with orientation, paperwork, safety training, and other activities to help them quickly become acclimated to the Kopke’s world. All new hires enjoy a two-week probationary period to learn the ropes, hone their skills, and get comfortable with their gig.
Legal Stuff
Kopke’s Fruit of the Bloom, Inc, (dba Kopke’s Greenhouse) is an equal opportunity employer. Applications are received, and employees are hired without regard to race, creed, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, marital status, physical or mental handicap, disability, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, citizenship status, or any other protected classes under federal, state, county or local regulations. You must be legally permitted to work in the United States. The receipt of an application does not constitute a contract of any kind and does not obligate Kopke’s Greenhouse in any way. We appreciate your interest in our organization.
How to Apply
1) Download the Application
Please download our Employment Application.
2) Fill out the Application
Use your favorite PDF editor, or print out the application you just download. Fill it out!
3) Submit your Application
Please complete and return the employment application via the form below, email, that “fax” thing in the corner of the office, or regular postal mail to:
Kopke’s Greenhouse
ATTN: Employment
1828 Sand Hill Rd
Oregon, WI 53575
Email: opportunities@kopkesgreenhouse.com
Fax: 608-835-2107