Skills are the foundation of career growth and organizational success. At SiteOne Landscape Supply, a leading wholesale distributor of landscape supplies, fostering a culture of continuous learning and internal mobility is a top priority. In a recent webinar, Melissa Mirando, Senior Manager of Talent and Organizational Development at SiteOne, shared valuable insights on how her organization is leveraging skills to drive career growth and engagement across a dispersed workforce.
Embedding Skills into the Employee Journey
With a workforce of over 7,000 employees spread across 45 states and six Canadian provinces, SiteOne faces unique challenges in career development. To address these challenges, they have embedded skill-building into every stage of the employee journey, from onboarding to career advancement.
1. Helping Employees Identify Their Career Paths
To empower employees in their professional development, SiteOne ensures career planning starts on day one. New hires are encouraged to complete their Career Preferences Profile in the Cornerstone platform, detailing their interests, desired career trajectory, and willingness to relocate. Additionally, employees are given Development Discussion Guides—resources that help them reflect on their strengths, skills, and career aspirations.
2. Interactive Career Development Tools
Recognizing that many employees may not have a clear idea of their next career move, SiteOne developed an in-house interactive course, Navigating Your SiteOne Journey. This online, customized course guides employees through different career paths within the organization, featuring real employee success stories and interactive decision-making tools. Whether an employee wants to move from an hourly field associate to a leadership position or shift from an operational role to a corporate support role, this tool provides a roadmap.
Using Skills to Drive Employee Development
Once employees identify their career interests, SiteOne helps them develop the necessary skills to advance.
3. Assessing Skill Gaps with the Development Wheel
SiteOne has long used a Development Wheel, a visual tool that helps employees assess their proficiency in critical skills for their current and desired roles. Employees and their managers work together to map skills from novice to mastery, providing a clear view of development priorities.
4. Leveraging the Cornerstone Skills Feature
Recently, SiteOne has begun implementing the Cornerstone Skills feature, which automates skill assessments and links employees to relevant learning resources. This AI-driven tool suggests necessary skills for various roles, allowing employees to declare their competencies, identify areas for growth, and access targeted training. However, successfully integrating this feature requires thoughtful planning, including mapping skills to job roles, ensuring accurate data entry, and fostering user adoption. Organizations looking to implement a skills-based approach can benefit from expert guidance to streamline the setup and create a sustainable framework for long-term success.
5. Personalized Learning Paths
Through the Cornerstone Learner Home and Content Anytime, employees can search for learning resources tailored to their development needs. SiteOne’s curated learning playlists make it easier for employees to access relevant training aligned with their personal development goals and the organization’s values.
Motivating and Recognizing Growth
SiteOne understands that skills development isn’t just about training—it’s about motivation, engagement, and recognition.
6. Employee Affinity Groups for Hands-On Experience
To provide additional growth opportunities, SiteOne encourages employees to join affinity groups (similar to employee resource groups). These groups provide leadership and cross-training opportunities, exposing employees to different functions and higher-level decision-making.
7. Rewarding Development Through Recognition Programs
SiteOne has integrated skills recognition into its Customers First peer-to-peer recognition program, housed within Cornerstone’s feedback tab. Employees who demonstrate outstanding service and skill application receive digital badges and even payroll bonuses, reinforcing positive behavior and skill development.
8. Certification Programs with Career Perks
Employees can also participate in industry-aligned certification programs, such as irrigation and agronomics training. Completion of these programs not only enhances expertise but also leads to pay increases and career advancement opportunities.
Driving Career Mobility with Data and Reporting
One of SiteOne’s most innovative talent development tools is its use of data-driven talent mobility.
9. Succession Planning with “Baseball Cards”
To help leadership identify and develop top talent, SiteOne created employee “baseball cards”, which consolidate key employee information from the Cornerstone Succession module. These digital snapshots include an employee’s career preferences, skills, certifications, and internal recognition, making it easier for leaders to find the right talent for new roles.
10. Data-Driven Career Movement
SiteOne also leverages Cornerstone reporting to match employees with opportunities. For example, when the company opened a new branch in Hawaii, leadership used Cornerstone data to identify employees who had expressed interest in relocation and had the necessary skills. This data-driven approach ensures that career growth is not left to chance.
The Results: A Thriving Growth Culture
Thanks to these skill-based initiatives, SiteOne has seen:
- A year-over-year increase in internal promotions
- Higher employee engagement (2 points above the industry average)
- Increased career satisfaction (1 point above the industry average)
Melissa Mirando and her team at SiteOne continue to refine and expand their skills-based development approach, proving that investing in employee growth leads to stronger engagement, career satisfaction, and business success.
Key Takeaways for Your Organization
SiteOne’s success offers valuable lessons for organizations looking to strengthen their skills strategy:
Embed career development into onboarding and performance discussions
Use interactive tools to help employees explore career paths
Leverage AI-powered skill assessments for personalized learning
Recognize and reward skill development to boost engagement
Utilize data-driven approaches for talent mobility
By following these steps, organizations can create a culture of continuous learning and career growth—just as SiteOne has done.
