I’m standing in a farm shop with the owner, and his frustration with his staff is evident from the look on his face. “They lack in the details, they don’t listen, and they’re just not getting it done,” he tells me.
Through more discussion it’s apparent this is not a recent concern, rather an ongoing issue. And he is definitely not alone in this scenario. It’s fairly common to find farms settling for subpar performance with no real action plan on how to resolve things.
Depending on your farm’s operation, labor can range from 10 to 25 percent of expenses. Your human capital is costly; you need to get the best return on your investment.
What if your human capital wasn’t just a cost but rather a money-maker? A top performer adds to your bottom line when making sound, profitable decisions on a constant basis and bringing improvement ideas to the table. What’s that worth?
Let’s explore misperceptions and tips on how to overcome common obstacles to start building better talent on your farm today.
Myth #1: “There is no better talent out there; I just have to deal with it.”
Some farms don’t feel they are settling; they believe there are no good ones to be found. That couldn’t be more of a false statement. All-star employees are out there, but they are not abundant.
In my opinion, top producers only account for 20 percent of the talent in the market. One has to be selective, take initiative and find the time to recruit from that 20 percent pool.
Myth #2: “The good ones do not want to work on farms, especially with all the hours involved.”
Wrong again. They are individuals extremely passionate about farming.
Our industry offers a lot of attractive features for employees: The work constantly changes; they see the fruits of their labor and often get to work outside at least some of the time. Compared to corporate environments, we have less bureaucracy, more flexibility and more varied tasks, which are attractive to candidates.
I have often found top producers who grew up around farming and have a passion for it, but with no farm in their immediate family, they started a career path outside of farming. Those individuals still have a desire to be on farms and are searching for an opportunity to get into it.
Obstacle #1: “I can’t afford to be short on labor; better to have a body in that role than none.”
I get it; there are times when it doesn’t make sense to make a change, especially during peak season or when you are already short an employee.
I am all for a two-month push-back on a change – just not supportive of a two-year push-back. A farm should consistently be actively or passively looking for good people to join their team. To ensure you are not short, start searching and adding new key staff members and then evaluate your current team and make determinations on which ones need to leave the farm.
Obstacle #2: “We don’t have the time to train a new employee.”
Yes, it will take time, but if you find a high performer, that time will be limited. How much time does your current low performer cost you? There is lost productivity and double labor costs as others often have to pick up their slack. It drains the organization.
Management will often make adjustments or concessions, and management is consumed with frustration, not to mention the drag on the other employees who have to work with that person.
If the person has a strong personality and negative demeanor, now we are talking about the entire culture being affected. The time invested in training a new person will far outweigh the time wasted in keeping the non-producer.
Obstacle #3: “I am not confident in screening potential candidates.”
Finding and selecting employees is not often a skill that has been passed down through the generations. It is more an art than a science.
Always look for inherent traits in candidates. What are they inherently good at? What makes them tick? Experience is very important, but inherent traits are just as important.
If you are interviewing a candidate who moves slow and talks slow, I guarantee that is their pace through life, which is not something you can change.
Always interview more than once and with more than one interviewer. Make the candidates comfortable during your meeting and you will see more of their true personality.
Overcome the obstacles and take action today to build a better-performing team. PD
Visit www.agprovise.com/hrtools.php for screening, interview tips and rating resources.
