Friday, March 29, 2024

Beating the information overload

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Any employee starting on June 1 is likely to get bombarded with information, which can be overwhelming.
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Recently there was a DairyNZ discussion group at Kerry Burt and Aimee le Fleming’s farm.

Kerry and Aimee, who are contract milking for Aimee’s parents, Hugh and Darla le Fleming, have done a great job of putting together some information to make the transition to a new job easier for new employees.

They have slowly built up a set of resources, and say that while it does take some time to do, it is well worth the benefits.

Now is a great time to review what you already have, or start building a few resources to make the start of next season easier for everyone.

Have the basics on hand

Is the farm map up-to-date? Now is a good time to update it, especially any new hazards. Have a list of the relevant contact numbers, and check that there is a clear health and safety policy, and anything else you need for a health and safety induction.

Kerry and Aimee have one hazard map that details hazards in the paddocks and on tracks and the like, and one for around the dairy.

Procedures are written out and hung on the wall of the dairy.

Before someone new starts it is essential there is an employment agreement signed and they have a job description. For a full list of the basics you need to cover with an employee, see the orientation checklist in the DairyNZ QuickStart Recruitment Kit available at dairynz.co.nz.

A great way to make the new team member feel welcome is to have a chat to them about settling them and their family into the community, and providing a list of information such as local school numbers, names of community groups, and where shops and medical services are located.

How we do things around here

Every farm does things differently. You will no doubt have that ‘one thing’ that everyone seems to do not quite how you’d like.

Consider writing down the steps for this or making a diagram of how you want it done.

Kerry and Aimee have built up a range of procedures for different tasks, such as setting up the dairy for milking, moving the K-lines and washing thevat. They say that these have been invaluable, and because they are image-based even employees with little English are able to consistently do tasks correctly.

K-line breakages have noticeably dropped now everyone moves them in a consistent way and knows the ‘whys’ behind it.

Tips:

• Aimee says start small. You don’t have to nail everything at once, but make a start and then build on it.
• Use the resources available rather than reinvent the wheel – check out www.dairynz.co.nz/people.
• Keep it short, simple, and use pictures or diagrams where you can.
• Put some time in now so when new team members start you can focus on getting to know them, and them getting to know your business and the farm.
• Check there is suitable personal protective equipment for new staff.

Erin Sinclair is DairyNZ consulting officer for South Canterbury.

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