The Canterbury herd-owning sharemilkers are milking 1000 cows on Purata Farms’ Tapatoru property near Dunsandel. Their emphasis on finding the right people for their team and then fostering the individual and team culture won them the Dairy NZ Human Resources Award in both the Canterbury region and the national Dairy Industry Awards for 2016.
Susie is the partnership’s recruitment specialist and puts a lot of effort into finding the right person to fit the team, always following the same recruitment process and using the DairyNZ Quickstart recruitment tool kit.
“We need to make the advertisement attractive to the kind of applicants that we want – attitude is key, we can teach them skills,” she says.
A phone screening process is a good step to separate the haves from the have-nots when it comes to the right attitude.
‘From a quick phone call you can find out details about what is important to them. You get a feeling from the chat and the questions they ask and their answers to your questions – things come out quite distinctly.”
For those who get through to the interview, the Woodwards like to ask skills-based and behavioural questions about how the person would act or react in different situations.
“The questions give us a good idea of how they would react on our farm.”
Two telephone reference checks on all prospective workers are mandatory for Susie.
“We are always looking for a mix of personalities – you need a balance of the go-getters and the boisterous personalities with those who are quieter with good attention to detail.”
While Susie says they get a feel for the personality type in the interview, they also do a small personality test when the new starter arrives, using the DOPE test – identifying Dove, Owl, Peacock and Eagle personalities.
“We all share the process with the team so everyone gets an idea of how each other ticks, how they prefer to be treated and how to provide feedback to their teammates in the most appropriate manner.”
As important as showing the new person around the property is setting expectations about performance and treatment of property, staff and animals.
Susie says it’s important to take time to go through the expectations and farm rules, emphasising the rules apply equally to everyone.
“We go through the policy handbook a couple of times and walk them through the health and safety processes.
“It’s a good way for us to make the disciplinary process much easier if we ever have to use it – all expectations are set out as policy.”
The bosses role-model the expectations to the team and enforce expectations at all time.
“It is just as important for us to follow the procedures – it builds respect and trust when the team members see you leading by example,” Susie says.
She doesn’t even like the word staff – she calls her staff the team members and says everyone has something to bring to the position and the team.
“Find out what makes them tick and motivates them and what their long-term goals are, and then help them to achieve them – that engages staff.”
Part of recognising each individual is celebrating their milestones – birthdays call for a staff morning tea party at the farm dairy, with cake Susie rustles up and all the team stopping for a group smoko. Christmas dinner last year was a fancy lunch at the Woodwards’, with ham and pavlova and presents for all the staff.
“We also took the team to the DIA regional awards dinner to show them they are all integral to the business and contributed to our success.”
Appreciating the energy and commitment their staff bring to their business is important to the Woodwards.
They say small gestures like a team picture on the wall, a lunch shout at a local café or letting team members pack up and go home early go a long way, and also provide valuable opportunities to get to know their staff better.
A professional development budget is set for each team member to grow their skills or achieve a goal. Training might take the form of short Purata courses, PrimaryITO, coaching or leadership courses, or time off to attend industry discussion groups or events. It pays off through staff retention, Susie says.
“Staff are more likely to stay if we are investing in them and they are progressing with goals.”
A performance and learning agreement for each member forms the basis of a formal catch-up every two months, setting and tracking goals, monitoring progress and providing support which holds both employee and employer to account, Susie adds.
At employment’s end, she says both sides usually exchange thoughtful gifts and feel like they have made a new friend for life.
“Our team inspire me, I learn heaps from them and they become like part of our family.”
“They are our team, not just our staff – and if you look at people a bit differently you really will reap the rewards as time goes on. Hopefully they will go on into the industry with a good idea of positive team culture.”
Six steps to fostering team culture:
1. Finding the right team member
2. Fitting a new person into the team
3. Spelling out expectations in the induction process
4. Leading by example
5. Treating each person as an individual not just a staff member
6. Investing in the team
