Workforce planning
If that’s the case, a little workforce planning will help you get the best from your business. Workforce planning is determining what work needs to be done onfarm, and deciding how many people it will take to do it, how the work will be divided between those people, and how this fits with your farm budget. It’s a great opportunity to assess your farm goals, what you currently do with your time and what you want to do in future.
Were you short on employee numbers or skills last season? It might be worth brainstorming this with the whole team to capture all the relevant information. Figure out what you think is the right number of people for your team and what skills and attitudes those people will need to have, taking into account any employees who will be staying. At the end of this process you should have a list of positions you will require onfarm.
Describing the roles
The next step is to ensure each position has a clear and accurate job description so you increase your chances of attracting the right applicants when you advertise. Matching expectations from the beginning is a great start to any employment relationship.
The job description needs to outline the key tasks, duties and responsibilities of the role and the standard to which the work must be completed. The new industry-agreed dairy farm role descriptions available on DairyNZ’s website create clear and consistent role descriptions for both employers and employees. There’s also a job description template available.
Check all roles have a realistic workload and can be achieved within a reasonable number of hours. Offering your employees a good lifestyle will dramatically increase their motivation to work hard on your farm.
The recruitment process
Employing new staff can seem like a time-intensive process but it is worth doing it right. Hiring good employees is one of the most valuable things you can do to make your farm successful, and by taking the time to recruit properly, you are more likely to find someone who really fits your business and can deliver the results you need.
You can get a professional specialist to help you recruit new employees, or go it alone – it depends on your confidence, your budget, your time and your interest. Both options can deliver great results.
If you decide to recruit yourself, DairyNZ has a range of tools to help make the process as effective and streamlined as possible. DairyNZ QuickStart Recruitment Kits are available for farm assistant, herd manager, assistant manager and farm manager roles. These provide templates, checklists and information on job descriptions, interviewing, employment, property inspection and an orientation plan for the first 90 days. They are available in hardcopy by ordering from dairynz.co.nz or phoning 0800 4 DairyNZ (0800 4 324 7969).
Advertising the role
Research shows that creating a detailed job advertisement will help attract better and more suitable candidates, and the more people who hear about your job the greater the pool of potential applicants and the more likely you are to find the right person. Effective places to advertise include websites, such as NZ Farm Source, formerly Fencepost Jobs, newspapers, local school or club newsletters, word of mouth through friends and associates, and referrals from existing people onfarm.
‘It’s a competitive job market and every employer is chasing the same pool of talented people.’
Detail in the job advertisement is important. You are trying to attract appropriately skilled people to apply for the role. It’s a competitive job market and every employer is chasing the same pool of talented people. This is your opportunity to attract the best possible people.
Sort out which applicants to interview
Decide on three or four people to interview. Having a template can be useful so you get the same information from each person.
Compare the skills, experience and attitude a person has with the skills, experience and attitude you need. You can do this by listing what you need, and then ticking which of these each applicant has. You can always call an applicant to clarify information they’ve provided if you need more detail. The applicants with the most ticks are the ones you should interview.
If there are no suitable candidates, review your advertising and try again.
For guidelines and tips for interviewing, checking references and improving your chances of getting the right people off to a great start in your business, visit dairynz.co.nz/recruitment.
Sarah Gordon is a developer in DairyNZ’s People team
