Friday, March 29, 2024

Know who you really need

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Before deciding who to hire, employers need to know exactly what role it is they are recruiting for.
Reading Time: 3 minutes

A job analysis should be one of the first steps taken in the employment pipeline, farmer and human resources consultant Mary Cooper says.

Job analysis or workforce planning involves figuring out what work needs to be done onfarm, deciding how many people are needed to do that work, and how the work should be allocated among those people.

The result of that analysis should form the foundation of job descriptions for employees of the farming business – and clarity for the owner or manager. It would also guide what level of remuneration was appropriate, allowing for regional employment market differences.

Recruiting into an existing team is an opportunity to review roles and workloads.

“You need to identify what you want, making sure that you are filling in any gaps with that person,” Cooper said. “You have got to consider do you want a herd manager, a dairy farm assistant, or a farm manager? You have got to be realistic about what your expectations are.”

Cooper said good, accurate job descriptions were crucial when recruiting. They were also the basis of the development of key performance indicators for performance management further down the track.

When recruiting, Cooper advised making sure there was a timeline in place. That timeline should start before an advertisement was placed.

“You might be going to start advertising on this date, but before you advertise you need to set up your application form, your information that you will send to applicants, find out what your remuneration budget will be, have a look at what sort of employment agreement you’re going to be working through.”

The timeline should also include the closing date for applications, and deadlines for completing referee checks and interviews, and when an appointment would be made.

“The timeline motivates you to action.”

Preparing an application form for potential candidates to fill out could be priceless, Cooper said.

“You can collect a whole lot of information in one place – job history, what sort of licences they have. They are just so handy to ensure lawfulness as well – you have got to get permission to contact any referees.”

Reference checking is another area where lawfulness comes into play and Cooper recommended having a questionnaire template to work from.

“For every referee that you speak to, you should ask the same questions, giving everyone the same access to the same process.”

Cooper cited a recent case taken through the Employment Court process where an unsuccessful candidate for a job was granted access to recruitment information for other applicants as the person believed they had been discriminated against on the basis of age. The reference check process would come under the microscope.

“He might say how come with this person you spent five minutes on the phone to his referee and asked three questions – if you had asked the same questions that you asked for that guy, you might have found out that I was good at that too.”

Cooper said to be safe, it was important to use the same questions and give everyone the same chance.

“It’s only fair if you’re giving the referee an opportunity to answer questions, then you should be asking the same for all candidates.”

DairyNZ job analysis process

  • Figure out what staff you actually need onfarm – were workloads too heavy or were you missing a particular skillset?
  • Brainstorm all the major work that happens onfarm and write up a list – involve the whole farm team.
  • Decide what responsibilities and tasks you want to take on yourself as the owner or manager – be realistic about workload.
  • Divide what is left between the other job roles, building a job description.
  • Consider staff responsibilities and check that all roles have realistic workloads, achievable within a reasonable number of hours.
  • Check that your budget can support the desired number of employees and remuneration packages that fit the level of responsibility for those roles.

 

Setting out the expectations

A farm charter has become a key recruitment tool for South Canterbury dairy farmers John and Cara Gregan. It sets out the values and expectations they have for their farming business and those working in it, setting the foundations for the enterprise. When presented to prospective employees it allows those candidates to see if they’ll be a good fit and vice versa. The charter includes statements on their desire to see employees succeed and the couple’s role in empowering them so they can do that. It also sets out expectations that come in return, such as staff turning up on time and on form – ready to tackle the day or tasks they’re required to perform.

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