“It’s just a case of them coming along,” the former sharemilker and farm owner said.
“I see it as the glove fitting the hand.”
He said it was important to look at the situation from both the employer’s and employee’s side of the recruitment equation.
When it came to finding new staff for farms he supervises, Johnson said they would either approach people they knew or advertise.
“I would never go head-hunting, but rather put two and two together if an opportunity arises,” he said.
“But there’s nothing wrong with saying to someone, ‘Next time you’re looking for a job, give us a call’.”
Advertising had the advantage of thoroughly checking who could be suitable for the position.
“The person you already know might not be the best out there,” he said.
Generally, he used Fonterra’s Fencepost website, describing it as a great tool for recruitment. He favoured a “short and sweet” ad giving some basic details of the position and asking those interested to make contact.
He’s also started to use the business-oriented networking website LinkedIn, which he said had the advantage of providing a number of different farming contacts.
If there were no suitable inquiries about the position, he said farmers needed to be prepared to re-advertise or think of another way to attract the right staff member.
He said emailing a one-page farm description to applicants laid a good foundation.
The description should include details about the farm system such as staff employed and what sort of dairy the successful applicant would be working in. He recommended including potential production indices such as milking herd characteristics like Breeding Worth (BW) – if it’s not a sharemilking position – and soil test details such as Olsen P levels.
“You have to sell the farm to the best employee.”
More family-oriented details were also important, such as time off, how close the farm was to the local school, and how many bedrooms staff accommodation could provide.
Johnson targeted a shortlist of four applicants to progress from the available recruitment pool.
“It’s such a competitive situation,” he said.
“Remember the best on your list is also the best on someone else’s.”
If a strong applicant was interested but the job wasn’t suitable, he had a backup strategy. If there were no suitable applicants the position might be changed to suit, such as changing a managerial role to that of a contractor.
‘I would never go head-hunting, but rather put two and two together if an opportunity arises.’
“I like to hire for attitude,” he said.
“That’s what I’m in pursuit of.”
He cautioned having a number of jobs in quick succession didn’t necessarily mean there was a problem with that worker.
“What I’m most interested in is the current employer. They should be comfortable with their employee moving on.”
If that person is not on the list of referees he would ask the applicant why not, as legally the applicant’s written permission was required for contact.
“Sometimes they are testing the waters and they haven’t told their current employer,” he said.
From the employee’s perspective Johnson said they should have a pre-prepared CV they can email off in response to the job ad. He lamented the poor quality of some CVs that he saw.
He recommended those applying for sharemilking roles should provide details of their financial assets along with their CV.
“A summary of their assets and liabilities lets you know if they can afford the cashflow and outgoings involved,” he said.
A balance sheet should be included along with a record of essentials for the job such as bikes, calf feeders and fencing equipment
He said career-changers had a lot to offer, including wider life skills and experience.
“They often have a trade and a work ethic instilled into them.”
He said many farmers still had the stereotype of “wanting to help a young guy get ahead”.
“Unfortunately a lot of farmers can get let down.”
Often farmers left hiring staff until the last minute and, while that should be avoided, it need not mean there wouldn’t be a suitable candidate out there.
Johnson believes there are a lot of resources, such as DairyNZ’s HR Toolkit, that dairy farmers could call on if they wanted to improve their human resources skills – an area now seen as a legitimate part of the farming business.
Ask the right questions
Johnson is happy to share some of his favourite interview questions.
“I always like to ask technical questions such as:
- What would you do if the vacuum on the milking plant dropped?
- How would you manage a downer cow?
- How do you prevent calf scours?
“Some interviewees have got plenty to say but others look at you as though you’re speaking a foreign language.”
He also asks applicants how they rate their progress in the dairy industry, which he believes gives an insight into whether they are critical of themselves or others for not achieving what they’d set as their goal. He’ll also ask for an example of a project they’ve undertaken onfarm and what they regard as discretionary work.
To draw a passive partner out he will inquire of them how the person being interviewed handles stress.
“I’m trying to employ someone who is logical, calm and easy to get on with,” he said.
And the question which must have a positive answer is that which he asks of the current employer – “Would you have them back?”
Johnson preferred to interview all shortlisted candidates, and their partners, in a short timeframe, saying that was the most efficient use of his and the farmer’s time.
He liked to have a table set up in an implement shed so there was an informal feel to the interview, and would get the farmer to start off by explaining their farming system.
“The interview is really judging the person, but that’s only part of it,” he said.
“A lot of poor decisions have been made on the basis of one phone reference and a glowing interview.”
He makes certain to discipline himself to get three phone references for each of those short-listed.
“It can be hard to get in touch with people and that’s especially the case with older references. Some people may also not have three references.”
He preferred to check references after the interview, saying it could be time-consuming to do so before the interview. Interviewing early on gave a good feel for whether candidates lived up to expectations, which reference checks would hopefully reinforce.
Roy Johnson is a farm consultant with David Stewart and Associates in Te Awamutu.
