They maintain a pool of prospective employees by putting effort into making and keeping a connection with people they know will be a good fit for their high-performing business as well as industry professionals.
By doing that, when someone moves on, recruitment isn’t a dreaded process.
The couple are in their second season running Canlac Holdings – a 1400-cow, 335ha farm near Dunsandel.
While they haven’t had to do a lot of recruiting for that farm they both have plenty of experience recruiting and managing people.
Tony managed the Dexcel development and extension team before heading off to Australia and working for Westpac and then on to the US to run large-scale, pasture-based Kiwi dairy operations in Missouri.
Dana is a people management professional who has been coaching farmers and business owners for more than ten years through her business in Waikato and is now working for DairyNZ as part of the people team.
Tony said he’s not out head-hunting people but simply makes an effort to keep in contact with people who have impressed – people like John Keane, an Irish student who returned to Ireland to finish his agriculture studies. He’s back this season as herd manager.
“It’s about sending the occasional email to see how they’re going and let them know how the farm’s going. If a position comes available then you let them know,” Tony said.
The same goes for people he’s met who he then sees at field days and industry events.
“It’s about engaging in conversations, sharing what’s happening onfarm,” he said.
It not only keeps relationships active it means potential staff members know the kind of environment they’d be coming to if they ever applied for a position.
Networking extends beyond farm staff and other farmers with Tony also maintaining and making contacts within the wider industry – people such as rural professionals and industry leaders.
If the couple does advertise, they explain the environment candidates would be working in. It helps job-seekers decide whether they should apply, cutting out some who wouldn’t be a good fit
‘It’s about sending the occasional email to see how they’re going and let them know how the farm’s going. If a position comes available then you let them know.’
Tony is very target-focused and the farm’s about achieving high levels of performance. The ad makes that apparent, so a person who would be stressed by that shouldn’t go any further.
It’s important the ad highlights what the farm and the position have to offer the potential staff member.
“What we can do for you,” Dana said.
“We offer training and scope to progress for the right person. So we promote some of the benefits but again it indicates the type of person we’re looking for,” she said.
Facebook and Google are also ways to find out more about applicants.
“It can give you some insight,” Dana said.
Once they’ve narrowed down the field of applicants Tony contacts referees before the interview which can filter a few more people out.
He asks about the ability of the candidate to do specific tasks and what was included in their role. Then he checks it’s ok to call again after the interview.
There’s no point asking wishy-washy questions about how the previous employer found someone, he said.
In the second reference check he will ask more specific questions based on what he picked up in the interview.
He’ll drill down into what level of decision-making the candidate would cope with when it came to specific tasks.
Personality profiling is something they’ve offered staff as part of their professional development but it’s also something they do less formally at the interview stage.
Inter-personal relationships onfarm and who the new staff member will be reporting to and working alongside are important when it comes to a high-performing team. Putting a “chit-chatty” person with a 2IC or manager who is the strong, silent type could create challenges.
Both Tony and Dana say it’s important to sell yourself at the interview stage so the candidate knows what you’re about and what benefits there are to working in your team, because there is competition for staff and they could be applying for other jobs.
Interviewing both partners, if the applicant is part of a couple, is important too.
They take candidates out on the farm where it’s more relaxed but still part of the interview process.
“I’m looking for them to be asking me questions too. I’m taking notice of the types of questions they’re asking me and gauging whether they have a genuine interest in what we’re trying to achieve on the farm.
“It’s their level of proactivity that I’m looking for,” Tony said.
That can also extend to being quick to jump out and open the gates.
“If they just sit there then that tells you something too.”
