Retention rates for first-year dairy staff are about 40%. That means six out of every 10 people choose to leave their job in the first year.
Most people decide if a job is right for them in the first week and about half decide it isn’t.
No employer wants to be in a position where a new recruit is already thinking about leaving.
That first week is your chance to show new staff why they should stay with you and your team long-term.
It is where simple things like a good introduction (induction), orientation and ongoing support can go a long way in helping retain your new employee.
According to the Harvard Business Review giving a good induction can increase the odds of your employee staying from 54% to 66%.
Adding ongoing support increases the likelihood of them staying to 75%. Not only will this help them fit in with their new team and, if they’re new to the area, get to know the community, but benefit you by helping them hit the ground running.
I believe we need to do more, to not only retain staff but attract talented and passionate people to dairy farming. This is one of our six commitments in the sector strategy Dairy Tomorrow. We are focusing on building great workplaces to inspire people to want to work in dairy.
Waikato farmers Marc and Nia Jones believe creating the right culture goes a long way in retaining staff and is the foundation of any great workplace.
The couple recently won Waikato Share Farmer of the Year and merit awards for human resources, leadership and health and biosecurity.
It’s clear they have a passion for people and their team is the heart of their business.
Their mission statement is Growth to enrich life. Marc says this principle guides everything they do, including their approach to managing their team.
The couple have a strong set of values that help create a team culture and positive environment and has contributed to high staff retention rates.
One of their core values is that no one is too big to do the small stuff. And that’s why they choose to have a flat organisation structure. The only exception is responsibility and accountability levels, which determine staff remuneration.
The couple also place great importance on developing their staff by providing ongoing training and learning opportunities.
“Let’s create leaders – that’s one of our other values,” says Marc.
The couple ask staff what their goals are, both personally and professionally, and look at how they can support them. They build in these discussions during their staff appraisals, which they call role goal meetings.
While they haven’t had to recruit any full-time staff for some time, they help seasonal staff at calving settle into their role through a buddy system. New staff are supported in familiarising themselves with the farm and their role by running through key tasks with Marc or a senior staff member.
“We essentially show them the ropes.”
Marc believes training new staff is extremely important in helping set them up for success and all these small things add up to making a great workplace and inspire people to want to work in the dairy sector.
MORE:
Visit dairynz.co.nz/people.
• Kirsty Dickins is a DairyNZ consulting officer based in Te Awamutu
