Cultivating farm employee base is a challenge
As Labor Day nears, recruiting new employees is one of the most common dilemmas facing many farmers and ranchers and the companies that support the industry.
The quest to find seasonal employment also is a challenge.
A plan of action begins by writing down goals and objectives. Like pursuing a change in a farm practice, whether incorporating cover crops, changing crop rotations or going to a no-till or reduced tillage format—it is never easy—but it requires the farm operator to set reasonable goals based on reasonable expectations.
Julia Davis, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers senior director of workforce development, has noted that many industries are facing the same challenges. “Manufacturers are increasing wages, offering signing bonuses, working with staffing agencies and pulling every trick in their arsenal to try to buy, borrow and steal labor.”
That message is also resonating out in the farming and ranching community.
As Davis notes, if the manufacturer’s pool of candidates is slim to none he or she has to look to find ways to expand the pool.
She said ex-offenders are one an example, calling it one of the largest under-utilized employee pools in the nation because a third have some sort of criminal record, which includes non-violent offenses. There is a significant number who have benefited from trade school opportunities that can benefit manufacturers and, we might add, farmers and ranchers.
An operator should not enter into this with blinders on. A second chance can motivate a person and there are ample statistics to show success, but careful screening is a must.
Another potential job pool is putting an emphasis on women who have received training on technology, which could lend itself to precision agriculture and related on-the-farm work.
Another pool is finding workers who may be underemployed and with additional opportunities to improve themselves making it a win-win for managers.
Another essential pool, as Davis notes, comes from investing in relationships. Taking time to connect with FFA organizations, technical colleges and community colleges can help the operator find another set of potential applicants. While a producer or business might not need additional employees at the moment that can change.
Probably one of the best pieces of advice many of us ever received was to be a good listener and understand that what once worked yesterday may not work today. That includes offering benefits that make sense and creating opportunities for advancement.
The labor pool problem has been a longtime challenge for many years. All one has to do is look at the Census. Except for a few pocketed areas, the rural communities that make the High Plains a special place to live have in some cases seen 3% to 10% declines in population. That only magnifies the problem. Yet solutions require outside-the-box thinking and building community connections is a must, Davis says.
There is no time like now to get started and nurture those relationships.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
