In early March 2022 John Boote was invited to speak at the GRDC Farm Business Update conference. Here is a summary of John’s message to grain growers.
Grain producers around Australia have come through an unprecedented period of productivity with high commodity prices and diverse market opportunities. This has been overshadowed by a severe and crippling staff shortage, coupled with restrictions on international and interstate movements from Covid-19 which caused major headaches for many producers and contractors, threatening to bring the harvest to a stop and weighing untenable risk on businesses.
While this may appear to be a perfect storm that has come out of nowhere, much of the pain caused could have been avoided. The reaction from many grain producers was too little, too late and many were not able to get the staff they needed in such a short time.
I am often asked “What do I need to do to attract the right people”, and I am happy to share what I tell our clients.
- You get the staff you deserve – It may sound harsh but if your operation is a revolving door, and you are not able to attract and keep the right staff, you need to take a look in the mirror. Ask yourself what would it be like working for me? What is the perception of my operation in the local area/ industry?
- Your farm is a productive business, and staff are a key input – You need to see you employees as assets and a vital input to the operation just like your seed, fertiliser and equipment. Do you have staffing requirements in your long- and medium-term farm business plans? Without the right staff, businesses suffer, the right people will be the key to your success.
- If you can’t find them, be prepared to train them – Most producers I speak to are of course looking for experienced and skilled staff, but not many are willing to train at an entry level so where do you expect these experienced staff to come from? The responsibility is on all of us to contribute to training the next generation of skilled people for our industry. On the job training and thorough on-property induction specific to your machinery and your conditions is by far the most effective training to get a new employee on the right foot. However, there are other forms of training that should be encouraged by employers such as short courses, local group training and online induction, all of which, we support.
- Set your self up as an employer of choice. It is no secret that wage expectations have increased and agriculture is now competing with mining, construction, manufacturing transport and logistics for staff. You must pay and treat your staff fairly and I refuse to deal with any producers who only offer award rates and sub-standard conditions.
You may be surprised to hear that a high salary is not all that employees are looking for in a new job. In our experience most employees rate feeling part of a dynamic team, being appreciated, included, and listened to above that extra 10% in their pay packet. Other items high on most candidates list are career progression opportunities; skin in the game ie lease arrangements, stock agistment or production incentives. Some of our best employers are using all of these methods and more to retain staff for their operations.
Reputation – The risks associated with having a bad name as an employer are real, the candidates are well connected, do thorough research on prospective employers and if there is any negativity surrounding staff mismanagement they will often find out. Please remember in the current climate a highly regarded candidate will be getting offers from many numerous other business as the same time. So again, it is imperative that you set your self up as an employer of choice.
Recruiting, training and retaining – Be proactive – Plan and implement a staffing strategy which includes recruiting, training and retaining the right people. Start your recruitment process early, long before harvest starts, there is more to it than simply placing a ‘harvest staff wanted’ ad. You need to allow enough time for advertising, short listing and conducting the due diligence on potential candidates.
Finding and retaining good staff will mitigate much unwanted stress and loss of productivity leading up to busy times for both family run and corporate operations. With the right planning, the costs and stress of understaffing and high staff turnover can be reduced, and better productivity can be gained from having a happy and productive team.
Ask yourself
- Are you currently struggling to find or retain staff?
- What are you like to work for?
- What is the perception of your business to potential employees?
- What business impact does not having the right balance in staffing incur on the business?
- If growing your business currently, what is the one thing that may be impeding your growth?
What can be done?
- Immediately evaluate your business as an employer
- Work on a recruitment plan for your business
- Consider how you may ‘train and retain’ good employees
About John Boote, founder and Managing Director of Drover Ag Recruitment.
John’s passion for Agriculture is one of his core drivers, and it inspired him to start Drover Ag Recruitment in 2019. Drover Ag has grown to become one of Australia’s largest and most recognisable Agricultural recruitment companies. John’s mission is to simplify recruitment for farms and stations across Australia and to encourage more young people into careers in Agriculture.
Starting out as farming apprentice on a mixed beef, sheep and cropping farm in North East Victoria, Johns career in Ag has spanned over 25 years and taken him all over Australia working in intensive beef cattle breeding, mixed farming and the Northern pastoral industry. John aspired to leadership and management at a young age, he worked hard, rose the ranks fast and always carried with him an attitude of continual learning and pushing the boundaries of production.
Recruitment is not new to John, having had many years recruiting his teams to support his management roles. John understands, firsthand, that your team is one of your biggest assets and that recruitment and retaining staff is up there when it comes to challenges on the land. John lives with his wife Megan, a consultant in the Macadamia Industry, and their two daughters in South East Queensland.