September 7, 2021
Personalities, language barriers, busy daily schedules and the need to keep a farm running safely and efficiently can make human resources management a challenge.
With a New York Farm Viability Institute grant, the Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development Program has farm-tested resources for streamlining the onboarding of new employees as the first step in efficient HR management.
“The first step to success is hiring well,” says Richard Stup, director of the Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development Program.
“We incorporate the four major areas identified by the Society for Human Resource Management [SHRM]: compliance, clarity, culture and connection into our Safe, Productive and Engaged from Day One protocol to help farms do just that: hire well,” he adds.
Compliance addresses legal requirements, regulations and policies associated with hiring.
Clarity is the goal of communicating the farm’s operation, safety practices, job expectations and operating procedures in a way that is easily understood and easily retained.
Culture references how to engage employees with the intangible drivers of the farm, including shared values, attitudes and standards that characterize the farm’s identity or “brand.”
Connection creates ways to bring new hires into the farm business as part of a team, including relationship-building opportunities with other employees, farm management, the farm family and the local community.
First impression, long-term retention
According to the SHRM, half of all hourly employees stay on any type of new job only four months. However, if new employees experience a positive start, the likelihood of retention after three years is 69%.