Agriculture companies use a variety of flexible staffing approaches, with flexibility in schedule and work from home options the most common. Additionally, employment of part-time, temporary, contractors and skilled seasonal workers are also considered a viable approach to flexible staffing.
Nearly half of ag companies surveyed by AgCareers.com employ skilled seasonal staff, typically from one to three months of the year. Due to the cyclical nature of crop production, this makes perfect sense. Nearly one-third of agribusinesses also said they employ temporary or contract staff for less than three months per year (AgCareers.com Agribusiness HR Review).
You may hear this employment type referred to as contract, seasonal, temporary, interim, casual, contingent, freelance, or consultant, depending on the hiring organization and the work expected.
Before you hire temporary staff, answer these questions:
What are the expectations for hours per day/week?
How long is the position expected to last?
Is the work period dependent on completion of a specific task?
What, if any, benefits are included with this role?
Will there be a possibility for a full-time position afterward?
Candidate targets for these types of positions include workers who have recently relocated, those searching for part-time/flexible work, recent lay-offs, people wishing to build their work experience, or those looking for a little extra cash. Oftentimes, these temporary workers are interested in continued employment, so they are focused on their performance, developing skills, and strive to build relationships.
To see what other agribusinesses are doing, check out the AgCareers.com Agribusiness HR Review online.
The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like