Improve Farm Labor Retention by Over 80% With These Tips

In my career, I’ve never worked on a farm. But I’ve frequently worked somewhere with a vacancy. Whether in an office or on a farm, I imagine the strain of being understaffed is the same. You want that vacancy filled and the new person brought up to speed as soon as possible. Shannon Sand, agricultural economics Extension educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said a formal onboarding process can help. 

“Just understanding who to go to if you have questions counts for a lot,” she said. 

Sand has expertise in risk management, strategic planning, business planning, and finance. She said research shows having an onboarding process for employees increases productivity by more than 70%, and retention by 82%. 

Onboarding Basics 

1. A Warm Welcome

Sand said it’s important to make sure your employees know when the new person is starting. 

“Show your new hire that you’re glad to have them join the team with a warm welcome,” she said. “Clarify their name, because sometimes, Charles likes to be called Charlie or Chuck.” 

2. Provide Procedural Information 

Sand said this includes expectations such as where to put your belongings; shower policies; dress code or uniform policies; lunch break practices such as eating together; vehicles; and cell phone policies. 

3. Work Time and Pay Expectations 

Sand pointed out that a farm may require long hours during periods such as calving or harvest seasons.

“I think it’s really important to set those expectations up front,” she said. 

She said this discussion is also a great time to cover call-in procedures, vacation time, and expectations for feedback and performance reviews.

4. Job Description  

The next component to provide the new employee, according to Sand, is a comprehensive job description. She added this is a good time to discuss the farm’s organizational structure, including who is the employee’s manager and who is their manager’s boss. She said this guides the new hire on whom to go to with questions. 

Finally, she said this step in the onboarding process is a good time to discuss career path opportunities and other employees’ success stories. 

“Sometimes, that can be a real powerful motivator for new hires, and encourages them to view the opportunity as a long-term career,” she said. 

5. Your Philosophy 

The last component is to share your philosophy for the business, including its values. She said you should also go over safety procedures at this point, approaching it from the perspective of caring for the well-being of the employee and creating a caring company culture. 

“That makes a great impact on a lot of people and encourages people to stay,” she said. 

Not Just for Big Farms

If you’re thinking this is too corporate for your small farm, Sand said, think again. 

She said having formal, written-down job descriptions and processes is potentially even more important for small operations, “because a lot of times, [family members] may have to pick up slack for one or the other, or trade jobs and change things.”

Learn more about establishing onboarding procedures by checking out a webinar Sand hosted here.