When you’re looking for suitable farm labourers for your business, it can be tough! It’s like you’re looking for needles in a haystack, as the search requires a lot of thought and communication. After all, you’re trusting someone to be a part of your business.
Hiring Farm Workers: 8 Tips to Successfully Hire Farm Labour
Table of Contents
That’s why the more thought invested during the hiring process, then the better!
But how exactly will you know if the person you’re hiring is most suitable for your business? Read on as I show you helpful tips to hire farm labourers.
How to Hire Farm Labourers
If you’re having a difficult time knowing who you should hire, then follow these tips and learn more during the hiring process:
Have Clear Expectations
Before anything else, you have to realize that farming is such a unique job. Prior to hiring anyone, you need to be clear about what will happen on a daily basis.
Particularly, focus on the most stressful times at work. If your job applicant isn’t used to, or is uncomfortable, working on just 5 hours of sleep for an entire week, then they may not be a great fit. However, if you prepare them for those “hell weeks”, then they at least won’t be caught unprepared.
You may want to try “scaring” applicants away even during the interview process. It’s best to weed out those unwilling to meet the job’s expectations and demands. Let them know what to expect and that this job won’t be for the meek, and if they expect to sit in the air conditioning all day long, then this won’t work out.
Furthermore, if you see an employee not taking their job seriously, to the point someone else has to do their role, then never hesitate to let them go entirely. Remove it as soon as you can so you won’t waste your investments.
Give Tests
It might be best to narrow down your job applicants by giving them a test, which is suitable for those who have more than a dozen applicants to choose from. You can have them send over portfolios or let them do essays to see how they become a perfect fit for your business.
Some people may back out at the first try, or not make it to the deadline. This will show you that they aren’t a good fit.
Once you’ve received all test submissions, you can find which applicants stand out and either hire them already or take them to the next step of the hiring process. Doing these tests can help weed out candidates who aren’t the best fit for your job, allowing the best applicants to prove themselves to you even during the interview process.
Of course, don’t just give ANY test! Make sure the test will help you know more about the applicant in a way that makes you learn how strong they are in the skills that you need for the job.
Make Sure You are a Fun Leader
And of course, this process isn’t just about the applicants, it’s about you, too! Keep the work environment fun and productive, just as you’ve seen cool startup companies having little fun benefits like video games, a daycare, and even restaurants!
Of course, make sure that these fun perks align with your business and budget. Having expensive caterers serve meals for your farm labourers may not be suitable for your budget for the long term, especially if the productivity gains aren’t worth the investment.
You can try other things though, and receive feedback from employees about what they would appreciate having. Even a monthly BBQ with the farmers with games and prizes is a great way to start.
And on the productive side, you can be a good leader by following up with your farm labourers, opening up to their suggestions, and empowering them.
This is something helpful to think about not only for your current employees but your applicants as well. You can ask them upfront about their expectations, and you should also show that you are a great leader, which encourages them to show you the best of their abilities. This will then make sure that your applicants and future employees will work hard for the business in the future.
Wrapping It Up
Successful hiring is absolutely crucial for all businesses, especially in the farming industry, with people performing complicated and stressful work outdoors. With the right tips and knowledge, you will be able to find people who won’t only work hard, but be able to connect with your company to achieve goals.
Hopefully, this short guide on how to hire farm labourers helped you out. Now that you know what to do, utilize these tips, and begin the hiring process now.
If you have any questions or want to share personal experiences on how you hired farm labour, share them in the comments section below. I would appreciate all thoughts and comments posted.
