Attracting and retaining good employees
“It’s no longer simply deciding you need more labour on farm and advertising,” states Denise McLellan who will be explaining how to attract good staff and keep them at BCG’s Farm Expansion Day on Tuesday the 25th of July at the Birchip Leisure Centre.
“When thinking about adding labour units to a farm business, farmers need to first define roles across the farm so they know where the gaps are. They also need to be aware of the culture of their farm business as well as have a clear picture of what the business has to offer prospective employees.
“Adverts that only describe what the farm looks like, for example size or enterprises and outlining what you need aren’t going to cut it. They need to include what you can offer: can you provide a good work/life balance? Are you flexible? What services are nearby? Looking at the job from the employee’s point of view can make a real difference to whether you have any applicants and importantly, who you attract.”
“I’ll explain in detail how to determine roles and culture, how to advertise and induct employees as well as how to keep them at BCG’s Farm Expansion Day.”
Denise will also discuss the importance of communication and how to do it well.
“Communication is key to any good working relationship,” Denise said. “I’ll outline the best ways to communicate with staff so that you are attracting the right people and looking after them so they stay.”
Farm Expansion Day will also cover land investment principles—buy versus lease versus share farm with ORM’s Ben Hogan, machinery investment decisions and benchmarking with Kondinin Group’s Ben White and managing growth within the business with Carmen Quade.
The event will conclude with a panel of farmers and advisers sharing their farm expansion experiences including how advisory boards can aid such decisions, in particular, how they can build resilience in times of drought.
Event organiser and BCG North West Broadacre Node Lead Grace Hosking said: “As part of the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub North West Node, BCG is hosting this event to help farmers considering expansion to determine if their business will benefit and if so, how to ensure it doesn’t come undone in times of drought. By gaining information regarding labour units, machinery and land purchases, how to communicate effectively and hearing other growers’ experiences, this event aims to provide attendees with the tools needed to guide objective expansion decisions to capitalise in good years and weather the bad.”
The event will run from 9.30am to 3.00pm. To register visit bcg.org.au/event/farm-expansion-day/ For more information call the BCG office on (03) 5492 2787.
This event is part funded through the BCG managed North West Broadacre node of the Victoria Drought Resilience, Adoption and Innovation Hub, which is supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. This event is also part of the Resilient Farming Communities project funded by Agriculture Victoria and the Department of Health in collaboration with Deakin University and the National Centre for Farmer Health. This project is part of the broader Smarter Safer Farms Initiative.
The Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub is a state-wide collaboration of 10 organisations.
Led by the University of Melbourne and with headquarters at UM’s Dookie Campus, the Vic Hub is a Partnership between five farming organisations (Birchip Cropping Group, Food & Fibre Gippsland, Mallee Regional Innovation Centre, Riverine Plains and Southern Farming Systems), four universities (UM, Deakin, Federation and La Trobe), and the State Government (through Agriculture Victoria).
One of eight hubs established nationally under the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund (FDF), the Vic Hub works to enhance the drought preparedness and resilience of Victoria’s agricultural industries, the environment and regional communities, encompassing broader agricultural innovation. Engaging with a range of industry and community stakeholders, the Vic Hub links research with community needs for sustainable outcomes.
