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Human Resource

Management forFarm Business

in Manitoba


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Human Resource Management for Farm Business in Manitoba

The surest way to reach a business goal is to plan on it. Successul Manitoba armers areocused business people. They have clear, exible, short and long term business plans and they monitor their plans regularly.

Whether youre starting, growing or passing along your business, you need a solid businessplan. Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) can help you build a planor success.

Human resource (HR) management is an important part o arm perormance. For ahigh-perorming arm you need high-perorming employees. Use this tool to learn aboutthe important parts o an eective HR plan, read case studies and conduct exercisesto help you build and implement a strong plan or your arm.

Copyright Notice

Copyright 2012, the Government o Manitoba. All rights reserved. The Government o Manitoba is the owner o the copyright in allinormation contained in this Manual, unless otherwise stipulated.

Trademark Protection

Certain names, graphics, logos, icons, designs, words, titles or phrases used in this Manual may constitute trade-names or service markso Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, the Government o Manitoba or third parties. The display o trade-marks in thisManual does not imply that a licence o any kind has been granted. Any unauthorized copying or modifcation o trade-marks or thecontents hereo may be a violation o ederal or common law, trade-mark or copyright laws and could be subject to legal action.

Disclaimer

This Manual is designed or inormational purposes only. The inormation contained in this Manual is not intended or implied to be asubstitute or proessional advice. Users o this Manual should consult with their proessional advisors to determine the appropriateness othe inormation contained in this Manual or their own situation.

While care has been taken in preparing and assembling the inormation contained in this Manual, the Government o Manitoba andits Ministers, ofcers, employees and agents make no representations, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, adequacy,

completeness or reliability of any such information. The inormation contained in this Manual may be changed or updated withoutnotice. The Government o Manitoba and its Ministers, ofcers, employees and agents will not be liable to any person, organization orentity or any damages o any kind which may arise rom use o the inormation contained in this Manual.

Use Restrictions

No person may modiy, reormulate, adapt, alter, adjust, change or disassemble this Manual or commercially exploit the contents o thisManual, except with the express prior written permission o the Government o Manitoba. Approval requests may be submitted to:

Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives1129 Queens AvenueBrandon, MB R7A 1L9

Governing Law

Use o this Manual and any disputes arising out o or in relation to this Manual shall be governed by, construed and enorced inaccordance with the laws o Manitoba, Canada.

This publication is available in multiple ormats upon request.

Aussi disponible en ranais.


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Introduction

This manual is designed to be a tool or human resource management, and to help your arm businessbe productive and protable, with a team o reliable, engaged and productive people whether youemploy amily members or other individuals.

As your arm business grows, relying on amily and riends and anever-changing line-up o people wont work anymore especially whenyoure working seven days a week, at an ever-increasing rate o speed.

For a high-perorming arm, you need high-perorming employees.Without them youre putting your arm at risk.

Human resources (HR)

O course, the ocial name or what were talking about is human resources a term that means a

whole lot more than just hiring. It includes managing amily and non-amily members, ull and part-time sta, and seasonal employees and the policies and practices that relate to them.

People are as essential to arming as are weather, prices and technology. Human resources mustreceive your careul attention they aect most production, nancial and marketing decisions.

Whether youre running a small arm, or a large corporation, aligning your business or successrequires a strong and eective human resources plan, which includes hiring and keeping high-perorming, engaged people.

About this manual

In this manual, youll learn about the important parts o an eective HR plan, read case studies romreal arm businesses aced with HR issues, and source some valuable tools which will help you build astrong HR plan or your arm business.

By ollowing this manual and using the tools, you can:

1 reduce turnover

2 improve the quality o the people you hire

3 run a HR plan that has a positive and direct impact on your business

The result will be a strong, engaged and skilled team, working with you and your amily to managerisk and give your arm a competitive advantage.

The term employeesin this manual reers toamily and non-amily

members who areworking or your

arm business.


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Icons used in this manual

This manual uses these icons to alert you to useul inormation, orms and examples:

EXERCISE: This icon indicates a orm or exercise to help you through

the HR process.

Some o the orms and exercises will have a blank copy included inthe Form Appendix at the back o this manual.

EXAMPLE: This icon indicates an example that urther explains andillustrates the HR process.

CASE STUDY: This icon indicates an example rom a real arm thataced a similar HR issue, and shows how the arm worked throughthe process.

Some o the examples will have a blank copy included in the Forms Appendixat the back o this manual.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

Sel Evaluation ..........................................................................................................1

What is human resources? ............................................................................................2Why do you need to implement human resources into your arm business? .......................2

Does my arm business really need a human resources plan? ...........................................2

What is a human resources evaluation? .........................................................................3

Four steps to complete a sel evaluation and HR priorities or your arm ............................4

CHAPTER 2

Developing an Identity or Your Farm Business ...........................................................9Creating an identity or your arm ...................................................................................9

CHAPTER 3

Recruiting ............................................................................................................... 15What is recruiting? .....................................................................................................15

How do I recruit? ........................................................................................................16

How does recruiting work when I hire amily members? ................................................ 16

The recruitment strategy ..............................................................................................17

CHAPTER 4

Hiring ....................................................................................................................25What is hiring? ..........................................................................................................25

Hiring amily employees? ...........................................................................................26

A our-step hiring process ...........................................................................................26

CHAPTER 5

New Employee Orientation and Training .................................................................35What is new employee orientation and training? ..........................................................36

How do new employees eel when they arrive at your arm to begin work? .....................36

Planning your new employee orientation and training program .....................................37

Is orientation and training necessary when I hire amily? ...............................................39

CHAPTER 6

Communication ......................................................................................................41What is communication? .............................................................................................42

Somethings gone amiss miscommunication ...............................................................43

How do I communicate with a amily member? .............................................................43

Whats your communication style? ...............................................................................44

Ways to implement communication on your arm ..........................................................45

What type o communicator are you? ...........................................................................47


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CHAPTER 7

Motivate Employee Perormance .............................................................................49What are the attributes o motivated employees? ..........................................................50

Learn about your employees ........................................................................................50

What motivates and demotivates an employee ..............................................................50

Ways to motivate employees .......................................................................................51Motivation and perormance management ...................................................................52

CHAPTER 8

Important Handbooks, Employee Manuals andStandard Operating Procedures (SOPs) ...................................................................55

Do I need an employee manual and SOPs manual when working with amily? ................55

SOPs manual where do I start? .................................................................................58

CHAPTER 9

Resolving Employee Conict ....................................................................................61Understanding employee confict .................................................................................61How do you manage confict between employees? ........................................................62

How do I manage confict when the employee is a amily member? ................................65

CHAPTER 10

Handling Discipline Issues Eectively .......................................................................67Dealing with employee perormance problems ..............................................................67

Think beore you discipline ...........................................................................................67

Coaching your employee beore disciplinary action ......................................................69

Implementing a progressive discipline procedure ..........................................................70Congratulations ......................................................................................................73

Your blocks to building an HR plan or your arm business ........................................75

Glossary ................................................................................................................77

Forms Appendix .....................................................................................................79


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CHAPTER 1

Sel Evaluation


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CHAPTER 1

Sel Evaluation

Why do you need to evaluate HR in your arm business?An HR sel-evaluation helps you identiy and measure:

what youre doing now (in terms of human resources) and whether you should keep doing it

what youre not doing now (in terms of human resources) and whether you should startdoing it.

Because HR has changed so drastically in the agriculture industry over the past ew years, itsimportant or you to understand what youre doing well on your arm, and what you need toimprove on (or start doing).

A sel-evaluation is important, so you can ll in these gaps, make decisions on hiring/keeping

employees and create a successul HR plan or your arm business.

Whats in this chapter?

This chapter includes:

What is human resources?

Why do you need to implement human resources into your farm business?

Does my farm business really need human resources?

What is a human-resources self-evaluation?

A step-by-step process to evaluate HR on your farm and prioritize your HR objectives.You will conduct an HR sel-evaluation or your arm business, using the questionnaire, to get abetter understanding o your arms HR strengths and weaknesses.

What will I have when this is done?

Once youve completed the exercise in this section, youll have the inormation you need toimprove your HR processes and plan, so that your arm becomes a place people want to workand want to remain working.

Once youve read this chapter and completed the exercise in this section, youll have a better idea

o what your ocus should be to create a successul HR plan and attract, hire, motivate and retainemployees.


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What is human resources?

Human resources (HR) is the job function that manages people in an organization by providing anassortment of activities and policies and procedures, which relate to developing, utilizing, maintainingand retaining the appropriate number, and skills, o employees to accomplish your businessesobjectives and goals.

You can implement human resources into your arm business by creating a human resources plan.It can include:

employee recruitment and selection

training and development

organizational structure (who reports to whom/pecking order, job skills and knowledge)

labour relations (managing compliance with various legislation and regulations)

employee performance management and succession planning

human relations (discipline, performance management, complaint handling, counselling and

coaching) employee benets

health and safety

employee communications

strategic planning

management of employee records

Why do you need to implement human resources into your armbusiness?

A skilled and eective employee is key to your arms success and protability. Human resources helpsyou select, attract and keep employees by leading them appropriately and successully, and aligningthem with your arms objectives and goals.

Does my arm business really need a human resources plan?

All businesses no matter their size or structure benet from HR. The key is to create and implementa successul human resources plan.

Where are you with your human resource plan? The ollowing evaluation will help you determine iyour current HR plan is successul, or has gaps that need to be lled.


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What is a human resources evaluation?

AHR evaluation is an assessment o HR policies, processes, documentation and procedures o aarm business that helps ensure the HR plan is working eciently, and identies areas that needimprovement.

An HR evaluation can help assess: the hiring process

employee retention

training

employee compensation

management and employee relations

processes or practices that affect an organizations people

You should conduct an HR sel-evaluation annually. This is to account or your workorce, andthe eciency with which your arm deals with its people rom the beginning to the end o their

employment with you.

This process allows a arm business to get a general idea o where its HR currently stands, where it canbe corrected or improved, and how to plan or the uture. It also helps prevent employee issues thatmay directly impact your protability.

Managing your workorce gives your business a competitive advantage, especially when labour andskills are limited. Assessing the eectiveness o your current HR practices can help ensure that youattract and retain not just qualied workers, but the best people or the job.


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Four steps to complete a sel evaluation and HR priorities or your arm

EXERCISE: Take a ew moments to complete the exercise below. It will help youunderstand where your arm business is excelling and where it needs improvementwhen it comes to hiring and keeping your employees. Go to the Forms Appendix

(at the back of this manual) for a blank form.

Step 1: Complete the sel-evaluation orm

YOUR FARMS IMAGE YES NO

We are considered a great place to work in our community and the agriculture industry.

I someone asked one o our present or past employees, they would say positive things about workingon our arm.

Our vendors, suppliers, and customers speak positively about our arm and the employees.

Our employees are encouraged to attend agricultural events and trade shows, and promote the arm.Every year, we conduct an employee satisaction survey to understand what our sta members arethinking and eeling about working or us.

Total your yes and no answers:

RECRUITMENT YES NO

We always keep our eyes and ears open or possible uture employees.

We understand how a bad hire directly impacts our protability.

Weve integrated a social media campaign to attract people.

We pay bonuses to employees who reer new hires to us.

We are willing to consider training a candidate who is new to agriculture and has no experience in thisindustry.


SELECTION YES NO

Our hiring decision is based on more than just doing interviews, and background and reerence checks.

More than one person rom our arm is involved in interviewing a candidate.

More than one person rom our arm is involved in selecting the nal candidate.

We use behavioural-based interview questions to ensure our interviews are effective. (If youre not surewhat these are, select No).

Our compensation and benets packages are individualized to meet the needs of each employee.



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NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION YES NO

We have a ormal new-employee orientation program.

We make a great rst impression during a new employees rst week on the job.

Our process or training new employees is designed to instil values, not just teach procedures.

Our entire team/amily is involved in creating a positive new-employee experience.

We have a 30-day check-in meeting to ensure the new employee is still engaged in his/her work and isproud to work or us.


MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP YES NO

All o our managers and supervisors have training and experience to be eective leaders.

Our managers and supervisors are great at motivating our employees.

We have regular sta meetings that are eective and inormative.

We reward people not necessarily with money or going above and beyond.

Our employees assess their manager or supervisor every year about his or her leadership perormance.


RETENTION YES NO

We are focused on creating an environment that minimizes employee turnover.

We practise strategies to avoid losing a valuable employee.

We conduct exit interviews with departing employees, so that they eel ree to explain why they areleaving.

We help our employees achieve their personal and career goals.

We meet on a regular basis (no less than annually) with each employeeto discuss his/her uture employment goals.



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Step 2: Review the results

Calculate your totals: Calculate the total number o yes answers or each category.

CATEGORY TOTAL NUMBER OF YES ANSWERS

Your Farms Image

Recruitment

Selection

New Employee Orientation

Management and Leadership

Retention

Total number o Yes answers:

Congratulations, youve just evaluated the HR priorities o your arm business. I you have:

25 or more yes answers: Your arms HR plan is on the right path to becoming anemployer o choice.

24 or ewer yes answers: Your arms HR plan has areas o opportunities orimprovement.

TIP: Even i youve received 25 or more yes answers, you should work to ensure that eachquestion becomes a yes, so you can hire and keep employees to the best o your ability.

Below is a list o what you need to achieve your objectives and become an employer o choice.

Recognizing and rewarding sta well: providing regular eedback to employees about theirperormance, growth prospects, accomplishments and areas needing improvement, andrewarding sta or a job well done

Work-lie balance: allowing employees to nd a balance between work and other aspectso their lives

Respect: listening to employees and encouraging eedback and suggestions

Commitment and engagement: committing to becoming involved and engaged in workingwith employees and customers

Fairness: developing and applying clear guidelines and policies and enorcing them equally,

so you treat all employees with the same regard and consideration, whether theyre amilyor not.

The next two steps in this chapter will help you prioritize your objectives and create a to-do list for yourarms HR plan. Once youve set your priorities, the remaining chapters will help you build on the onesyouve identied as opportunities or improvement.


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Step 3: Make a list o HR priorities

Make a list o HR priorities based on the questions you answered no to. To write objectives, you:

1. Start with the word to.

2. Specify a single key outcome to be achieved (make sure the outcome is stated in terms that

can be measured and veried).3. Set a target date or achieving the outcome.

Here are two examples o written objectives:

Objective Outcome that needs to be achieved By when

To have a checklist in place to onboard new employees by June 1, 20XX.

Objective Outcome that needs to be achieved By when

To develop managers through training to become better managers by Sept. 15, 20XX.

EXERCISE: Write your objectives in the chart below to start the process o makingyour arm an employer o choice. Two examples have been done or you to useas a guide.

Objective is to: Why do you need to accomplish this? By when?

Have a checklist in place to orient and train new employees June 1, 20XX

Develop managers through training to become better managers Sept. 15, 20XX


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Step 4: Create a to-do list

Now that you know what your objectives are, you can start creating a to-do list to ensure eachobjective is completed.

Make sure you track the progress o each objective to ensure it gets done by the due date.

EXAMPLE: Here is an example o a to-do list or the objectives you create.

OBJECTIVE #1: To have a checklist in place to orient and train new employees by June 1,20XX.

Tasks to complete objective Task Owner By when? Completed

Mike will create a new employee orientation

checklist or new employees.

Mike Jan. 30, 20XX

Jen will review the rst drat o the checklistwith other stakeholders on the arm toensure all documents are in place and keystakeholders understand their roles when anew employee is hired

Jen March 1, 20XX

Mike will nalize any changes rom Jen andle new hire checklist in company binders.

Mike May 30, 20XX

EXERCISE: Go to the Forms Appendix (at the back of this manual) for a blank form tocreate your own to-do list or each o your objectives.


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CHAPTER 2

Developing an Identityor Your Farm Business


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CHAPTER 2

Developing an Identity or YourFarm Business

Why is creating an identity and reputation or your arm important?

In marketing and advertising, your arm businesss identity and reputation is known as itsbrand.

Examples o popular brands include: Tim Hortons, John Deere and FedEx.

Throughout this chapter, well reer to this concept as identityand reputation.

Creating a marketable identity or your arm helps you build a relationship and reputation withyour customers and employees.

Your identity and reputation are key pieces to consider when recruiting potential employees.Beore you begin creating your recruiting process and strategy, its important that you know: howpeople view your arm, how they distinguish you rom other arms, and most importantly ithey would choose employment opportunities at your arm.

By creating an identity, you are building awareness o your arm. It helps people understand whatyour arm is about and sends a subtle emotional message to employees, suppliers and others. Astrong, positive identity helps you recruit and keep employees.


In this chapter, you will learn about the benets o an identity, complete an exercise to help youcreate a company prole, and start building an identity or your arm.


Youll have a company prole to use in recruiting, and in your marketing materials (ex:brochures, ads).

Creating an identity or your arm

A crucial piece of your farms identity is the message (description) you share with your suppliers,

employees, community, industry, and others.

In marketing and advertising, this message is known as your businesss boilerplate or prole. Below isan example o John Deeres prole:

Since its ounding in 1837, John Deere has seen many changes in its business, its products, and itsservices. Change always comes with opportunity. And Deere has always been ready and willingto embrace change. Yet, through it all, John Deere is still dedicated to those who are linked to theland armers and ranchers, landowners, builders, and loggers. And Deere has never outgrown, ororgotten, its ounders original core values.


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Those values determine the way we work, the quality we oer, and the unsurpassed treatment you getas a customer, investor, and employee.

Your farms prole should be about a paragraph long (three to four sentences) and should combine:

useful information (ex: product information, year founded, location)

your farms personality (ex: values, beliefs) anything that is unique about your farm

When creating your arms prole, think o:

your farms qualities or the values that are important to you

the way other people think about your farm

the way you think about your farm

the emotions and perceptions that you elicit, or want to elicit, in other people

To start your arms prole, youll nd an exercise on the next page to help you write it.

In terms o recruiting employees, a strong arm prole or description will help by allowing candidatesto recognize why they want to work for you as opposed to the farm down the road. Not only doesthis prole yield external benets it also helps you internally by aligning your identity with youremployees and the business decisions you make.

CASE STUDY: Smith Dairy Farms Inc. has always had trouble attracting employees toits arm. Jason, a second-generation dairy arm owner, always looked or employeesthe same way his ather did: by placing a generic our-line job ad in the localpaper. Unortunately, times have changed and the generic approach wont workanymore.

Jason lls out the ollowing exercise to start. Once he has a solid idea o his armsidentity, hes ready to try his luck again. To nd out how he incorporates his armsidentity into his job ad, read the case study in the ollowing section on recruiting(page 22).


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EXAMPLE: In this section o the document, youll uncover your arms identity andprole. Go to the Forms Appendix (at the back of this manual) for a blank form.

Start the process o creating your arms identity and prole by answering the questions below.

Step 1: Whats your personality?

List the ve most important words that describe your arm.

1. amily-owned

2. quality

3. respect

4. saety

5. teamwork

Step 2: What makes you dierent?

What are the things that make your arm dierent rom others? What could be said about your armthat cannot be said about another arm?

P We invite vendors to the arm to explain new processes, to make the arm more ecient.

P We hold monthly sta/amily meetings to discuss new ideas and reward sta/amily with git cards

or successully implementing those ideas on the arm.P We are environmentally conscious.

P We care or our livestock and ensure they are treated with respect.

P We have written arm processes in each barn/ shed to ensure saety and work processes are done

appropriately.


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Step 3: What are your values?

What are the values o your arm or amily?

We value:

integrity quality

a job well done eciency

saety hard work

livestock customers

the environment loyalty

amily and riends

Step 4: What promise does your arm want to make to its employees and customers?

What can your arm genuinely promise to deliver? You can phrase this section either as a slogan bystarting with We will always, or as a mission statement by starting with To..

To always provide wholesome dairy products and honest service to our customers, and a sae

environment or our sta/amily, while rewarding them or their hard work, and high levels o

customer service.

Step 5: Whats your vision or your arms uture?

What does your arm wish to be? Think BIG by asking yoursel: What do I want my arm to be known

or amous or doing?

I want my arm to be known as an environmentally-riendly arm that provides the best quality and

wholesome dairy products and service to its customers.

Step 6: Whats your arms name?

Thats your farms (business) name, or perhaps your name.

Smith Dairy Farms Inc.

Step 7: Your arms logo

I you dont already have a logo, you may wish to hire a graphic designer to draw or design a logowith a ont style and original graphic appropriate or your arm. A logo can help you create a visualidentity or your arm.


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Step 8: Farm profle

Write three to our sentences, based on the questions answered above, that describe your armsstory in an interesting way the way youd explain it to a stranger who asks you about your arm.

My parents, who owned the arm beore me, believed in providing wholesome milk to their customers

and that the key was to work as a team, create a sae workplace, and respect our environment and

livestock. In 2007, I took over the dairy arm and continue to grow the business and improve the

processes and sustainability o our amily arm.

Now that youve written your prole, you can incorporate it and the identied elements above, intoyour job postings, descriptions, etc. to make them more appealing to applicants, employees, suppliersand customers, and to show your arms identity and personality.


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CHAPTER 3

Recruiting


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CHAPTER 3

Recruiting

Why is recruitment important?How and where you nd employees directly aects the eectiveness o your team and business.

Recruitment is the process o planning, selecting, and hiring employees. The goal is to identiyand hire the most suitable employees you can nd. The process starts with a marketable armidentity and a pre-planned recruitment process and strategy.


In this chapter, you will nd steps and exercises to help you create a recruitment strategy, whichincludes identiying vacancies, creating job descriptions and determining advertising options.

Remember, recruiting requires your eort and commitment. Its an important step in the HRprocess that will help you nd great people to increase your overall protability.


Youll have the ramework or planning an eective recruitment process and strategy to nd andhire the best employees or your arm.

What is recruiting?Recruiting means becoming involved in nding and attracting employees. Finding includes seeking,sourcing and locating employees.

Many arm businesses struggle with recruiting oten believing that they cant nd good people.

Recruiting employees requires a strategy, eort and commitment. Think strategically about:

Skills needed in your farm business.

The type of person and behaviours that t best with your leadership style and the culture ofyour arm business.

What value your farm business offers a successful candidate.

Key places to advertise so you can nd the right person.

Recruiting is a proactive process versus a reactive process. In act, many arm businesses that hirereactively (i.e. when they are in a panic for labour during harvest), end up with bad hires thatultimately cost the business money.


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By hiring proactively, youll understand what job needs to be lled, the skill sets required, thepersonality attributes important or the position, and what type o person would best t with you andyour team.

How do I recruit?

Recruiting has changed in the past ew years, particularly in the arming industry. As arms continue togrow, and some rural populations decline, it may be harder to nd sta nearby with the right skills orthe job. Many o the traditional skills have become more sophisticated.

Also, todays younger generation wants to nd employment with a business that oers more than apaycheque. Use your brand statement, and the qualities that dierentiate you rom other arms, tocreate job ads that are exciting, interesting and appealing. You need to let potential employees knownot only what youre looking or, but what you can oer them.

You also need to know where to nd potential employees. The rise o social media has changed howorganizations recruit. Learning how to use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social-media sites

will help you promote your job openings and your arm. Dont ignore the growing demand andimportance o social media or recruiting.

How does recruiting work when I hire amily members?

Recruiting amily is oten easier, since you already know your amily members work ethics,personalities and behaviours.

However, when recruiting amily, you must make it clear to the amily member what job skills,expectations, and personality are required or the job, your arm business and your team. Just becausesomeone is amily, it is no guarantee that they have the skills required or that their personality will t

the arms culture.Think careully beore hiring amily members. Ensure that they t the job and culture, and that theyunderstand whats expected o them.


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The recruitment strategy

Now that youve created your arms identity, its time to develop a recruitment strategy.

EXERCISE: To develop your recruitment strategy, ollow the steps below. Go to theForms Appendix (at the back of this manual) for a blank form.

Step 1: Identiy the vacancy

Its important that employee recruitment on your arm is an ongoingprocess. I you wait to think about hiring until youre desperate or aperson to ll a position, it may result in a mediocre or bad hire.

You should be constantly analyzing your farms needs and speaking with

your employees to nd out where the employment gaps may be.Once you identiy a gap, you should either:

review your current staff, skills and workloads to see if an existing staff member could easilyll the gap

or

create a new position for a new employee

Once youve completed this orm, review your answers. Determine the positions, skills and personalitiesthat you need to hire on your arm in the next six months to a year.

1. How many people did you hire in the past year?

2. When did you hire them? Spring Summer Fall Winter

3. In terms o the hiring process, what seemed to work and not work?

What Worked? What didnt work?

TIP: Many existingemployees wouldbe open to new ordierent challenges.


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4. What are your actual, and anticipated, hiring needs or the next season?

5. Do you have any hiring needs beyond that? Are you anticipating expansions or changes in thearms structure, or an increase or decrease in production?

6. What tasks are perormed on the arm? Who is responsible or each task? Are there any tasks orwhich no one is responsible?

Task Person Responsible


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7. How much time and money do you estimate that it costs you to hire a new employee (includingadvertising, recruiting, interviewing, communicating and training)?

8. Is there any other relevant inormation that might aect your desire or ability to hire newemployees over the next year?

Step 2: Create the job description

Once youve identied whether an existing employee or new hire will take on the new job tasks, itstime to create a new job description or revise an existing one to include the new tasks.

One o the most common reasons or poor employee perormance is lack o clear expectations.Employees especially new ones dont really know or understand what you want or expect romthem, unless you tell them and put it in writing.

Benefts o job descriptions. They:

ensure that you, your family, and your management team agree on what the job is

help you identify the skills, traits and experience that you need for the job

keep you focused during the interview process to ensure you are asking the right questions,and hiring based on the skills, traits and experience needed or the job

make it clear to candidates whether they can or cant do the job

protect you from legal issues, such as disability claims

TIP: Job descriptions dont have to be long or complicated. They should be short, clear lists othe specifc responsibilities and expectations you have or each position.


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EXAMPLE: Here is an example o a completed job description:

Employee Name: Date:

JOE SMITH [Insert date]

Job Title: Supervisors Name:

DAIRY MANAGER DAN FARMER

Type o Position: Full-time Part-time Contract Seasonal

Job Description Overview:

This position is responsible or the management o the arms dairy herd, including milking, herd health andbreeding, and dairy acility cleanliness and maintenance.

Job Duties:

analyze and maintain the dairy records direct production supervise dairy employees work with the owner and oversee the daily operations, logistics, maintenance, saety and quality in

the dairy acility talk with nutritionists and veterinarians or health management o the herd hire employees, train sta, and conduct perormance evaluations ollow regulatory and company standards to ensure the arm is compliant create and review plans to increase the arms protability keep records o production and sales in an eort to make sure the dairy stays protable

Behavioural Expectations: superior communication skills

ability to organize people, equipment and acilities ability to lead and monitor employee perormance and take correct action when necessary excellent team-building skills

Education and Licensing Requirements: post-secondary degree ability to work in an automated eeding system environment record-keeping experience two to three years experience working on a dairy arm in a managerial position

Working Conditions: generally works 39 hours per week, but may be expected to work paid overtime when necessary early morning, evening and weekend work may be necessary works inside and outside during extreme weather conditions in a dusty environment

involves standing, bending, liting and carrying

Employees Signature: I have read the above inormation and understand and agree it is a description o my jobduties.

Employees Signature Date


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Step 3: Determine the most eective way to advertise the position to the appropriatecandidates

With every position, you can assess and identiy the best way o attracting and advertising or the mostqualied candidates -- those who will meet the needs o the position and your arm.

Examples o ways you can recruit candidates: advertising:

on your website or using social media (ex: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) with internal sta to let them know the position is available and to spread the word with

their friends and family (Offer staff a referral bonus if they help ll a position.) with local and industry-specic newspapers, organizations and magazines (online and

paper) in arm journals and on websites at industry trade shows and conventions with the ederal Job Bank at colleges and technical schools

reviewing applications from recent candidates who applied for work on your farm

hiring a recruitment agency to advertise the job through its network of people andadvertising websites

talking with local and retired farmers to see if they may know a possible candidate

contacting the government about new immigrants and work programs

using antenna recruiting always observing people around you and looking for peoplewho could make good employees now or in the uture

EXERCISE:Advertising Checklist

Below is a checklist to use when advertising your job openings. Go to the FormsAppendix (at the back of this manual) for a working form.

your companys website

social media

sta and amily

local community paper

local community centre (post on bulletin board and website)

local organizations (post on bulletin boards and websites)

industry trade shows

local colleges and technical schools

arm print publications

federal Job Bank (www.jobbank.gc.ca)

Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

other job-posting websites like eBrandon, Kijiji and Steinbach online


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CASE STUDY: SMITH DAIRY FARMS INC. OVERVIEW:

Jason, a second-generation dairy farm owner, recognizes that he can no longerrun the dairy arm without a manager. The arm is growing quickly and Jasonrealizes that he no longer can give detailed attention to farm processes and

procedures to maintain a sustainable and protable arm.Jason and his wie own the arm, and they have two small boys under the age o 10. Jasonemploys one armhand to help with the daily tasks. Jason doesnt have anyone with enough dairyarm experience to ulll a management role; he knows it will be cheaper to hire a person with twoto three years experience rather than someone with ve years or more.

Jason, his wife, and farm hand ll out a blank job description (page 23) based on the requirementsthey need or the position. Ater completing it, they create a recruiting strategy aimed at hiring ayounger, less experienced, dairy arm manager. The strategy includes buying ads on Facebook(www.facebook.com/ advertising) to advertise the position to this young target audience, postingthe job on Monster.ca website, and putting up posters in local stores, halls and colleges/universities

with agriculture programs.

They use the job description to create a compelling job posting that identies the job requirements,gives candidates an understanding o the arms culture, and refects the identity or personality otheir arm.

DAIRY FARM MANAGER JOB AD:

Welcome to our arm. Welcome to our amily.

Smith Dairy Farm seeks experienced dairy arm manager.

Smith Dairy Farm is a progressive, well-established, second-generationarm in the Steinbach area. We believe the key to success is working asa team, creating a sae workplace, respecting the environment and ourlivestock, and rewarding employees or their hard work and loyalty.

We are looking for a Dairy Farm Manager to join our team. In this role, you will analyze andmaintain our dairy records and help oversee the daily operations, such as eeding livestock,milking and cleaning.

Skills: Strong verbal communication skills and the ability to work independently and with a team.

Experience:An Ag. degree and two to three years experience working in a similar role.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday Friday). Some overtime required.We hope to hear rom you soon.

To apply, please email your resume to [email protected].


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You may also want to create an application orm or applicants who drop by to apply, or dont have aresume, to ensure that your key questions are answered.

EXAMPLE: Here is an example o a blank application orm. Go to the FormsAppendix (at the back of this manual) for a blank form.

Applicant name: Date o application:

Position applying or: Type o position:

[ ] Full-time [ ] Part-time [ ] Contract [ ] Seasonal

Address: Phone:

Education: List your education, certicates or special training:

Institution Attended Diploma or Certifcate Year Received or Grades Completed

Work Experience: Do you have experience in any o the ollowing?

Feeding Cattle (Dairy) Tractor - Type: ___________________________________________

Dairy Tanks Milk Processing Equipment - Type: ___________________________

Do you have your drivers licence: No Yes Class: 1 2 3 4 5 (Circle one.)

Work History: List previous employers for the past 10 years (beginning with the most recent):

Employer Name Job Title Dates Worked

Reerences: Please provide three work-related reerences that we can contact.

Name Phone Number Relationship

Additional Comments:

To the best o my knowledge, the above inormation is correct.


I you wish, you can attach your resume to this orm.


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CHAPTER 4

Hiring


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CHAPTER 4

Hiring

Why is hiring important?There are ew things in business that are more important than hiring the right people. Some saythat without the right people, no amount o money can make a business succeed. Likewise, yourarm depends on qualied sta to make it run smoothly.

Dont ignore the importance o ollowing all the steps in the hiring process. Ignoring steps in theprocess can lead to a bad hire.


This chapter outlines a step-by-step process, including who on your arm is involved in the hiring

process, reviewing applications, short listing and interviewing candidates, and making the nalhiring decision.

Itll help you understand how to create a hiring process.


When youre nished, youll have taken the rst steps toward creating an eective hiring processthat allows you to select the right and most qualied candidate or the job.

What is hiring?

Hiring sounds easy, yet its one o the most dicult decisions that business owners make.

Traditionally, arm businesses simply hired someone that another armer recommended. It was quickand easy no need to go through applications or interviews. However, it was also common or theindividual hired to have had little or no experience, which led to trouble later on.

When you make a mistake hiring someone who cant do the job, or wont do the job the way youwant, the cost to your arm, you, and your amily is incredibly high. Your stress level increases andyour protability decreases. You are no longer ocused on running your business, but rather, on

ensuring the bad hire isnt making mistakes or causing problems.An employee is there to add value to your arm business. A bad hire impacts your business bottomline, sta morale, equipment and assets.

In order to avoid a bad hire and risk making a decision that could potentially cost you money andstress, you should implement a standard process or hiring.


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The process doesnt need to be tedious or involve more work, but rather, help you pick the best personor the job and your business.

To create a hiring process, ollow these our simple steps:

1. Establish who on your arm should be involved in shortlisting and interviewing candidates.

2. Review the applications.3. Shortlist applicants.

4. Interview.

Detailed inormation about these steps is included on the ollowing pages.

Hiring amily employees?

You should ollow the same hiring process you use when hiring a non-amily member, to ensure they tyour arm business beore you hire them. Does this person have the skills and behaviours that my armbusiness needs? Can he or she do the job? Does he or she have the same values and behaviours as the

arms culture?

A our-step hiring process

In Chapter 3 (Recruiting), you learned how and where to get candidates to apply for jobs.

Now, well look at taking the next steps in the process: selecting and hiring the right candidate romall o the applications youve received.

Step 1: Establish who rom your arm should be involved in shortlisting and interviewingcandidates

As the owner, you may not always be involved in the day-to-day activities o each job. Determine whowill be, and include these people in shortlisting and interviewing the candidates. I sta are involved inhiring, it can make them more accountable or the new hires success.

For example:

If the position is for a general labourer, perhaps the farm owner and positions supervisorneed to be involved.

If the position is for a farm manager, perhaps the farm owner and family need to beinvolved.

Make sure each person involved in any step o the hiring process:

has a copy of the job description

understands the positions role and accountabilities

understands the selection criteria

Also, ensure that you designate associated tasks to a sta member, including receiving resumes,reviewing the applications, shortlisting, pre-screening and interviewing.


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Step 2: Review the applications

You can start the review process in two ways:

1. You can have a ormal discussion with sta who are directly involved in hiring or theposition.

2. You can distribute a older, containing copies o the applications and resumes, to eachperson involved in the selection process.

We recommend that you review all o the applications at the same time, so you can compare them.Also, have a list o what the job requires to ensure an applicant ts the position. Its easy to get excitedabout an applicant who has hobbies and characteristics similar to yours. However, you need to ensurehe or she also has the skills to ll the position.

Step 3: Shortlist the candidates

Ater reviewing the eedback either as a group or with the person in charge o hiring you canshortlist the candidates you wish to interview. Select two to three o the best candidates or eachposition.

Step 4: The interview process

Now that youve shortlisted the candidates, you can start the interview process.

Some common mistakes arm owners make when interviewing are:

talking too much or not asking enough or the right questions Remember the 80/20 rule the candidate should be talking 80 per cent o the time andyou should be talking 20 per cent o the time.

Interviewing at the kitchen table, coffee shop or machine shed This may eel more comortable, but it isnt eective. The casual nature o the discussionmay result in not asking the right questions and getting caught up in small talk.

Pre-screen Interviews

To save yoursel time, start the hiring process with a pre-screen phone interview. This can be a ve-to-10-minute discussion. Ask questions such as:

Why are you interested in the job?

What do you know about our farm?

Why are you no longer at your last job, or why do you want to change jobs?

What type of manager do you like to work for?


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CASE STUDY: Below is an example o what can happen when you dont use a pre-screen interview:

Sara just graduated rom high school and heard about a job at the Wilson arm.The arm is located only 10 miles rom her home. Sara was thrilled that the arm was

close to her home, and that the position would provide on-the-job training she needsor a career in arm management.

However, she missed the line in the job ad that said the Wilson arm was onlylooking or an employee or a two-month contract, not a permanent position.

Sara scheduled an appointment with the Wilsons and prepared or the interview.She entered the interview hoping or a new job, only to be disappointed when shelearned that the position was short-term.

The Wilsons were disappointed that they wasted their time interviewing a candidatelooking or another kind o position.

A pre-screen interview would have saved a lot o time and a disappointedcandidate.

In-person Interviews

Ater completing the pre-screen interviews and nding a number o candidates you wish to meet inperson (and who remain interested in the job), you can start the in-person interview process.

Here are our tips when interviewing candidates in person:

TIP #1: The interview should last no longer than an hour.

TIP #2: Plan or the interview and organize it beore it begins. Have the job description andinterview questions written down and ready to reerence. Use behavioural-based questions duringthe interview.

You are in the agriculture business, not in human resources, so its especially important to spend timeplanning and preparing or interviews.

What are behavioural-based interview questions?

Behavioural-based interviewing helps you better understand a candidates experience and behaviouralstyle the way they do things. Behavioral-based interview questions reveal to you how a candidateacted in the past, which is a predictor o how he or she will act in the uture. With behavioral-based

questions, not only do you hear what the candidate has accomplished, but also how the candidatewent about accomplishing it. These questions also help you understand how candidates react, thinkand behave.


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EXAMPLE: Below is an example to help you understand the dierence between non-behavioural-based interview questions and behavioural-based interview questions.Go to the Forms Appendix (at the back of this manual) for an example list ofquestions.

Non behavioural-based interview question:

Interviewer: On our arm, we need to get things done and tend to multitask all thetime. Are you able to multitask?

Candidate: Yes, I am.

Outcome: Not only is this a close-ended question, but the interviewer doesnt ask thecandidate or an example o past behaviour.

Behavioural-based interview question:

Interviewer: Can you give me an example o a time when you had to do a lot omultitasking?

Candidate: I remember in my last job when I had to repair two pieces o equipmentand then my boss asked me to drive into town and get some supplies he needed.

Interviewer: How did you handle the extra request?

Candidate: I did what my boss told me and then I did everything else. It was a toughday and I didnt like the extra task. I just wanted to ocus on the repairs.

Outcome: This candidate has given you a real-lie experience in which multitaskingseemed challenging. From the response, this person may like to stay ocused on one

task at a time.

Creating behavioural-based questions

When creating behavioural-based interview questions, its important to consider the corecompetencies o the position. Core competencies o a job are the behaviours, skills and knowledge aperson needs to have to be successul in the job.

The phrasing o behavioural-based questions is key. Typical behavioural-based questions might startout with: Tell me about a time or Describe a situation This structure encourages the candidateto think about a real-lie situation that will demonstrate the ability that youre looking or.

Weve included a sample list o behavioural-based questions in the Forms Appendix section.TIP 3: I you are interviewing more than one person, ask each candidate the same questions andtake notes (or have one o your sta/amily take notes), or create a orm, like the one on the nextpage, which allows you to quickly rate each answer during or immediately ater the interview.


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EXAMPLE: Sample interview question and rating orm. Go to the Forms Appendix(at the back of this manual) for a blank form.

Candidate name: Date:

Position being Interviewed or: Interview completed by:

Ratings: Write one question on each line. Ater the candidate has answered the question, please rate the answerby circling number one, two or three.

Rating Number Description

1 Vague answer; no examples; wasnt specic; has no experience.

2 Strong answer; provided examples; directly answered the question; has some experience.

3 Exceptional answer; provided strong examples; directly answered the question; lots oexperience and talent.

Candidate Interview Questions:

Question RatingRating

(Circle One based onthe descriptions above)

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

1 2 3

TOTAL

NOTES: Please add any comments or eedback that you would like to share about this candidate:


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TIP #4: Dont make on-the-spot hiring decisions even i an interview went extremely well. Youneed to allow yoursel time to reect on the candidates beore you make a decision. The candidatealso needs time to reect on the interview and consider whether the job is right or him or her.

Youll also need to check reerences to ensure the accuracy o the candidates statements. I thecandidate provides no reerences on his or her resume, be sure to ask or the names and titles o atleast three work-related reerences at the end o the interview.

When you call the reerences, it helps to have a reerence orm to guide your questions and record theanswers, like the one below.

EXAMPLE: Below is a sample o a blank reerence orm. Go to the Forms Appendix(at the back of this manual) for a blank form.

Applicant Inormation

Candidate: Date o Reerence:

Position applied or: Reerence check conducted by:

Reerence Inormation

Reerence provided by: Company:

Current title: Working relationship with candidate: Phone:

Previous Job Inormation or Applicant

Dates worked withprevious employer:

Reasons or leaving:

Job title:


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Reerence Check Questions:

1. How would you describe the applicant in the following areas (rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 beingthe strongest):

Question Rating Notes

Attendance

Reliability

Interpersonal Skills

Verbal/Written Communication Skills

Sense o Urgency/Initiative

Ability to Deal with Stress

Time Management

Meeting Deadlines

Customer Service (Internal & External)

2. What were the major areas o the applicants job responsibility?

3. What were the main strengths o the applicant?

4. Were there any job areas requiring improvement?

5. What level o supervision did the applicant require?

6. How did the applicant get along with co-workers? For example: Was he/she a team player or did he/shepreer to work independently?

7. Would you re-hire this person?

Additional Comments:

TIP: You may also consider other orms o interview assessments and tests or the candidate beoreyou hire them, including skills and aptitude tests (having the candidate demonstrate skills in person,such as driving the combine).


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Step 5: Make a written oer o employment to the candidate

So, ater youve interviewed, completed testing or the position, and checked the candidates reerences,youre ready to put the oer in writing. You should write the letter o oer and either email or mail it tothe candidate or schedule a time or him or her to come to your oce to review it and sign.

Make certain that you meet all legal requirements. Ignorance is no deence when it comes to labourlaws, so be certain that you have an up-to-date copy o your provinces employment regulations, whichyou can nd online.

EXAMPLE: Below is a blank sample o a Letter o Oer:

[INSERT DATE]

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

[INSERT NAME]

[INSERT ADDRESS][INSERT CITY, PROV., POSTAL CODE]

Dear [INSERT NAME]:

Im pleased to oer you the position o [insert job title] with [insert name o business], starting [start dateo job]. Youll be reporting to [insert name o supervisor ].

The below sets out the terms o your employment with [insert name o business]:

Compensation: Your hourly salary will be [insert salary amount].

Vacation: You will be entitled to [insert number o vacation weeks ex: two] per year ater the completiono one year o employment with [insert name o business], in addition to the usual paid general holidaysobserved by the company. Future vacation entitlement will ollow provincial employment standards

legislation.Probation:You will be on probation for a period of [insert number of months] month(s). While you areon probation, and subject to employment standards legislation, either [insert business name] or youmay terminate your employment without notice or cause. During this probationary period we will reviewwhether you are able to meet the requirements o the job and i you are compatible with the company.

Please indicate your acceptance o this oer in the space provided and return a signed copy to myattention. A copy is provided or your les.

We look orward to working with you on our team and i there are any questions, please dont hesitate tocontact me.

Yours truly,

[Insert owner name, Name o Business]

My signature conrms that I accept this oer o employment and I had the opportunity to obtain legalor other advice, understand the employment terms and conditions, and accept them voluntarily withoutpressure.



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CHAPTER 5

New EmployeeOrientation and Training


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CHAPTER 5

New Employee Orientation and Training

Why do we need new employee orientation and training?Employees who start o on the right oot tend to be happier, more productive, and stay withyour business longer.

The rst ew weeks on the job are a very important time or new employees to adapt, eelwelcome, and get educated about your business and their new job responsibilities.

New employee orientation is the way new employees learn the knowledge, skills, andbehaviours to become eective and productive workers. It allows a new employee to quicklyeel connected to the people and culture o your arm business. The sooner employeesunderstand whats expected o them, what they need to know, and where to go or help

the quicker theyll become productive.Your new employee orientation and training process should cover all aspects o jobresponsibilities, people, policies, and procedures to ease employees into the job and makethem eel comortable and condent. It should also help new employees to:

know the purpose of the job and what to do

understand the processes involved and what you expect of them

know where to go for assistance

know how to do the job safely and correctly

Dont assume that the new employee knows everything you know about the job, arm,process and culture.

Use common sense when doing new employee orientation and training and consider whatyou would like to know i you started a new job. Something as simple as showing the newemployee where he or she can eat lunch can remove stress and increase production earlier.


This chapter will help you understand and create a specic orientation process and trainingplan or your arm business. Weve also included a new employee orientation checklistto make sure youve covered the bases in the Forms Appendix section at the back o thismanual.


Youll have a new employee orientation process and conrmation checklist, so that newemployees have what they need to start their job o with ease rom orms that need to becompleted to co-worker introductions and job responsibilities. Ultimately, youll have high-perorming sta, who can quickly and directly make a positive impact to the bottom line oyour arm business.


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What is new employee orientation and training?

Orientation and training helps you incorporate new employees into the culture o your arm business,so they can become more productive on your arm and in their jobs. It also creates a aster employeeROI (return on investment), also known as return on individual. The time you put in now to orient andtrain your employee will be returned in how quickly the employee can become a productive worker.

Orientation and training also helps your new employees work smarter and saer. When an employeecant work due to an accident, it can cost you money, time, and stress. When employees are trainedto perorm their jobs in the correct manner rom the beginning o their employment, they will have lessrustration, better morale, higher productivity and saety.

How do new employees eel when they arrive at your arm to beginwork?

New employees will probably have a desire to succeed and be anxious about working in a newenvironment. A strong new employee orientation and training program will show them theyve made

the right decision to work on your arm.

Remember new employees can orm opinions about their employer early, so its important theirimmediate experiences be positive. Many new employees are reluctant to ask too many questionsor ear o looking stupid. New employee orientation and training helps you address questions anduncertainties that they may have, but may be araid to ask, like:

Questions Your orientation responsibility Outcome

Will I like working on thisarm?

Set a warm and welcomingtone, and spend time with thenew employee on the rst day.

Youll boost the newemployees condence andbelie that he or she made the

right decision to work or you.

What exactly will I be doingand what is expected romme?

Show work procedures andequipment, discuss saetyprotocols, review the jobdescription and clariy the newemployees areas o ocus.

Youll show a conrmedcommitment to the newemployees well-being, yourfarms organization, andclear job and perormanceexpectations.

Who else works in the armbusiness, how do I t in, and

are there any amily membersworking on the arm?

Introduce the new employeeto sta, including amily, and

review your organizationalchart to explain therelationships among stamembers.

Youll help produce amotivated new employee, who

understands where he or shets in and who has a sense ocommunity.


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Questions Your orientation responsibility Outcome

Who is my real boss and whodo I take instruction rom?

Conrm the new employeesimmediate supervisor anddiscuss job priorities with the

supervisor present.

The new employee has clarityabout the job, supervisor, andjob priorities.

What are my work hours andwhen and where can I takelunch breaks?

Explain work schedules,including hours, overtime,lunch and coee breaks andtime o.

The new employee has clarityabout work hours and timeo.

Other questions may include:

What are the rules and how do we do things around here?

How stressful do things get?

Who do I go to if I need help or have questions?

How will I know if I am doing a good or bad job?

What are the hours during peak and non-peak season?

Who do I call if something breaks down, or should I try and x it?

When and how do I get paid?

TIP: Try not to hire at the peak o your busy season so that you have more time and patience toprovide proper orientation and training.

Planning your new employee orientation and training program

Careully plan your orientation and training program so that it suits your arm business. An orientationand training program is a powerul tool that ensures your new hires clearly understand yourexpectations and eel a sense o pride in being part o your team.

Orientation and training vary in length. Seasonal workers may only require a hal days training, whilea ull-time manager may require weeks or months to learn the job and business. As weve mentioned,be sure to create a program that provides a great rst impression and helps new employees be

productive and successul quickly.

Orientation and training tips:

1. Use a new employee orientation checklist to ensure you dont forget anything (weveincluded an example in the Forms Appendix its important to customize this checklist foryour farm business).

2. Explain how and why a particular task is perormed.


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3. Demonstrate the correct way o perorming a task. Review the task at a normal pace andrepeat it at a slower pace, pointing out the various steps along the way, and answeringquestions.

4. Point out potential hazards associated with the job and ensure you explain saetyprocedures and regulations. Check to make sure the new employee understands them.

5. Have the new employee perorm the task while you watch.

6. Check in with the new employee oten or the rst ew days or weeks.

7. Consider having someone interpret your orientation and training i you hire employeeswho may not speak English as a rst language.

You may also want to have a welcome get-together on the employees rst day. Something quick andsimple coee and introductions goes a long way toward making a new employee eel welcome.

Creating a training plan

Although you may hire employees who are already experienced in the position, they will still needtraining to do the tasks to your standards and expectations.

When creating the training plan or your new employee orientation and training program, you shouldconsider:

1. the specic tasks or the position

2. whether the tasks are better taught with an explanation or a demonstration

3. the time required to teach each task

4. what result the employee is trying to achieve by perorming the task, what impact that taskhas on the arm business and other positions, and why its important

5. incorporating a measurement to ensure the employee understands and can perorm thetask (for instance, you may want the new employee to perform the task while you watch)

You can use this step-by-step process to train an employee on a job task:

1. Get ready. Prepare employees by explaining what you plan to teach, including why the task or skillis important. Remember to outline possible hazards, safety procedures, or regulations theyneed to know about when doing this task.

2. Explain. Explain the task and break it down into steps, i possible.

3. Demonstrate. Show exactly how the task should be done by demonstrating it in ront o them. Makesure you involve them by asking questions and getting eedback.

4. Repeat. Ask new employees to explain the process back to you to ensure they understand it.

5. Confrm. Ask employees to perorm the task while you watch.


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When you have implemented a new employee orientation and training plan, youll see the immediateand long-term results, including less time spent supervising, ewer errors and breakdowns, andincreased productivity.

Is orientation and training necessary when I hire amily?

A ormal orientation process, regardless o whether the employee is amily, welcomes new employeesand gives them a sense o value, which allows them to t into the culture o the arm business. Whenyoure hiring a amily member, it might also clariy to that person, and other employees, that the amilymember will be treated the same way as all employees and will not receive special privileges.

CASE STUDY: Conir Farms in southwest Manitoba hired Carlos or a ew months tohelp out with the all harvest.

Peter, the owner o Conir Farms, didnt do a new-employee orientation, since Carloswould only be with the arm or a ew months, and had already worked at a nearby

arm or a couple o years.

Carlos rst day on the job was rantic the arm had already started harvesting.Within ve minutes, Peter told him to jump into the truck and haul grain to the binson the south arm. Carlos couldnt nd the south arm and had no one to ask. Hedrove around or 30 minutes until he ound it, but then wasnt sure what to do whenhe got there.

As the day continued, Carlos elt conused, stressed and inadequate. He struggledthrough the day and made many mistakes. At the end o the day, Carlos told Peterthat he wouldnt return to work the next day: his rst day on the job would be his last

day on the job.What could Peter have done dierently?


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CHAPTER 6

Communication


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CHAPTER 6

Communication

Why do you need to provide communication and eedback toyour employees?

Everyone on the arm owners, amily, managers and employees should commit tomaking eective communication a priority.

Constant and eective two-way communication with your sta should be one o your corevalues its the best way to ensure your arm is moving orward toward its goals and thateveryone is onboard. It is a common mistake that strong communications get set asideduring busy production seasons; however, during these times, it should be a priority.Eective communication allows workers on the arm to be higher perormers who worktogether, are happier, and work saer.

Simply put, no communication or eedback can harm your arm business. Like anyrelationship, communication is key to making it stronger. No matter what size your farmbusiness, you need to let your employees know whats happening on the arm, how theyredoing and any processes and procedures that may change or be put in place.

Likewise, eedback must be built into the process. Whether you agree with the eedback ornot, it will provide you with insight into how your sta is eeling, and or them to know thatyou care enough to listen.

Communicating will allow you and your employees to be on the same page, and reach yourbusiness goals that much aster.


This chapter contains a Q&A to help you understand your communication style and whetheryoure an eective communicator, and tips on how to implement communication andeedback techniques into your arm business.


You will have improved communication skills and new ways to introduce eectivecommunication on your arm.


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What is communication?

Communication is the sharing o ideas and inormation. Its an essential part o work and lie and, attimes, its not easy to do. Dierences in peoples personalities, communication styles and skills can playa part in how well we communicate with each other.

Being an eective communicator starts with an understanding o how you communicate. Below is a listo communication skills to think about and work on:

1. Message: Know what message you want to communicate. Organize your thoughts so thatyour message will be clear and easy to understand. Unorganized thoughts can lead tomisunderstandings and be conusing to the listener.

2. Plan: Important conversations should be planned. When planning a conversation,think about the dierent scenarios, reactions and outcomes that can occur and also thepersonality and behaviour o the person you will be communicating with. Plan what youwill say and do with each reaction, and prepare a solution or each reaction, so that youknow beorehand how you will respond.

3. Body Language: Non-verbal signals (body language) play a signicant role incommunication. Your acial expression, posture and gestures directly impact your message.Your body language should be aligned with your words in order or your communicationto be clear.

4. Positive language and tone: Stay positive during the conversation. Negative statementsoten elicit a negative reaction, while positive statements oten elicit a positive response.

5. Listening: Its very important that you listen to what the other person has to say.

Sometimes, the hardest part o good communication is listening. You have a million things you needto take care o and its hard to concentrate on the conversation. Below are some tips to help you listenbetter during a conversation:

Concentrate on what the other person has to say.

Listen for content and emotion to understand the entire message.

Maintain steady eye contact so the other person knows they have your attention.

Provide feedback to conrm your understanding of what they are saying.

Stay patient.

Acknowledge feelings that are important to the message youre hearing.

Listen without passing judgment and dont rush in to give advice.

Communicate with respect in every interaction regardless of whether you like the

person or not. Focus on issues, not personalities, when you discuss work matters and problems.


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Somethings gone amiss miscommunication

Good communication is essential to maintaining an ecient arm business, but miscommunications canhappen at any workplace.

An example o a simple miscommunication:You tell your arm hand on a Monday, Ill meet you in the barn at 3 p.m. next Wednesday to x thetractor. By next Wednesday, you meant this week, but your employee assumed it was next week.

This is a simple miscommunication. Beore you place blame, talk to the employee rst to nd out whathappened and to clariy the situation. You should also encourage your employees to ask questionsi they dont ully understand something because anyone is capable o being unclear and/ormisunderstanding something someone has said.

Here are ways to prevent miscommunications:

1. Take responsibility or your communications. Make sure the message or instructions you

communicate to an employee include all o the appropriate inormation. I the message iscomplicated, consider writing it down. Ask your employee i he or she understands or hasany questions.

2. Match your message to your listeners communication style. Observe the person you arespeaking with, respond to cues (like facial expressions), and adjust your communicationstyle accordingly.

3. Handle a misunderstanding immediately. I you discover that theres been amiscommunication, make sure you act immediately to correct it.

Its important that you look into the situation rst, beore placing blame on an employee. Oten, ittakes two to have a miscommunication. Speak with the employee to clariy what happened and, i

miscommunications become a regular occurrence, its time to ollow up with written instructions.

TIP: Make sure that when communicating with employees who speak English as a secondlanguage, you ask them i they need clarifcation o words or phrases that youve used in yourinstructions. As well, ollow visual cues, like acial expressions, to ensure understanding. Youmay need to speak with a translator i theres a signifcant language barrier.

How do I communicate with a amily member?

Everyone, including amily members, requires inormation in order to do his or her job well. Whencommunicating with amily members who are employees, be patient, understand their communicationstyle, and communicate the same inormation that you would to a non-amily member.

You can use all the tips in this chapter when communicating with amily at work.


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Whats your communication style?

Part o eective communication is understanding your communication style. Below is a chart o the ourmost popular communication styles.

Read through the chart and select which communication style ts you. Think about the people you work

with and select their communication style and read how best to communicate with them.

STYLE DESC. TRAITS COMMUNICATE BY

DRIVER Do it Direct and to the point Decisive Focused Condent Task oriented

Tell Drivers what you want,the result you need and letthem decide how to get itdone. Let them control theirwork.

CONTRIBUTOR The idea

is...

Supportive

Easygoing and laid-back Listens before speaking Slow to initiate, but will

oten accept change Likes to follow the team

and contribute

Dont rush the discussion,

and come up with ideas andsolutions together.

SOCIALIZER Lets talk overcoee

Talkative Likes socializing Keen and eager Very approachable and

oten liked by most Known for organizing

social events and teamgatherings

What others think othem is important Startconversations with small talkand talk about how their jobaects others and the team.

INVESTIGATOR Put a detailedplan together

Analytical and detailoriented

Cautious They like to review details

or research beore making

nal decisions High standards Risk-adverse

Provide a lot o detail andallow time or processingand analyzing thoughts andideas. Be patient when theyask questions.


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Ways to implement communication on your arm

Even small businesses need structured and regular ways to share important inormation that may aectemployees. Below are ve ways or you to implement communications into your arm:

MOST IMPORTANT: SCHEDULE STAFF MEETINGS WITH AN AGENDA

Meetings allow you to communicate directly to the arm sta and get eedback immediately. It alsocreates a strong team that can be more positive, better able to deal with interpersonal issues andbrainstorm ideas or overcome roadblocks.

I you have just one employee or amily member working on the arm with you, there are enoughpeople to have a meeting.

Remember, meetings dont need to be long.

Eective meetings:

Improve overall communication by offering staff a regular chance to participate.

Increase morale by helping staff to feel involved and connected.

Ensure focus by setting priorities.

Increase farm efciencies by making sure everyone is on the same page.

Ensure you create an agenda beore the meeting and, i possible, distribute or post it beore themeeting to allow employees to prepare any questions or discussion points they may have. You mayalso wish to invite sta to add items to the agenda beore the meeting.

EXAMPLE: Below is a sample o a meeting agenda:

AGENDA

DATE:January 12, 20XX LOCATION: Barn oce

TIME AGENDA ITEM WHO

8 a.m. General arm update (new processes and procedures) John

8:10 a.m. New equipment and maintenance issues Roger

8:20 a.m. New ence project update Mary

8:25 a.m. Weekly priorities John


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Other Eective Tools to Consider

BULLETIN BOARD

Create a bulletin board to hang in your main oce, barn, etc. Make sure it is regularlyupdated with inormation about the arm, employee news and any new or updated

processes and procedures.To organize the board, you can section it into four sections (quadrants) and have eachsection represent a dierent topic.

I youre technologically savvy, you can also create a bulletin board online, using a simpleblog interace, like Blogger or WordPress.

MEMOS

A memo is still an eective way to communicate with sta especially on a arm whereemail may not be commonplace. Prepare a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly memo that isdistributed to all arm employees and amily. You can also include the memo with youremployees paycheques.

FARM POST OFFICE

Setup a post oce on your arm. Find an area to set up mailboxes or slots one or eachemployee. Ensure that you set it up somewhere your employees or amily visit daily. Youcan update your workers about arm matters by delivering inormation to their mailboxes.As part o this process, you might want to set up a mailbox where sta can leave youanonymous comments (like a suggestion box).

EMAIL / TEXT MESSAGES

Not every business has the luxury o mobile email or text messaging, but i you do, you can

update and communicate with employees through these devices.Remember to always give the email or text message a consistent subject line (ex: farmupdates), so employees know its a communication coming from you about the farm. Alsoconsider the time o day when you send the message. Generally, employees will appreciategetting text messages more during working hours than late at night.

Summary:While any o these methods can help improve communication, in-person meetings areone o the most important things you can do to communicate with your sta. Meetings give sta anopportunity to talk with you directly, ask questions, and clariy and resolve issues on the spot.

You can mix and match all o these methods, as needed, to create a complete communication program

and process or your arm. As always keep doing what works best, amend your communicationsprocess based on your own observations, and ask sta to weigh in i youre not sure.


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What type o communicator are you?

Communication starts rom the top down, and allows or eedback. Its one o the most important skillsa manager or owner can have. Its hard to be a leader and ulll the goals o your arm business iyou cant communicate your vision, and your sta cant be motivated i they dont understand whatyou want.

TIP: Eective communication allows workers on the arm to be higher perormers who worktogether, are happier, and work saer.

EXERCISE: Below is an exercise to help identiy areas or improvement in yourworkplace communication. Go to the Forms Appendix (at the back of this manual)or blank orm.

From the list o the ve statements below, cho

hr binder web (1)

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