When you think about acing an interview, you probably picture yourself as the interviewee. However, finding quality employees is one of the biggest challenges farmers and farm mangers face, so perhaps it’s time to focus on acing your interview process.
A good employee does more than just show up for a paycheck, they have a personal stake in the success of whatever part of the farm they’re involved in. Don’t just ask surface-level questions, dive deep to find out what kind of employee each applicant will be.
“Essentially you want the candidate to answer three big umbrella questions,” says Whitney Kinne, career coach located in southern Missouri. “And when you address the big questions, you can identify ‘micro’ questions within each of these categories.”
Kinne offers a few baseline questions you should ask in every interview as well as a few follow-up questions as to why these questions are critical:
- İşi yapmak için gerekli becerilere sahip misiniz? Yoksa kolayca öğrenebilir misin?
- While it might be easy to teach someone to throw hay bales, some tractors and other job requirements might be trickier. What should the candidate already know how to do or what are you willing to take the time to teach?
- Bu kişi gerçekten bu işi yapmak istiyor mu? Motivasyonları nedir?
- Maaş çeki istemek iyidir, ancak birinin işe gelmesinin tek nedeni bu olamaz. Neden bu iş? Neden bu çiftlik? Kariyerlerinin geleceği için hedefleri neler ve bu çiftlikle nasıl örtüşüyor?
- Aday, mevcut ekibimize iyi uyum sağlayacak mı? Doğru rol bu mu?
- A lot of this comes down to personalities. Will this person fit in well? Are they willing to take constructive criticism? Is there a better place for them on the farm than the position they’re interviewing for?
Before you post
Make sure you do your homework before bringing candidates in for interviews — the good ones will have deep questions and you need to be prepared with answers. Make sure the job you’re hiring for meets the current needs of the operation and be ready to prioritize what responsibilities are most important.
Iowa Eyalet Uzantısı çiftliği ve tarımsal işletme yönetimi uzmanı Melissa O'Rourke, "Bir yardım aranıyor duyurusu yayınlamadan önce yazılı bir pozisyon açıklaması oluşturun" diyor. "Bu yeni çalışandan beklenen tüm farklı görevlerin bir listesini yapın."
Explain both physical requirements as well as previous training the individual will need. If a CDL is required, note that in your call for applicants. While you don’t have to mention it in the job description, know what pay you can provide as well as any additional benefits such as sick days, vacation and health care.
“Be sure to request references from job applicants,” O’Rourke adds. This could be the easiest way to weed out the good from the bad.