Mind Your Farm Business — Ep. 20: Attracting and Retaining Employees

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As Canadian farms continue to grow, so does the need for talented employees who can help farmers reach their business goals.

But how do you find and attract these individuals? And once you have them in your employ, how do you keep them?

Lynn Perry
Human Resource Consultant Lynn Perry says farmers need to understand their business goals to ensure they’re hiring the right employees. They also have to communicate effectively, set work expectations, provide timely feedback and performance reviews, and say ‘thank you.’

Human resource consultant Lynn Perry joins us for episode 20 of the Mind Your Farm Business podcast. Perry, who operates Integrity Human Resources Services, and RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin take a close look at what farmers can do to attract and retain top talent.

“To attract the right candidates, they must understand their business goals inside and outside of daily operations,” says Perry. “It’s through really understanding the needs of their business that they are best equipped to determine what kinds of people they need to get it all done.”

For farmers seeking to better understand their business goals and employment needs, Perry recommends they invest some time in the Agri-Food Management Institute’s ‘Business Scorecard’, an online farm business assessment tool.

Perry also emphasizes the importance of effective employee management. “People don’t leave work, people leave managers,” says Perry who notes that paying top-dollar doesn’t automatically attract skilled people who are committed to helping you reach your farm business objectives.

Hiring success also includes knowing how to connect with potential employees, strong communication skills, setting expectations, effective performance reviews and the ability to say ‘thank you.’

Disclaimer: Royal Bank of Canada and its subsidiaries are not responsible for the information provided in this podcast, and this information does not necessarily reflect the views of Royal Bank of Canada or any of its subsidiaries. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its subsidiaries.

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