Industry insight
Dairy farming is changing rapidly, driven by environmental issues, new technologies, the demand for increased productivity and efficiency, and global competition. Consequently, farmers have responded by changing their farm management practices at an increasing rate. The type of work done on farms and the expectations on staff are also changing in response to the new operating environment.
Many farm businesses no longer just rely on staff learning on the job. They now offer their staff training both on and off the farm so that they learn faster and meet the performance standards expected by the farm business.
There is strong competition for available labour in the current, mobile and discerning Australian workforce. When choosing a job, employees rate highly those employers who value their staff, make them feel a part of the business, and provide them with training and development opportunities.
Labour is important for all dairy farming businesses and like all other farm investments it must be productive and provide lifestyle and/or financial benefits to the business to justify its cost. However, to achieve optimum performance, like any other investment, it needs to be regularly reviewed, repaired or renovated, if needed, and maintained. Staff appraisals and the consequent actions, such as skills development and reward and recognition, perform this role in the modern dairy business.
Those employers who pause to review how things are going for everyone on the farm have a very powerful tool for motivating staff and encouraging their commitment to the business. Many successful dairy business owners greatly value the review process and have indicated that it has contributed to their successful management of on-farm change.
Sylvia Vagg
Manager Educational Development
National Centre for Dairy Education Australia
Introduction
A regular discussion to review performance and plan future tasks with each person who works on the farm – including family members, sharefarmers, employees and contractors – helps improve farm profitability and job satisfaction.
Such a discussion between an individual and his or her manager commonly takes the form of a performance appraisal.
Performance appraisals are a powerful mechanism for ensuring the tasks and responsibilities of each person on the farm contributes to the goals of the business. And equally importantly they improve the likelihood of farms retaining the people they need by regularly checking that expectations of all parties match, and ensuring people have a good work-life balance and stimulating and rewarding jobs.
The process enables individuals to clearly understand what part they play in achieving the farm vision and gives them some control – input into planning their work and influencing some of the farm-related decisions. People are more productive, enthusiastic and committed when they are involved in the planning and not just controlled from the ‘top down’.
This module describes how to have an ongoing strategy for discussing and improving the performance of individuals, recognising and rewarding good performance, identifying opportunities for career and self-development, and when necessary, dealing effectively with under-performance.
This module was reviewed for The People in Dairy by Kerry Ryan, Sylvia Vagg and Karen Baum.
So, how good is your farm business at supporting and rewarding the efforts of the individuals who work on the farm (including other family members and sharefarmers)? The following checklist is designed to get you thinking about how you can be as effective as possible in your people management.
If you answered “no” or “partially/sometimes” in any area, there is a risk that the way people who work on the farm are being managed may adversely affect their job satisfaction, and the employee retention and productivity of the farm business. This module suggests ways of helping the farm business improve the performance and effectiveness of individual team members (and hence the business).
If you answered “yes” in many areas above, the way you are managing the people on the farm could well have a positive effect on your business. This module provides information and tips to streamline your processes and ensure the ongoing satisfaction of all involved.
