Recruitment and selection - the first block

"To blame an appointment that fails on the appointed person is no more rational
than to blame a poor capital investment decision on the capital."
(Peter Drucker, management guru)

All profiled employers identify that the success or failure of staffing decisions can be traced back to recruitment and selection procedures.

They all had clear strategies for employing staff, which were closely aligned with business strategy. Having good people in a team gives a competitive advantage to a business.

Employing the right person for the role will positively influence the performance and productivity of the work team as a whole. Selecting the wrong person can result in lower performance, higher operating costs, reduced morale and increased turnover among other staff members.

The only way to get good people on a team is to attract applicants through a well thought-out recruitment process and then finding the best person for the role using sound selection techniques.

The recruitment and selection process also provides a window into a business for job seekers. Having a professional approach to these processes reflects positively on the farm business.

Leadership has been described as "the art of mobilising others to want to struggle for shared aspirations¹". Leadership is about creating a vision for the future and then enabling people to do what they need to do to make the future vision a reality.

What about me as the employer:

"Invest time in making the right employment decision"
"We have a detailed and comprehensive process for the selection and recruitment phase"
"We send applicants a farm pack (application form, farm details, position description and previous employees' contact details)"
"You need to be very clear about the type of person you are employing and what you want them to do"
"Internationals have a different mindset to New Zealanders and need patience and understanding and a genuine multi-cultural interest"

What good employers look for:

"People first - we look for people who fit our team not just a team"
"Employ people who fit in with the team and our system"
"I look for smart and motivated people who want to learn and progress"
"Attitude is number one, dairy skills can be taught"
"For managerial roles I look for good people skills and personal stability"
"I look for enthusiasm, communication skills and desire to get ahead"
"We look for drive, honesty and integrity"
"We have traditionally looked for reliability, punctuality, willingness to learn and overall attitude"
"Look for someone you like as it helps when the inevitable mistake occurs"