Designing future dairy workplaces
Future dairy workplaces will need to be attractive places to work so the best and brightest want to choose a dairy career. However, what makes a workplace attractive is constantly changing and is influenced by a variety of factors, both on and off farm. DairyNZ's new project ‘New workplace design’ takes a future-looking perspective to design great dairy workplaces of 2030.
The approach is focussed on farmers co-developing solutions that work for farmers as well as actively researching the impact and performance of people management and workplace solutions. The main objectives of the New Workplace Design project are:
- To co-develop (with farmers and stakeholders) on farm solutions that make dairy farming more attractive and productive for people.
- To identify future solutions for dairy workplace design by examining best practice and technology from a wide range of workplaces and applying them to a dairy context.
- To determine the productivity potential and features of future workplaces.
Answering these questions will lead to a future state where farmers have increased certainty about the value associated with investing in different approaches to people management. They will also have greater certainty about which approaches fit their context, and how to implement them in practice.
The farmer co-design team
We will conduct research into the expectations of a future workforce, and the major trends which will impact on farm workplaces. However, the cornerstone of the project is a farmer co-design team, based in Canterbury. Along with a skilled facilitator, the co-design team will consider the future trends and expectations, and work to develop and test some innovative approaches on-farm.
Get involved
Are you interested in being involved in DairyNZ’s exciting people management research project?
Why participate?
- To innovate and develop leading workplace practices that solve dairy farming workplace issues
- Generate and bounce ideas with people management experts and likeminded farmers
- To gain exposure to learn about the latest workplaces practices
- Join a road trip to visit innovative New Zealand workplaces
New Workplace Design is based around a co-development group of 10 farmers, DairyNZ staff, and experts.
The group will work with a facilitator and people management experts to co-design innovative workplace solutions that go beyond the here and now and are relevant to 2030. The focus is on creating solutions that increase the attractiveness and productivity of dairy farm workplaces.
Ideas will be tested, redeveloped, and piloted on farm to create the best solutions for the future workplace. The group will also be exposed to international and domestic trends, people management experts as well as industries and organisations that are leading in workplace practices.
Join the co-design group
As part of this project we are looking for a small group of Canterbury farmers, ideally with a team of four or more employees that are willing to contribute to the project.
If you would like to be considered as part of the co-design group email peopleteam@dairynz.co.nz.
Not in Canterbury or not a farmer?
There are a variety of other ways you can be involved or we can keep you in the loop with updates from the project, let us know at peopleteam@dairynz.co.nz and we’ll keep you engaged!
