Attracting the Best Labor An Experiment in Recruiting New Hires By Russell Plaschka, Ph.D. Kansas Department of Agriculture Wanted: People for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in case of success. This is from a wanted ad in the early 1800s but could just as easily be for an opening during calving season in the northern plains. Sounds like a great opportunity, right? Unfortunately, today’s job seekers may not understand what exactly is required of them in an agricultural career, and all industries are struggling to find employees. I know of no single farm or ranch that isn’t looking for good help, but even if they have all their spots filled and the right person came along, they would make a spot for them. What Are We Up Against? There may be a whole host of reasons why it is more difficult to find and retain good employees. COVID-19 opened the world to remote work, a new generation making money generating online content, job seekers being more selective on the type of jobs, or there are simply more jobs than people available. As an industry, agriculture is up against more career options than ever before. AgCareers.com in partnership with the National FFA Organization identified more than 250, and counting, different ag related careers. For those young people looking at agriculture, the career path is more than a fork in the road; it is a series of on and off ramps with a highway system that Google Maps may not be able to navigate. On average for the rural counties across the country, the unemployment rate is roughly 2%-3%. A variety of sources from academia to the Bureau of Labor estimate the unemployment rate for full employment to be anywhere from 4%-6%. Using some rough math from various parts of the country, this means for every one job opening there is 0.8 people available to take that SPRING DIRECTIONS 2023
job; it’s a job seekers paradise, if they are looking for employment. A New Workforce One of the biggest issues I have noticed in attracting the workforce is that many producers still believe there are “ag kids” out there. Well, to be fair, they are out there but they are very few. If they are out there, they typically have their own family operations to go back to. This means those young people interested in agriculture may not come with the skillsets you need them to have. So, what does this mean? It means we may have to re-think how these workers are recruited, trained, and retained. Unfortunately, we can’t just call up the local ag teacher or county agent and ask if they can recommend a few strong bodies to help work cattle, feed for the weekend, or help over the summer. It does mean that we can make the same calls and ask for a few that are interested in learning about your type of operation, come experience a bit of “day in the life,” and then make a mutual decision if the job is a fit for them and you. Though we have many students in FFA/ag education, 4-H, and enrolling in post-secondary agriculture schools, it does not mean they have the working experience to step onto an operation and know how things work. Millennials and Generation Z make up most of the workforce you are trying to recruit. A recent article in the Entrepreneur stated that the Generation Z group are changing careers at a rate 134% more than in 2019. They are looking for opportunities to enter the workforce, learn new skills and advance. In agriculture’s case, there may not be much room for advancement, but we can work to ensure they take on more responsibility or perhaps they can take part in decision making for production practices. Millennials and Generation Z also want to be a part of something. We talk about our operations as being a way of life, part of something bigger and special. How are you communicating that message to your employees? Or are you communicating it at all? NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
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