Know How / Staff management Must reads Farm recruitment challenge - how structure and clarity can help What to do when taking on a new farm employee Advice on common farm employment issues Why staff leave farming businesses and how to keep them Case studiesSee all PIGSWays two pig units build and develop their staff teamsA post-Brexit reduction in migrant labour, misconceptions about farming careers, and changing expectations of working life are among the factors hampering pig farmers’ efforts to find and keep good-quality staff.… DAIRYHow a dairy industry ambassador created local talent pipelineA decade ago, Cornish dairy farmer Andrew Brewer asked: who will milk the cows? His Nuffield scholarship took him around the world to find out how to attract high-quality people… DAIRYHow a hospitality career helped create a strong dairy teamExperience working in the hospitality sector has given Harry Hickson a fresh approach to dairy team management based on valuing and investing in people. It was never Harry’s intention to… DAIRYHow cow ownership can retain staff on block-calving unitsOffering staff the chance to own cows in the business is maintaining a good policy of recruitment and retention for a New Zealand dairy business that operates 58,000 cows. But… LIVESTOCKHow a business develops young people to manage dairy farmsPassionate and progressive young people have driven the expansion of a farming business based around replicating large, profitable spring block-calving systems, with production from grazed grass. Farming Partners, based near… DAIRYDairy farmer’s recruitment study focuses on neurodiversityA diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has led a Staffordshire contract dairy farmer to explore ways farms can make the most of the wide-ranging skills neurodiverse people have to… Practical adviceSee all DAIRYHow a hospitality career helped create a strong dairy teamExperience working in the hospitality sector has given Harry Hickson a fresh approach to dairy team management based on valuing and investing in people. It was never Harry’s intention to… DAIRYAdvice for farm owners on employing a deputyAs a farming business grows, it can get to a stage where the owner needs to employ a second in command. This deputy handles the day-to-day operation and steps in… STAFF MANAGEMENT8 tips to help you recruit the right farm staffEmployee recruitment and retention is tough across agriculture, from large farming estates to smaller family farms. From the generational shift to workers seeking non-manual work, together with the sometimes unsociable… PIGS6 ways to find – and keep – staff on pig farmsPig producers struggling to find and retain good-quality staff are advised to focus on getting the basics right and consistently meeting key needs. “Pay must be fair and should always… LIVESTOCKDifferent ways to reward good farm employeesLarge farming operations with multiple sites have more opportunities to develop their people and retain high performers. But there is no single successful way to reward good staff, according to… LIVESTOCKThe importance of proper staff induction on livestock farmsThe staff recruitment process does not stop the day a new employee begins work. An induction period is essential to settle someone into their role, familiarise them with the farm,… InsightsSee all BUSINESSNew app aims to tackle labour shortages in agricultureA new purpose-built app, called AG-HAND, designed to connect agricultural businesses with individuals seeking work across all corners of the industry has been launched. The app is designed to connect… STAFF MANAGEMENTHow agricultural mentoring can benefit farm businessesAmid the many challenges facing the farming industry, mentoring initiative Cultivate Success is empowering individuals with a six-month programme that aims to build resilience, foster leadership, and strengthen community spirit.… COMMUNITYAnalysis: How hiring apprentices helps solve labour problemFor years, a large portion of the workforce in dairy, poultry and horticulture has come from abroad. However, since Brexit and with immigration policies tightening, this labour supply is no… STAFF MANAGEMENTCan better working practices help overcome labour shortages?Agriculture is facing a number of labour challenges in 2024, with many farmers and those in ancillary industries struggling to recruit and retain staff. In recent decades, a high proportion… BUSINESSWhat the Institute of Ag Management offers farm managersChanging agricultural and environmental policies along with a shift in public expectations mean that farmers and their managers have an increasingly challenging job. Many of those described as farm managers… STAFF MANAGEMENTSurvey of farm managers' pay shows 12% rise in two yearsUK farm manager salaries have more or less kept pace with inflation in the past two years, rising by an average of 12% to £59,695, but some businesses are paying… STAFF MANAGEMENTAdvice on farm staff issues with drug and alcohol useEmployers have a legal duty to protect employees’ health, safety and welfare, and that means taking action if they suspect that an individual is the worse for wear from drink… BUSINESSCould apprenticeships solve UK farming’s labour challenges?Lantra, the largest provider of end-point assessments for apprenticeships in the agriculture sectorv has carried out a new survey of employers. Reporter Debbie James examines the results. The skills shortage on… STAFF MANAGEMENTFarm payroll: Rules employers need to considerGone are the days when farmers only had to work out income tax deductions and national insurance contributions (NIC) before paying staff. With pension auto-enrolment, new rules on holiday pay,… STAFF MANAGEMENTUK horticulture careers towards seasonal labour crisisWith robotic pickers and packers many years away for most commercial horticulture businesses and labour availability falling dramatically, the industry is on the verge of a crisis. Industry leaders want… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTHow leadership training can help secure the future of farmingSome of the biggest organisations in farming have come together to raise awareness of leadership training across the industry. Now in its second year, the #AgriLeadershipWeek social media campaign will… STAFF MANAGEMENTSurvey reveals farm managers' salaries, bonuses and perksFarm managers now earn a salary package averaging £53,306, and the age of people commanding that level of pay is getting younger. The survey, Farm managers in 2022, their jobs…
