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THE New Year is an exciting time in the annual calendar.
While much of the beef supply chain traditionally experiences a downturn in activity over the next month or so, it’s an ideal time for businesses to re-evaluate the year that was, and plan ahead their recruitment needs for 2015.
It can also be a prime opportunity to take advantage of increased jobseeker activity which tends to rise during this time of year. Recent graduates are seeking to get their foot in the door and existing workers and apprentices are revaluating their career and looking for ways to move up the ranks.
Below are some tips to keep in mind when hiring workers moving into the New Year:
Know the needs of the business
All businesses are different and staff needs can vary significantly.
A cattle station may be increasing its stock count after rain and require new team-members, or seasonal workers may be required to keep up with production demand or repairs and maintenance.
Whatever the size or type of business, planning ahead ensures HR requirements for the year are identified and a plan of action is ready to be rolled-out to secure the best workers for the business.
A good first step is to look back at the year and assess when new recruits were hired, how positions were advertised and if these methods were effective in sourcing suitable candidates.
By reviewing previous recruitment activity, what worked and what didn’t can be determined and taken into account for the New Year.
Most meat and livestock businesses are likely to be aware of their operations and productions forecasts for 2015, which will assist in identifying when new workers will need to be hired to align with increased or decreased work demands.
This allows businesses to commence the recruitment process and advertising earlier, perhaps ahead of competitors, to give as much time to find the candidates that are the right fit for the business.
Businesses – particularly smaller ones -may be seeking to hold onto existing staff as opposed to hiring new ones, and introducing employee development into their strategy such as a mentoring program to maintain engagement.
As demanding, rewarding and regulated as the Australian beef industry may be, though, businesses can benefit substantially from forecasting staff needs to align to and achieve business targets and find the most suitable candidates to get the job done.
Think outside the box
Finding the right staff does not have to mean spending big on expensive advertising.
Although the methods used to promote opportunities can vary by business, hiring new workers efficiently and cost-effectively is vital.
For many businesses, the first stop for advertising a job may be an advertisement in the local paper, on Seek or on specialised, highly targeted industry websites like Jobs Central. The rise in online platforms and social media, and people actively using these channels to find jobs, can make digital a compelling and cost-effective option when finding candidates.
Utilising online job boards specifically targeted for the Australian beef industry are also great place to advertise job opportunities to a targeted and active audience, and when used together with traditional mediums, can not only improve the chances of reaching potential candidates, but boost company exposure within the market as well.
Being creative with job advertisements is also a great way to showcase the culture of the business and to stand out among competitors or similar positions.
Injecting some personality with tone and style that reflects the business and its culture will help attract job-seekers that will not only want to work for the business, but also fit with its culture.
Realise the benefit of employee satisfaction
In some instances hiring new workers can take time and patience and after investing time in planning, interviewing, recruiting and training new workers, it is hoped that they will stick around.
Employees of a business can essentially make or break the success of a company and an ongoing challenge for business owners and managers can be motivating their staff.
Developing an action plan on how new workers will be recruited is one aspect of a recruitment strategy, though it is also worth incorporating employee development activities that can assist in boosting staff motivation, productivity and retention.
While there are many challenges that may face the Australian beef supply industry and its workers – for example, remoteness – implementing development and rewarding initiatives for workers can help overcome these challenges and help hold on to great staff.
Hiring new workers is an ongoing process that goes well beyond the job interview, and next year’s recruitment outcomes can be improved by planning ahead through understanding the needs of the business and thinking creatively to find suitable candidates.
Source: AWX Agri – Partners in People.
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