Finding and Keeping the Right 

 Employees: Ideas to Bait the Hook 



Judith M. Powell 

 Whitefield, ME 



The right employees bring good fortune. How- 

 ever, finding the right just doesn't happen right out of 

 the blue. Having capable, eager and motivated people 

 come a-knocking on your door, asking to do the kind 

 of work you need done, happens in fair> tales. In real 

 life, managing people is a big challenge that eats up 

 precious time and can cause frustration. Not selecting 

 the best candidate, or losing an enthusiastic worker, 

 can signal that it's time to examine your human re- 

 source approach. 



Tom Maloney, senior Extension associate in the 

 Department of Applied Economics and Management 

 at Cornell University, has spent the last 15 years of his 

 career focusing on labor issues and policy. He's been 

 visiting with farmers over the past three years at New 

 England dairy seminars. Hiring, managing and suc- 

 ceeding with farm employees are his specialties. 



"You need help, and you know the kind of person 

 you wish you could find," Maloney begins his talk at 

 the Maine Dairy Seminar held in Augusta. He asks 

 the audience what counts. "A person who wants to 

 work around animals," someone says. 

 "Reliable— someone who will show up on time," is 

 mentioned. Others say, "mechanical ability, can work 

 independently, someone I can trust." Getting the per- 

 son you want is within reach, Maloney says. 



So, where to begin? Finding the right person starts 

 by getting a handle on the job. The first step is defin- 

 ing what you expect to have done. What exactly will 

 you assign the new person to do? What are the spe- 

 cific tasks, and when must they be done? Must they 

 be done in a certain way or at a certain time? Thinking 

 through details makes it easier to determine what tal- 

 ents and skills are needed for both the employer and 

 employee to succeed. 



Farm-owner operators and family manage all kinds 

 of jobs every day. They somehow leam them over time. 

 But expectations must be realistic for a new hire on 

 the fann. A person who is happily mucking out stalls 

 may not efficiently pull reports out of the database or 

 serve customers \\\\o drop by the fann stand. Employ- 

 ees who are happy with what ihey are doing and are 

 satisfied with their work environment are generally 

 more productive. 



The first step in a systematic approach to success- 

 ful human resource management is recruitment, 

 Maloney says. "You want to develop the broadest pool 

 of potential job candidates." He encourages using 

 "traditional" sources like government job services agen- 

 cies, farm internship programs, community bulletin 

 board postings and advertisement in local and agricul- 

 tural publications. However, he says, the best source 

 is word-of-mouth. "Some of the best leads come from 

 current employees. They know what the job is and 

 have a vested interest in making sure their coworkers 

 will be good," he explains. "Offer a bonus if the new 

 person stays six months. A S50 or $200 bonus can 

 make the grapevine or e-mail buzz!" 



"Don't be afraid to be creative by exploring "non- 

 traditional" sources like homemakers, retirees, teach- 

 ers with summers off Don't narrow the field and ex- 

 clude people who might perform these very well and 

 be happy doing it." Maloney says. Farms offer work 

 variety, fiexible hours and the chance to work outside 

 with animals. These are great benefits, which some 

 people prefer over wages. "Not everybody wants to 

 fry hamburgers for McDonald's, even though they 

 might get $7 an hour. Farms should capitalize on their 

 unique setting and mix of opportunities." 



The next step in the process is writing a "help 



Copyright©2003 by Moose River Publishing Company. Reprinted with permission from Fanning, The Journal of 

 Northeast Agriculture. Volume 6, Number 1 (January), 2003. pp. 36-38. For subscription information, call Moose River 

 Publishing Company at (800) 422-7147 or write to Farming, The Journal of Northeast Agriculture, P.O. Box 449, St. 

 Johnshurv, VT 05819-9929. 



Fruit Notes, Volume 68, Spring, Summer, & Fall, 2003 



