When you think about acing an interview, you probably picture yourself as the interviewee. However, finding quality employees is one of the biggest challenges farmers and farm mangers face, so perhaps it’s time to focus on acing your interview process.
A good employee does more than just show up for a paycheck, they have a personal stake in the success of whatever part of the farm they’re involved in. Don’t just ask surface-level questions, dive deep to find out what kind of employee each applicant will be.
“Essentially you want the candidate to answer three big umbrella questions,” says Whitney Kinne, career coach located in southern Missouri. “And when you address the big questions, you can identify ‘micro’ questions within each of these categories.”
Kinne offers a few baseline questions you should ask in every interview as well as a few follow-up questions as to why these questions are critical:
- Do you have the skills necessary to perform the job? Or can you learn them easily?
- While it might be easy to teach someone to throw hay bales, some tractors and other job requirements might be trickier. What should the candidate already know how to do or what are you willing to take the time to teach?
- Does this individual actually want to do this job? What’s their motivation?
- Wanting a paycheck is fine, but that can’t be the only reason someone shows up to work. Why this job? Why this farm? What are their goals for the future of their career and how does that coincide with the farm?
- Will the candidate fit in well with our current team? Is this the right role?
- A lot of this comes down to personalities. Will this person fit in well? Are they willing to take constructive criticism? Is there a better place for them on the farm than the position they’re interviewing for?
Before you post
Make sure you do your homework before bringing candidates in for interviews — the good ones will have deep questions and you need to be prepared with answers. Make sure the job you’re hiring for meets the current needs of the operation and be ready to prioritize what responsibilities are most important.
“Before posting a help wanted announcement, assemble a written position description,” says Melissa O’Rourke, Iowa State Extension farm and agribusiness management specialist. “Make a list of all the different duties expected of this new employee.”
Explain both physical requirements as well as previous training the individual will need. If a CDL is required, note that in your call for applicants. While you don’t have to mention it in the job description, know what pay you can provide as well as any additional benefits such as sick days, vacation and health care.
“Be sure to request references from job applicants,” O’Rourke adds. This could be the easiest way to weed out the good from the bad.
