Modern Approaches to Farm Recruitment
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Finding farm employees is often a challenge for U.S. farms, due to intense competition for workers. Nationwide, there are said to be two jobs available for every agricultural job seeker, and in California, there are four jobs available for every applicant.
However, technology, networking, and revamped federal programs offer alternative approaches for farmers who could use a hand to source the workers they need. Take time to learn about four methods of recruitment that may improve your chances of finding and hiring the right talent.
Embrace social media
In today’s world, when you want to find out more about a person or a business, you’re likely to turn to social media. Social media profiles often provide a wealth of information about people and places, available right on your phone.
That’s why an increasing number of farm owners have turned to social media as a recruiting tool. In fact, according to the Agribusiness HR Review Report, 76 percent of agriculture employers used social media to support recruitment efforts. The most popular social media tools used for recruiting are Facebook (used by 75 percent of respondents), LinkedIn (65 percent) and Twitter (42 percent).
Social platforms don’t just give you insight into potential candidates—they allow you to spread the word about your farm, too! Choose a social platform that feels most comfortable to you and the needs of your farm, and use it to showcase the personality of your business. For example, you may choose to use Facebook to share stories about your innovative farming practices, or LinkedIn to highlight the experience and contributions of a longtime employee.
When you’ve built a social media following for your farm, it can be easier to publicize your hiring needs and attract candidates. Facebook Ads and LinkedIn job postings are both easy ways to spread the word about your open positions. If you’ve shared a lot of compelling content and demonstrated the appeal of your farm, it may convince more candidates to apply.
Consider encouraging your current employees to highlight the farm on their social media, too. Their personal networks may include a wealth of untapped talent that could be a perfect fit for your open roles. Consider offering an incentive for current employees to recruit candidates from their own social networks, like a cash bonus or gift card, if their contact ends up taking your offer of employment.
Consider gig work apps
The so-called “gig economy” wasn’t started by companies like Uber or DoorDash. In reality, U.S. workers have steadily sought “gig” work for many years. Research from the Internal Revenue Service shows that the share of workers with independent contractor income has grown by 22 percent since 2001.
The IRS research reflects a growing interest among workers, especially women, to perform work as an independent contractor rather than as a full-time employee. For many workers, the opportunity to accept or reject a gig based on their personal schedules and needs at a given time provides valuable flexibility. And for farm owners, the ability to hire an independent contractor to complete a specific project or work through a season—rather than taking on a full-time employee—also can offer needed flexibility.
If you’re interested in recruiting independent contractors, a gig work app may be the best place to start. That’s because the people who post profiles on these apps are generally looking for gig-type work rather than full-time, long-term situations. There are a number of apps to consider; to find the best fit for you, conduct a simple online search for “gig work apps” or “gig work app for farm work” and see what sticks out.
Partner with schools to recruit new grads
A number of industries offer internships or other programs for students to help build a pipeline of future employees, and the same strategy can work for farms. Consider partnering with a local high school, technical school, or community college to build relationships for recruiting purposes.
For example, one farm in Shelton, Connecticut, offers summer internships for college students to work at the business, cultivating their interest in farm hospitality and sustainable agriculture practices. And a Massachusetts farmer recruits students to help on her farm in exchange for valuable firsthand agricultural experience.
You may start creating relationships with schools by offering to serve as a guest speaker, hosting students on career days, or even letting a guidance counselor know that you are open to student referrals for part-time work. By providing an enjoyable learning experience for young adults, you may also cultivate their interest in long-term farming work.
Revisit federal government programs
The U.S. Department of Labor's seasonal jobs platform may be a helpful place to recruit farm workers. It is a mobile-friendly, centralized online platform that provides personalized search capabilities for job seekers, which makes it easier for them to find the right fit. The site provides information about agricultural job opportunities in a format that can interact with third-party job search websites, which means farm opportunities are advertised to a much wider audience.
The federal government’s H-2A visa program has long helped farm owners recruit international workers for seasonal agricultural work. If you need to consider H-2A workers to fill your needs, you may want to review recent changes to the program. In late 2019, the Department of Labor created new rules to modernize the labor market test for H-2A temporary farm labor certification.
Traditionally, farm owners were required to advertise any job openings in a print newspaper of general circulation in the area of intended employment. This recruitment method was required to determine whether qualified American workers were available to fill the agricultural jobs before the jobs could be given to visiting workers. However, the new labor market test will assess whether qualified U.S. workers are available by simply advertising all H-2A job opportunities on SeasonalJobs.dol.gov, decreasing the advertising burden for individual farmers.
Move forward with an open mind
As farms and the farmers who run them move into the future, alternative approaches to recruitment can help them locate and secure the labor they need to provide for their families and customers alike. If the farm labor shortage has presented a long-term challenge for you to recruit the workers you need, now might be the right time to consider new approaches for finding farm employees.
If your traditional approaches to sourcing farm employees are not yielding the results you need, it only makes sense to try different techniques. A new method may yield better results than you could have imagined. Whether you choose to embrace social media as a recruiting tool, engage with gig workers through an online app, or consider partnering with local educational institutions, these approaches may be the best ways to access the help your farm needs in a changing world.
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The information provided herein is provided gratis, and solely as reference. The information is not intended to be, nor shall it be a farmer’s sole and exclusive source of information on the subject matter. Corteva Agriscience makes no warranty, or other representation, express or implied, as to the accuracy of any information contained herein, and cannot assume responsibility or liability for reliance on or use of this information by any farmer in making specific decisions on recruitment, which in all cases is the responsibility of the farmer.