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By Jim Versweyveld
For farm owners and managers, labor management and leadership of the team are becoming increasingly important aspects of day-to-day responsibilities. Job descriptions are a tool that can add clarity to farm tasks and procedures, helping to avoid confusion and potential disagreements about the work at hand. Important for both nonfamily employees and family members working on the farm, job descriptions can improve working relationships and keep things running smoothly.
Job descriptions can help farms recruit, select, hire and manage successful farm employees. Well-written job descriptions provide a clear, concise way to communicate expectations, skills and requirements to prospective team members. They are a great way to make sure prospective employees fully understand what the job entails. Once a new hire is onboard, the job description can also help with employee training by identifying skill gaps and areas you need to review or focus on.
During interviews, a detailed job description may result in some candidates self-selecting out of the process. While it can be disappointing to have an interview end abruptly, it’s better to know sooner rather than later if a potential employee can’t or won’t do an important aspect of the job. For example, if climbing a silo is a job requirement, it’s best to learn about a candidate’s fear of heights before an offer of employment is extended.
The job description is also a great tool to provide performance feedback to employees. Having a concise listing of job expectations can make it easier to discuss an employee’s strengths as well as areas where he or she needs to improve.
To develop descriptions for the positions on your farm, follow this step-by-step guide to...