As agriculture depends on the skills of those from other industries who have the know-how to get the job done we’re going to need to think about what that attraction is. If it’s out in the paddock or speaking across the world agricultural stage selling software. There are over 112 different careers in agriculture and growing and we need to be able capture the market while its hot.

We’ll look through three different types of businesses operating within agriculture all at different stages of the supply chain.

Creating culture on farm

If you’re a two-person team or running 50 employees across several farms it’s vital for you to create a culture for your employees so that they feel valued and are able to improve on their own development. As you’re looking for farm owners there are a lot of younger guns keen to get a start and which is a great way to teach and guide them through your processes and have them aligned with the way you carry out your day-to-day activities.

Through working with younger people in agriculture it’s important to give them the ability to think for themselves and starting with making small decisions that contribute towards your goals. Your workers are the ones that are seeing what’s going on from day to day with how much grass is available or if a fence needs repairing. We need that decision to be “I’ll grab the ute and fix the fence”, instead of pushing it to the side and doing the jobs we’re asked to be finished.

By getting your workers thinking for themselves you will be able to get them to prioritise the most important jobs. If the fence was a boundary fence and it would stop you from losing your livestock then it’s important that the fence is repaired ASAP. As the younger workers develop and understand the workings of the farm they will be able to take up more responsibility to ensure that tasks are carried out throughout the day.

Give your employees responsibility and then they’re accountable for the business growth and not just surviving. Implement a plan for your team and make it a routine to check-in to see how your progress is going.

Creating culture as a startup

With so many agricultural startups popping up around the place both in Australia and overseas, it’s so important to not lose culture in the making of your products and services. As a startup you begin by being a single founder or co-founder with all of the ideas in your head. With your ideas being the money makers, until you start making money or raised funds you’re unable to employ anyone in the firm.

The great thing about a startup is that you can create the culture from the very beginning. The culture isn’t just giving them coke in the bubblers and free lunches every day. It’s about providing an environment where your employees are willing to go the extra mile or minute to close a deal.

Tips to starting culture for your agribusiness

• Give employees the ability to make decisions
• Communicate what the goal of carrying out a task is
• Provide an easy communication channel, it could be a message, Slack, or even discussing it at lunch every day.
• Provide them the environment that motivates them.
• Before hiring, ensure the candidate is a good culture fit
• Have growth sessions to see how the business could run better with their input
• Provide the tools they need to make the day easier
• Make boundaries before they get started on what is off-limits before prior training
• Socialise outside of work hours. Go down to the river, beach, pub wherever everyone would be enjoying themselves
• Create a plan for them to gain new skills or move up the ranks

Do you have the perfect company culture? Let us know in the comments.