How Did the Pandemic Affect HR Practices in Agriculture?
By Bonnie Johnson, AgCareers.com
Staffing, competition, culture and flexibility were important considerations for agricultural organizations in 2020. The pandemic impacted almost all aspects of daily work life across the country.
For 14 years, AgCareers.com has collected annual data from agribusinesses to document emerging industry trends and developments in human resource management practices in the AgCareers.com Agribusiness HR Review.
While 2020 was a year full of challenges because of COVID, human resources (HR) professionals in agribusiness noted five matters were still more concerning than the pandemic: 1) competition for talent; 2) recruiting difficulties; 3) employee retention; 4) fair & competitive compensation systems; and 5) employee training & development.
Top Ten Most Concerning Human Resource Matters
Source: AgCareers.com
The majority of agribusiness companies showed salaries increased during the past year. To keep employees challenged and productive in their roles, 71% of employers have a bonus system in place.
One-third of companies have adopted a flexible staffing approach—with no surprise, work from home emerged as the new top approach in 2020 among agribusinesses. Companies also offered flexibility in schedules and part-time or reduced schedules as flexible working arrangements. To meet staffing needs throughout the year, companies most frequently used temporary agencies or employed temporary staff. Over 36% of participating agribusinesses employed skilled seasonal staff.
Employers are looking inside their own organization to compete against other employers for talent and keep their employees. A positive work culture was the top strategy employers used to compete, followed closely by a safe and healthy work environment.
The full U.S. Agribusiness HR Review examines trends in recruitment, retention, benefits, employee engagement and more employment matters among 80 participating agribusinesses. Find out more in the report, available free for download under Market Research at www.AgCareers.com.
More from Farm Journal's PORK:
The Pandemic Shift: Mental Wellness at Work
Communicating Expectations with Candidates
