Like many industries, you may be having trouble hiring agricultural employees. This might even more challenging as the Great Resignation continues. To improve your results, you should be using nontraditional methods to find the candidates you need to move your organization forward.

Focus on any of these five sources to hire qualified agricultural employees.

1. Use Your Applicant Tracking System

Your applicant tracking system (ATS) collects data and tracks processes for your job candidates. This serves as a valuable source of information for your candidate pools. You can search your ATS for candidates with specific skills, experience, or other qualifications. Then, you can contact the appropriate candidates to discuss the opportunities with your organization and determine whether there may be interest in working for you.

2. Post Your Job Openings on Social Media  

Advertising your openings on social media can reach a significant number of active and passive candidates. Because the majority of job seekers are on various platforms, they can learn about your company and view, share, or apply to your vacancies.

Be sure to post your jobs on the social platforms your ideal candidates are on. This may include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. Include videos showing your company culture, discussion about the role, and what your organization has to offer its employees. This increases engagement among millennials and Gen Z, who make up the majority of the workforce. You should receive a strong response to your postings.

3. Hire from Other Industries

Look to industries such as construction, logging, or the military for agricultural candidates. Many of these workers have transferrable skills that can benefit your company. The candidates also can bring different ideas and perspectives to diversify your organization. Having the right soft skills, such as initiative, teamwork, and problem-solving, provides a basis for training on the hard skills needed for the role.

4. Develop Employee Brand Ambassadors

The employees who enjoy working for you are the best ones to provide testimonials about your company. Because they spend time with your organization every week, they demonstrate your company mission, vision, and values.

Your employees know what your work environment is like and how supportive leadership is. They can share this insider information to attract more candidates to your organization.

Your employees also can talk with members of their network about the job openings, duties, and responsibilities that may interest them. They can refer qualified candidates to the hiring manager to help fill your vacancies.

5. Partner with a Staffing Agency

A staffing agency specializing in the agriculture industry has the candidates you need when you need them. The agency invests the time to screen, interview, and test candidates and complete background checks. This lets the agency provide you with several qualified candidates to interview. The agency also handles job offer negotiations on behalf of the candidate to get them working for you as soon as possible.

Contact Morris Bixby Group

Morris Bixby Group is ready to help with your agricultural hiring needs. Reach out to us today.