Future feed mill employees
Attracting and retaining labor has become a top concern for facility and corporate management alike
By Adam Fahrenholz, Wilmer Pacheco and Charles StarkIt is a hard truth for the feed industry that attracting and retaining labor has become a top concern for facility and corporate management alike. Underscoring the significance of this issue, in the first quarter of 2023 a discussion of the topic was requested for the program of both the Feed Mill of the Future Conference at IPPE in January and US Poultry's Feed Mill Management Seminar in Nashville, TN. Of course, from a facilities perspective, successful operations are incredibly dependent on the quality and commitment of staffing. With this in mind, summarizing the content of these presentations seems like a worthy use of this space.
The very first thing we must take into consideration when thinking about future employees is the state of our business as it relates to the people who might work in it. The general reduction in the rural workforce is an issue on two fronts. First, a feed mill is most often located in a rural environment and therefore less workers in the area means a reduced labor pool from which to select. Second, it’s less likely that we’ll find workers that have much (if any) knowledge of a feed mill’s functional operations. We must also consider that there is a general skills gap in areas such as maintenance and CDL driving, which puts the feed mill in direct competition with other industries.
There is also a very real impact in our world caused by the generational gaps that affect employee and management expectations and relationships. Salary and benefits have always been, and will always be, a major factor in recruiting and retaining employees. In these areas there are typically both internal and external competitors that will lead to employees changing positions or leaving companies altogether. But today, there is also an increased expectation that employees will be given further opportunities for professional growth and will have a greater flexibility of time than has been the norm for facility employees and management.
As anyone who has ever conducted a search for new employees knows, there are a number of different sources for talent that should be explored. New employees may be internal hires, either promoted from a lower level position or moved over from a different unit within the company. They might be transfers from another industry altogether, with some skills we value but a learning curve to address when it comes to manufacturing animal food. Or, they could be students, recently graduated and having good technical knowledge but potentially unfamiliar with the rigors of a professional career. And within these groups applicants may come from historically expected backgrounds (e.g., the “farm kid” who used to come by the feed mill to pick up feed) or from more urban backgrounds with a renewed interest in agriculture. Regardless, in this age of feed manufacturing, these new recruits will need to learn operations, maintenance, safety, soft skills, and regulatory compliance if they are going to be successful in our industry.
Management, whether at the facility or corporate level, has a responsibility to take everything above into account when thinking about employee recruitment and retention. Strategies should be developed based on a company’s specific corporate structure and identity. Determinations should be made as to how recruitment will be conducted, hiring decisions made, training performed, and professional development offered. Management must be committed to being engaged, and should also be offered the opportunity to develop their skills as well. After all, we’re not just interested in recruiting and retaining employees at the operator level. Overall, a guiding principle should be that given the pressures of the hiring pool and the skills we desire for our facilities, a certain level of employee investment should be expected.
We should always aspire for our employees to become experts in their roles. This is mutually beneficial to the facility, which takes advantage of more efficient and productive operations, and the employee, who is likely to feel a sense of empowerment and value. There are a number of possible options to develop this expertise. Employees can learn on the job, in a hands-on role in a controlled environment. This usually works well, as long as those available to do the training are indeed knowledgeable and don’t pass along bad habits that we’d prefer to curb. On-demand training (think online modules) can be very efficient for job-specific topics and can be kept up-to-date by the vendor supplying the content. However, not everyone learns well this way and investing in the subscriptions and/or platforms can be expensive. Full classroom-type training (in person or online) is also an option, and tends to be the most comprehensive way to cover complex topics. But, it is time consuming and costly, and so is often reserved for extended professional development opportunities.
Perhaps the best way to look at being successful in recruiting and retaining quality employees is this: do everything you can to make your place of business somewhere that nobody wants to leave. Finding and keeping a job that one enjoys can unfortunately be a rarity. If you can build a sense of loyalty amongst your employees because of your facility’s and/or company’s culture, you will have an easier time recruiting the best candidates, and retention will take care of itself.