 Nuffield International Conference – South Australia
October 2011
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Wai-West Hort
Orchard
Field Staff
 Julian Raine, Nelson, New Zealand

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
Attracting and retaining the “right” staff
 Perceptions and reality
Competition from other Industries
 Rewards and incentives
If we fail we will
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Limit our business opportunities
Or worse our business and agriculture will fail

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
 Quote from Desiree Reid
(NZ Nuffield Scholar 2009)
 “People drive success,
 Purpose drives strategy,
 Ownership determines purpose,
 Reinvestment enables growth”

Human Resources
The Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
 My Business
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I growing People and crops/food
Labour makes up 50% of my production costs and is a fixed cost so I have to get it right
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Follow simple rules
But I don’t always get it right, but work to limit my exposure to expensive problems when things go bad
Expect the best and plan for the worst

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
 The pleasure and the pain of employing people
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Why do we do it?
What are the traps and pitfalls?
 Rewards and Goals of Planning
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Training and Simple checks
Clear Communication
Incentives and signals to improve performance and productivity

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
Attracting and retaining the “right” staff
 Perceptions and reality

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
 Attracting the right staff by
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Reputation (hard to gain and easily destroyed)
Challenging staff and step ups of achievement
Investing in good systems, machinery, working environment and people
 Retaining the good ones and moving on the mistakes
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Working conditions/environment and accommodation
Pay rates and benefits
Training (informal/formal)
Regular Reviews
Communication oral and written

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
 Perceptions of orchard work
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Low pay
Long hours
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Poor conditions
Repetitive work
 Reality?

Human Resources

Human Resources

Human Resources

Human Resources

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
Competition from other Industries
 Rewards and incentives

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
Competition from other sectors and countries for our youngest and brightest people
In the mid to late 2000’s our unemployment rate in
Nelson was less than 2% (and currently 6.5%)
We couldn’t and can’t compete for wages and conditions for semi skilled employees

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
We identified our best staff and invested in them
With Govt changes we adopted RSE 6 Pacific Islands
(limited nationally to 8000/yr)
Now have a direct relationship with families in
Tongan villages on one island and invest back to their village. Productivity increases at harvest by 50 to 100%.

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
We identified our best staff and invested in them
RSE pastoral care (24/7)
Full time manager to oversee all aspects of
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Daily Performance and concerns
Health
Welfare
Church and culture
Sport and recreation

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
 Management is the most important Human Resource and
Challenge for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
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Knowledge, experience and action is the counter to the challenges of people, weather, seasonal changes, market forces, Forex, political intervention and many others influences
Adaption to the variances of Farming has been our strength
Making the $1000 decisions and getting them right!
In most cases management means you!!

Human Resources
 Nurture and enhancement of management/skill is vital through;
 Better Information
 Regular Communication
 Leadership and style
 Time to think and concentrate on the important decisions first
 Working on the business as opposed to in the business
 Are you earning $20/hr or $1000/hr

Human Resources
 Remember part of Desiree’s quote

Human Resources
The HR Challenges for Agriculture 2011 and beyond
 Are you investing in you?
 Are you investing in your staff?
 What are you as leaders and employers doing to change the perception of working in Agriculture?

 Nuffield International Conference – South Australia
October 2011
 Acknowledge my staff and Qantas
 Julian Raine, Nelson, New Zealand