Labor Advice on Tap: Women Farmers Offer Insider Tips to Successfully Hire & Manage Farm Staff
This interview is part of the Farm Labor Dashboard's "Labor on Tap" series of conversations with five women farmers who have been successfully leading staff for a number of years. Topics covered in the interviews range from tangible, practical employee recruitment and management strategies to bigger picture philosophical advice, insights and inspiration.
Name: Deirdre Birmingham
Farm Name: The Cider Farm
City/State: Mineral Point, WI
Years farming: 21
Years managing staff: 17
Website: www.theciderfarm.com
About: Deirdre Birmingham runs an organic cider apple orchard in Southwest Wisconsin. The apples are processed on-farm to make award-winning hard ciders and apple brandy.
FLD: What advice would you give a fellow woman farmer about the decision to become an employer and take on staff? What did you wish you knew when you started?
DB: Each employee will be different. Learn to delegate, but then follow-up on the work, particularly quality. I am good at delegating but weak on follow-up. If the employee is too unsure of the task then work alongside each other until they are confident.
Let them know your expectations! Put things in writing. I write a weekly work plan. This doc gets added to throughout the week. This work plan also can allow employees to pick and choose what to work on and to mix up tasks to avoid over exercising parts of the body through too much repetition or muscle fatigue.
Employees like to work for someone who is organized, prepared and needs their work.
- Deirdre Birmingham
FLD: What advice would you give someone hiring their first employee?
DB: My first employees were teens, mostly kids of people I knew in the area. You are likely their first employer. So you are also teaching them, whether you know it or not, how to be a good employee.
Be prepared. Be organized. Employees like to work for someone who is organized, prepared and needs their work. If you are stumbling around trying to figure out how to use them, that can be frustrating to them.
FLD: How did you find your employees? Where did you recruit from/look? Did you develop a job description and any advice on that?
DB: Word of mouth was my first means. Now I announce a job description in every way I can. My job description starts with aspirations of my farm and brand. Then the qualities I am looking for, including preferred ones, such as mechanical skills. Then the tasks for the season. Look at others out there for ideas on your own. Put yourself in the shoes of job seekers.
FLD: How do you keep momentum and energy going amongst your staff during the busiest peak of summer?
DB:
- Acknowledge that the going is tough. You appreciate them hanging in there.
- Give room for variations in how each person copes with the heat.
- Be sure there is plenty of cool water nearby.
- Music!
- Provide an ice cream break or something cool and refreshing on a hot afternoon. Maybe the last 15 or 30 minutes are paid and with a refreshment. That’s 2 treats in one. If folks want to stay longer and hang out they can on their own time.
- Do the most strenuous or mindful tasks first, and the easier ones when it is the hottest.
FLD: What have been your biggest challenges as a woman farmer managing employees and how did you manage?
DB: I had an employee having it out for another employee and often making snarky remarks about him. Tried to correct an employee in private. Hard to find that private time so they are not button-holed in front of others.
FLD: When an employee isn’t performing well, how do you address that?
DB: We talk. I already stated clear expectations. So I turn to those expectations and objectively let them know there needs to be improvement in that regard. Is there anything I need to do to help them improve. Is there any reason they are not performing well. They probably recognize it themselves.
FLD: Advice on working through conflict?
DB: Communication is key and having clear expectations. It really depends on the situation. Acknowledging the conflict or some aspect of it can be a starter.
FLD: Advice on navigating cell phone use? Do you have a cell phone policy with employees?
DB: I do have a policy. It is part of my personnel policies. If you don’t have those, people make varying assumptions. They operate in uncertainty. If they need to use the cell phone while working, let me know. Let other employees know you are not taking care of personal business. I want images for social media. So I ask them to grab those moments with their phone and send them to me. And I am not responsible for their cell phone should it be lost or damaged.
FLD: Anything else you would like to add under the labor management advice topic?
DB: Some employees take pride in being part of something bigger, such as your brand. So share with them as appropriate the bigger picture or good things that are happening, such as compliments you are getting on the product. Praise the good. Thank employees for the small and big things. A simple thank you recognizes their effort.
Some employees take pride in being part of something bigger
- Deirdre Birmingham