“It’s been 30 years since I was in school,” said Mike. “It’s time to give back. Sitting in at Founders Day, I was impressed with the undergraduate leadership. A thoughtful concern raised by the past VNR of Recruitment was the time needed during the summer to do a good job recruiting effectively eliminates his capacity to earn money for school. My firm, Ag 1 Source, is a recruiting firm for professionals. What a more fitting tribute than for us to contribute funds, resources, advice and counseling for this position so they can do their best?”

Based in Hesston, KS, Ag 1 Source began with five employees and has grown to 20 in just a decade of service. They recruit professionals from a diversity of fields across the US including agronomy, ag equipment, livestock, and food processing, and has a non ag sister business who specializes in insurance, banking and private equity firms. “We advise and counsel at all levels,” said Mike. “It just makes sense for us to help at the undergraduate level.

“AGR has a credibility factor, adds Mike, “it’s a sign of accomplishment. In sorting the top 20% of resumes for positions that become available, we rarely pass on an AGR. It’s a badge of honor and it should be worn that way. This is evidenced by the leadership you see in business and industry today.”

According to Mike, he might have passed on a career in agriculture if it hadn’t been for Campaign Chair Bob Broeckelman ’67 who was his and Terry Nelson’s ag teacher in Norton, KS. “He’s the single-most influential teacher I’ve had. I think things have turned out well and it’s something to hang our hat on. Now it’s time to inspire others to give back to the chapter 30 years from now.”

Ag 1 Source Announces Alan Hoekstra to Join Agronomy Recruiting Team 

Hesston, KS – January 27, 2012– Ag 1 Source, the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the agriculture industry, today announced that Alan Hoekstra, based in Visalia, CA, will join the Agronomy and Seed recruiting team.  Alan will represent Ag 1 Source’s western market in the fields of Farm Management, Vineyards, T&O, and Agronomy.

“We are thrilled to have Alan join the Ag 1 Source Recruiting Team”, says Mike Smith, President and Managing Partner of Ag 1 Source.  “Alan’s knowledge and contact base in California agriculture makes him an invaluable addition to our Agronomy focused team.  His extensive experience with integrated cropping systems really enables Alan to understand the needs of his clients that are engaged in more than 200 different crops grown in Western U.S. agriculture.  We are confident that he will bring that same value to our clients and candidates in the Western region.”

Focused on agronomy and crop production systems, including plant nutrition, Alan’s career has always involved agriculture sales, sales management, and team training.   As a former co-owner/manager of a successful ag-marketing firm, Alan brings a well-balanced understanding of the needs that hiring managers often face.  Companies and job seekers alike can have the confidence that their unique employment needs are respected and understood.

“To be added to the roster of distinguished professional Ag 1 Source recruiting consultants is both a challenging and exciting opportunity for me”, says Alan Hoekstra.  “The Ag 1 Source focus on integrity of the entire process sets them uniquely apart in the industry and means an overall better experience for our clients.  I am excited to serve the unique Western agriculture market with my background in ag systems production and business management to join with the in depth support of the Ag 1 Source team of specialists and professionals.”

About Ag 1 Source

Founded in 2002, Ag 1 Source has grown into a premier recruiting organization serving the needs of agricultural organizations and job seekers throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. With recruiting consultants strategically positioned around the U.S., they are committed to exceeding the expectations of clients.

Ag 1 Source is a trusted partner in the job placement process. With repeated investments in technology and training, they are continuing to add highly talented recruiting consultants in an effort to better serve our candidates and clients in key agricultural markets. Their continued success is proof that Ag 1 Source is the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the Agricultural industry.

Ag 1 Source Announces Ron Hayden to Join Animal Health/Nutrition & Livestock Production Team 

Hesston, KS – January 26, 2012 – Ag 1 Source, the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the agriculture industry, today announced that Ron Hayden, based in Cassopolis, MI, will join the Animal Health/Nutrition and Livestock Production industry practice team.

“We are extremely excited about Ron Hayden joining the Ag 1 Source Team,” says Rick Rupp, Partner and Animal Health/Nutrition Industry Division Lead.  “Ron’s successful background in developing new markets in the livestock industry has given him tremendous insight into many of the leading animal nutrition and livestock operations across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Regions. We believe Ron will become a key business partner to our clients and candidates throughout this region.”

Upon entering the commercial Ag sector, Ron accepted a position as a 3 state Swine Feeds Consultant for the Farmland Feeds group, with primary responsibility for building a new territory, providing swine sales and tech service support for the Eastern Cornbelt cooperative feed dealers.  Ron received volume and margin growth awards each year of service. Through the Farmland/Land-o-Lakes/Purina feeds mergers, Ron entered into a new role with McNess Feeds in Freeport, Illinois as Swine Tech and New Business Development Manager for the Feeds Division. Over a 6 year stay, he implemented several new sales and marketing strategies, started multiple projects and added many new dealer locations for McNess.  His latest career path, prior to joining the team at Ag 1 Source, was as East Region Sales Consultant for FAST Genetics USA, in which he successfully designed and forged into a new marketing territory for FAST.

“Joining the Ag 1 Source team will be an exciting new chapter in my career,” says Ron.  “The Ag 1 Source operating philosophy of building a client partner relationship that truly seeks to understand the culture and needs of the client, along with the intense candidate screening process and very high level of technological advances used by the company, sets them apart from other Human Resources – Recruitment companies in the marketplace today.  I am impressed with the level of integrity, commitment, support and values held within the Ag 1 Source team, and look forward to great success serving the agricultural industry.”

About Ag 1 Source
Founded in 2002, Ag 1 Source has grown into a premier recruiting organization serving the needs of agricultural organizations and job seekers throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. With recruiting consultants strategically positioned around the U.S., they are committed to exceeding the expectations of clients.

Ag 1 Source is a trusted partner in the job placement process. With repeated investments in technology and training, they are continuing to add highly talented recruiting consultants in an effort to better serve our candidates and clients in key agricultural markets. Their continued success is proof that Ag 1 Source is the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the Agricultural industry.

Area/Specialty:  Insurance/Crop Insurance
Location:  Central, KS
Degree Required:  BS Ag Buiness
Min Salary:  $45,000.00
Max Salary: $80,000.00
Job Type:  Full-Time Regular
Min Experience:  2 Years
Position Id:   7662

Opportunity Overview

Agriculture Crop Insurance Company is looking to expand its new business in Central Kansas as well as maintain current business.

This would be working for a stable company that will offer a solid salary plus great bonuses and commissions. For the right candidate, this will be a great opportunity to work with a successful business as well as have a client list to work from, there is already a book of business. Cold calling will also be a large part of the success in this role. One will either need to have an insurance license or be able to attain one. If you have a strong sales ability, have a successful track record and enjoy working with production farms, then this position will fit your needs. A candidate that has a strong grain, grain marketing or agronomy sales background would work well in this position.

If you have the ability to work on your own and work in a non-structured environment and want to work an established territory with lots of room for growth and commission, this is the position for you! (Will receive a guaranteed salary 1st year)

Keywords: grain marketing, agronomy sales, insurance sales, insurance, crop insurance, agriculture, ag, ag sales, crop insurance position, KS, Kansas

*Candidates must be eligible to work in the US as well as meet the qualifications listed above in order to be considered for the Crop Insurance job.

“Thinking Ahead Today For Tomorrow’s Sake” article in the November issue of Crop Life Magazine written by Ag 1 Source Recruiting Consultants Mark Esfeld and Mark Waschek.

Thinking Ahead Today For Tomorrow’s Sake

Although not discussed on a day-to-day basis, succession planning is definitely something to consider for companies that plan to be in business for the long haul.

A big challenge that many ag retailers face today is succession planning. The notion of having everyone in place, such that they are ready to make the next step when the opportunity occurs, seems more like a sports analogy than a retail agronomy scenario.

Many retail managers miss the opportunity to put a succession plan in place because they fail to recognize when there is an ideal opportunity in front of them. Everyone understands how the volatility of fertilizer pricing requires smart managers to buy/contract their inventory when the market opportunity presents itself, not just when they have an empty bin. In today’s market, buying only when you need it could be a recipe for disaster.

Building a talented organization is really no different than managing your inventory. If your goal is to build a high performance team, you need to be ready to hire talented people when they are available — not just when you have an opening. Additionally, when you have employees with good potential, managers must internally plan for succession/promotion by training those individuals in the organization with the talent and desire to do greater things.

Read the full story.

About Ag 1 Source
Founded in 2002, Ag 1 Source has grown into a premier recruiting organization serving the needs of agricultural organizations and job seekers throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. With recruiting consultants strategically positioned around the U.S., they are committed to exceeding the expectations of clients.

Ag 1 Source is a trusted partner in the job placement process.  With repeated investments in technology and training, they are continuing to add highly talented recruiting consultants in an effort to better serve our candidates and clients in key agricultural markets.  Their continued success is proof that Ag 1 Source is the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the Agricultural industry.

“The Compensation Equation” article in the October issue of Crop Life Magazine written by Ag 1 Source Recruiting Consultants Mark Esfeld and Mark Waschek.

The Compensation Equation

To keep the best employees on board, companies need to have a clear and detailed plan for providing adequate compensation — and communicating this to their workers.

Compensation is a necessary element of every business, and it can be an emotional topic for any employee. While the employee is concerned about getting the right amount of return for their efforts and their quality of life, the managers of the business are focused on how they can best budget and allocate their available resources. Regardless if you are a manager or an employee, the compensation model MUST be done correctly, meet your expectations, and have little question of how it will operate. If the model is built incorrectly, or if one of the parties doesn’t fully understand it, there can be problems. BIG problems.

We work with agronomy clients nationwide. As a result, we have worked with many different approaches to compensating employees. Compensation is a challenging element for any business. The ability to balance profitability and maintain your attractiveness to potential employees is a critical component to any agronomy operation. Therefore, it’s no surprise that compensation is one of the most common topics our recruiting consultants get asked about. Questions like, “What is a competitive compensation range for this role?” and “How should we structure the compensation and commission for this position?” are key considerations for your hiring and long-term retention process.

Read the full story.

About Ag 1 Source
Founded in 2002, Ag 1 Source has grown into a premier recruiting organization serving the needs of agricultural organizations and job seekers throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. With recruiting consultants strategically positioned around the U.S., they are committed to exceeding the expectations of clients.

Ag 1 Source is a trusted partner in the job placement process.  With repeated investments in technology and training, they are continuing to add highly talented recruiting consultants in an effort to better serve our candidates and clients in key agricultural markets.  Their continued success is proof that Ag 1 Source is the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the Agricultural industry.

Job knowledge and job skills are much the same.  If you are employed, or even more importantly, unemployed, but aren’t on the lookout for ways to improve your knowledge and skills related to the position you have or want to have, you will ultimately end up looking like I did in those pictures from so long ago – a little awkward and out of place compared to everyone else today. 

So how, you might ask, do you find ways to stay current within your profession, industry or trade?  Here are a few suggestions you might consider:

1. Internet Research:  The wealth of material on any subject matter today is astonishing.  A quick search of the internet for key words within your area of expertise will bring up an unbelievable amount of current information that is available to you at the click of a mouse.  For example, I am a recruiter and I just keyed in the phrase “current events in the recruiting industry” and got over 9 million hits worth of data.  Not all are pertinent – one of those hits was for Tom Cruise, talking about Scientology – so you will have to filter a bit, but the point still remains…the information is out there…you just need to spend a few minutes searching for it. 
2.  Automatic Updates:  Many blogs and websites will offer you the opportunity to sign up for automatic updates / new content notifications related to your area of interest.  Sometimes this is done through an email directly to you, but you also can aggregate this information through an RSS feed.  I don’t have the time or space to get into the details of this, but essentially an RSS feed eliminates the need to go to each favorite / relevant website to check for new content and info daily.  Instead, by signing up for an RSS feed from that site, blog, or whatever, and it will automatically send the new content, which can save a bunch of time on a daily basis.  If you don’t already know what an RSS feed is or how to set one up, go to your favorite search engine, key in the term and there will be plenty of sites ready to help.  It is free and could be a great tool in your efforts to stay current within your profession.
3. Ongoing Education:  Obviously, seminars, conferences, webinars and various other educational opportunities can be a great source of information for you.  Many of these options are available at little or no cost to you.  They can be a valuable tool to stay current in your role because they cover some of the most salient issues of the day and also expose you to many others with the same goals, interests and aspirations.
4. Connections:  As mentioned above, the internet and the media are great sources of information, but there is no better place to go for input and insight than people within your area of interest.  By connecting with these friends, colleagues and experts, not only do you have the opportunity to ask them about current trends and events within the industry, you are also making valuable connections that could lead to great opportunities down the line.  Sites like LinkedIn, industry associations or trade groups are great places to start looking for these types of connections.  I have found if you show a genuine interest, most people are more than willing to talk about their passion and are very willing to help!

The truth is, I could go on and on about ways to stay connected and stay current, whether you have an existing role or if you are in the process of a job search.  The key is to recognize this is something that just must be done.  I know that many of us, especially those with lots of experience in a particular field, believe that experience alone is what will get us the opportunity for the next great role we aspire to land.  Unfortunately, if we don’t stay current within our profession and our industry, the experience we have from years past is only going to end up looking like my polyester shorts and tube socks.  Do they cover me up and do the job they are supposed to? Yep.  Are they enough to inspire confidence in my doubles partner or strike fear in my competition?  I think not. 

Article Written By: Career 1 Source (Ag 1 Source Affiliated Company) Recruiting Consultant David Weaver

Ag 1 Source Announces Shannon Worrell to Join Livestock & Animal Health Team

Mason, TX – September 15, 2011 – Ag 1 Source, the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the agriculture industry, today announced that Shannon Worrell will join the Livestock & Animal Health/Nutrition industry practice team.

“We are thrilled to have Shannon join the Ag 1 Source Recruiting Team.  Shannon brings a lifetime of experience to Ag 1 Source as a fourth generation rancher,” says Rick Rupp, Partner and Livestock Industry Division Lead.  “Her diversified background has allowed her to develop a tremendous network in the livestock industry.  Shannon has a successful track record of providing innovative business solutions to her livestock industry clients. We are confident that she will bring that same level of value to our clients and candidates in the southern region.”

“The high integrity and values first attracted me to Ag 1 Source when I was a client,” says Shannon.  “Then when asked to join the Ag 1 Source team, it was a natural fit.  I get to work closely with great ag companies and ag people.”

Prior to joining Ag 1 Source, Shannon had a successful 15 year career as a sales professional in the livestock industry.  Her experience covering the US and Mexico as a National Accounts Manager for Destron Fearing and Territory Manager, covering Texas and New Mexico, for Merial, have earned her coveted top sales awards.  Her vast experience in sales roles have allowed her to gain key knowledge in all segments of the industry.  Shannon’s particular familiarity allows her to feel and understand the intangible qualities that make a great placement.  A previous position as a loan officer in the Farm Credit system gives her the added dimension of financial knowledge and understanding that allow her to partner with her clients to develop business models and long range planning, including strategic placement of the right candidates.

About Ag 1 Source

Founded in 2002, Ag 1 Source has grown into a premier recruiting organization serving the needs of agricultural organizations and job seekers throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. With recruiting consultants strategically positioned around the U.S., they are committed to exceeding the expectations of clients.

Ag 1 Source is a trusted partner in the job placement process. With repeated investments in technology and training, they are continuing to add highly talented recruiting consultants in an effort to better serve our candidates and clients in key agricultural markets. Their continued success is proof that Ag 1 Source is the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the Agricultural industry.

“Getting Onboarding” article in Crop Life Magazine written by Ag 1 Source Recruiting Consultants Mark Esfeld and Mark Waschek

Onboarding is a human resource (HR) practice gaining traction throughout the ag industry. This is a process focused on engaging new hires in their job and helping them understand and embrace overall company vision. However, many of us in the retail agronomy business are left asking a simpler question: “How do I get this new employee in the saddle, trained on how we do things and generating a return, fast?”

The answer to the question is through an onboarding process built to help the employee learn a lot in a short period of time. The ability to make a new employee “stick” can often be tied to…

Read the full story.

About Ag 1 Source
Founded in 2002, Ag 1 Source has grown into a premier recruiting organization serving the needs of agricultural organizations and job seekers throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. With recruiting consultants strategically positioned around the U.S., they are committed to exceeding the expectations of clients.

Ag 1 Source is a trusted partner in the job placement process.  With repeated investments in technology and training, they are continuing to add highly talented recruiting consultants in an effort to better serve our candidates and clients in key agricultural markets.  Their continued success is proof that Ag 1 Source is the most trusted and reliable recruiting firm in the Agricultural industry.

In today’s electronic era, background checks are easily done with a click of the button.  Oh, you say, “I didn’t remember that DUI I had while I was in college 20 years ago”, and “I forgot to check the box about a conviction, plus my attorney told me it had been expunged off of my record”.  Guess again, if the company where you’re applying does a full spectrum background check.  It will still show up as a prior conviction.  Worse yet, because you didn’t disclose the information early on, you’re going to have to answer some uncomfortable questions about your prior background.  Worst case scenario, you’ve already started the job and the check comes back positive after a few days and they have to walk you out the door because of policy.  Right, wrong or indifferent, companies today are doing their full due-diligence to make sure what you put in writing on a resume and application holds up to their background checks.

Today’s job market is extremely competitive. With high unemployment and multiple people vying for the same job, it’s extremely important to not add extras to your resume unless you can back them up with proof.  Your past work history, dates of employment, salary, education, position titles, community involvement, the summary of job duties and responsibilities will all be scrutinized during the interview process.  A simple reference check by the recruiter to your past employer can easily check dates of employment, your title, and some companies will even verify salary information.  Even the slightest fib or embellishment on your resume or application will cause your integrity to come into question and more than likely put you out of the interview process.   

Make sure your job titles are accurately reflected as well as the exact status of your education.  Your resume should contain quantifiable accomplishments, not just what you were responsible for.  Can your personal references verify those quantifiable accomplishments?  If you have a 4-year degree, then state it accurately, such as a B.S. in Education.  If you don’t have a degree, then don’t imply that.  Remember, your resume will stay in the company’s database for a long time.  If you applied years ago with inaccurate information, and you try to apply again years later, with different information, you are going to be flagged immediately.  Make sure any and all electronic information via LinkedIn or other feeds are accurately lined up with your resume.  It just takes one falsely laid piece of information to get you taken out of the interview process.  In this day and age, it pays strong dividends to be honest about your background and experience.  Don’t be another George O’Leary.

Article Written By: Career 1 Source (Ag 1 Source Affiliated Company) Recruiting Consultant Steve Grant