Multiple studies have shown that 76% of employees leave their jobs because of their managers. And it’s not the manager’s skills that employees find fault with—it’s their style. This means that hiring managers is a critical task in your agriculture business. What should you look for and ask candidates when filling managerial roles?

Consider Behavioral Assessments

“Bringing behavioral assessments into the process can be very beneficial,” says Rhonda Werner, Director of People & Culture/Recruiting Partner, Ag1Source. “A behavioral assessment won’t say if a candidate is going to be a good manager, but it will give indications of how they manage.”

Behavioral assessments can identify if a manager is more collaborative or micromanaging in their approach. These assessments can evaluate a candidate’s style in managing and how they communicate with employees.

“It’s hard for communication to thrive when a manager and employee have conflicting styles and communication preferences,” Werner says. “That mismatch in expectations can make an employee unhappy.”

When interviewing for a managerial position, Werner suggests that hiring managers should dig into references, even more so than the candidate’s interview. References can reveal if a candidate was able to build positive relationships with customers, colleagues and their manager, if they return correspondence in a timely manner, and how accessible they are.

“Of course, a candidate is going to paint themselves in the best possible light during an interview,” Werner says. “But if you can’t ever get hold of a manager, that’s a problem.”

Top Performer Does Not Equal Good Manager

An important point to note is that a company’s top salesperson may not be their best manager, simply because the skill sets are very different.

“We have to get out of the mentality that top performers can slide into management without any training,” Werner says. “We have to find people to be managers who are adaptable.”

Training for new managers should include guidance on working with direct reports, conducting one-on-one discussions and being a team player.  They should also learn their communication style, how they like to be communicated with and how their employees like to be communicated with, and most importantly, learn how to best communicate with each other.

“Managers can’t be so individualistic,” Werner notes. “Do they say ‘I’ all the time, or give credit where it’s due? If they are very focused on themselves, that could be a red flag.”

Management Dos/Don’ts

Managers, if you want to build credibility with your team and retain them, follow these do’s:

• Have integrity. Direct reports should feel like their manager has their back.
• Filter direction from company leadership.
• Be honest and up front.
• Be organized.
• Lead and lift others up. Help employees improve, rather than telling them what to do. When your team finishes a project, don’t make it all about yourself—spread the love around.

There are some definite don’ts that Werner says managers should follow:

• Don’t micromanage. Trust your employees until they give you a reason not to. Assume they can do the job they’ve been hired to do and let them do it.
• Be responsive.
• Help your direct reports be successful in their careers through career growth. Don’t stifle their career goals. Be open with employees about other positions within the company that may be a good fit.
• Be transparent. Don’t be political, gossip, or have favorites.