Considerations for Hiring Those Who Did Not Grow Up on a Farm

Candidates who grew up on a farm are a rare commodity in today’s agriculture industry. With the U.S. agriculture industry only making up 2 percent of the total population, there’s a deficit of young people who grow up with traditional ag experience. However, agricultural companies should not turn away candidates who are still passionate about ag, even if they don’t hail from a farm.

“A huge percentage of people with agriculture degrees that we work with didn’t grow up on a farm, but fell into the industry for various reasons,” says Rhonda Werner, Director of Culture & Marketing, Integra Partners. “Taking college classes only teaches you so much and cannot give you those skills that farm kids or those with hands-on farm experience get.”

There are still many people who find the agriculture industry to be a desirable field to work in, but it’s going to take some flexibility on the part of agricultural companies to take the available talent and mold it into what they really need.

Investing in Employees

Werner says that agriculture companies should consider bringing back training programs to give a boost to new hires without ag experience. Many companies had moved away from providing training programs for new hires due to budget cuts, but they are very much needed, according to Werner. Many smaller agriculture companies don’t have the budget to offer training programs, and thus require more ag experience from candidates, while larger ag companies can offer some leniency because there are more employees to help train a new employee without ag background.

“Agricultural employers should also get creative,” she says. “For example, equipment dealerships will offer to pay for diesel tech school, a set of tools and promising a job after graduation for new technicians to sign a three-year commitment to the organization.”

Investing in those new employees is worth the time, effort and money, Werner notes, especially if you’re in the ag retail space. Equipping salespeople with the knowledge of how to work with farmers is very different than typical business to business sales.

Soft Skills > Technical Skills

“If a candidate has the soft skills you need, like a good work ethic and communication skills, it can be a worthwhile investment to bring them up to speed on the technical skills required for the position,” Werner says. “But you can’t just keep someone in a sales role without growth opportunities for them to move up.”

Today’s candidates want a clear picture of their career path and how they can continue to grow when taking a role. Werner encourages managers to talk with their employees and plot out a career path to crystallize everyone’s expectations.

“Employees are tired of going to a job without any stability,” she says. “Sometimes, young people think they know what they want to do, but then discover they want to do something else.”

For example, a new diesel technician may have made a three-year commitment, only to figure out that diesel mechanics isn’t right for them. In that case, Werner encourages employers to consider other options—is there a different role within the dealership where that employee can serve out the rest of their commitment while learning and growing?

The critical piece of this is that an employer must then follow through on their end of the deal by offering a deserving employee the chance to move up. Holding an excellent employee in a position because they’re crushing it—and not allowing them to grow—will only backfire on an employer, according to Werner.

Transitioning to Ag Later in Life

From time to time, a more experienced professional may make the transition into the ag industry. Werner says that in those situations, the company will have to determine what that candidate can bring to the organization and how the company can leverage their skills.

Werner encourages those candidates who don’t have hands-on farm experience to take the initiative to learn more about the agriculture industry. Volunteering, pro bono work, and involvement in community organizations can even provide opportunities to dive deeper into the ag industry.