BUSINESS CO DIARY
Once those boxes are ticked, it’s good to get existing employees to be part of the onboarding process. Get them to explain their role, which aids with teamwork and ensures everyone feels part of the team.
WEEK ONE AND TWO
For the first few weeks, make sure they have a clear work plan, including: • Having a copy of the roster • Knowing where and when to come to work • What they will be doing e.g., shadowing an employee, or assigned tasks independently. I find it’s important to have someone tasked to ‘check-in’ with your new employee every few hours, to make sure they know what they are doing, and to answer questions.
Taking care of new staff • Prepare accommodation, PPE, tools, and vehicles. tarting off a new season can be • Talk through and sign the employment exciting, but it can also be busy agreement and job description with your with new staff coming onfarm. employee. When anyone starts a new • Ensure a service tenancy is in place if job there is a lot to learn. employees are living onfarm. Having a good I also think it’s nice to give the onboarding experience employee an introduction to the is both important for area, especially if they have moved yourself, and your new towns or regions. This includes local employee. doctors, banks, schools, community This can help staff settle groups, and neighbors, to help them into their new job faster and feel more settled when they start. Lizzy Moore. have the best start possible. It also sets you off on the FIRST DAY OF THE JOB right foot, setting a great tone for your On the first day, there are a few legal employment relationship, while clarifying requirements that need to be met. This expectations and contributing to job includes filling out relevant paperwork, satisfaction. Here some tips for setting staff especially tax and Kiwisaver forms. If up for success in their first few weeks. providing accommodation, you must do a walk-through and complete a property BEFORE THEY START inspection form. A health and safety Prior to your new employee’s first day, induction also needs to occur. This covers make sure everything is in order including: emergency procedures and reporting • Filing documents from the recruitment health and safety issues. Then you should process, including CV, application form take them for a farm tour, pointing out and reference information. any farm hazards.
Words by: Lizzy Moore
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“I find it’s important to have someone tasked to ‘check-in’ with your new employee every few hours, to make sure they know what they are doing, and to answer questions.” We also know that good bosses have good communication, so at the end of each week personally check-in and see how they are doing. I know it can feel like training staff is time-consuming, but once people are trained, they free up your time and you will reap the rewards of your training efforts. I also find that staff who participate in regular training are generally more motivated, efficient, and likely to remain on your farm. Just remember to also record all employees’ training, whether it is formal or informal. Remember that onboarding does not stop at week two. Continue to check on new staff over their first few months to make sure that they are settling in. More information is available at dairynz.co.nz/onboarding. • Lizzy Moore is a consulting officer for DairyNZ in Cambridge.
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | May 2021
