Does Your Farm's Culture Pass This Easy Test?
Just like a fingerprint, every farm has a distinct culture that is unique only to them. While the culture may not always be visible, it’s there. And according to Jim Versweyveld, Farm Management Outreach Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, prioritizing culture is often overlooked when it comes to employee management and retention.
“Farm culture affects the day-to-day operation of the farm and the relationship between managers and employees,” Versweyveld says. “Leaders may aspire to provide a culture that fosters a positive workplace, but ultimately, it’s what employees actually experience that truly defines that farm’s culture. In other words, the workplace culture is not what the farm leadership team believes it to be, but what the farm employees perceiveit to be.”
To help sort through the beliefs and perceptions, Versweyveld suggests conducting a short survey to gain a better understanding on how your farm’s culture ranks.
“Culture surveys can provide leaders with valuable insight on the farm’s employee experience,” he adds. “If well designed and properly executed, these surveys can provide feedback that would often not be shared directly through conversations with the team.”
The University of Wisconsin provides the following example when it comes to crafting a farm culture survey. Make sure to translate the survey into the native language for non-English speaking employees or have a translator your employee feels comfortable talking with verbally conduct it.
Once the survey results have been compiled, it’s time to determine how your farm ranks. Operations that score lower than expected should use these results to determine what areas need attention and formulate a plan to address them.
3 Tips to Improve Your Farm’s Culture
When it comes to improving the culture of your operation, Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance Inc, offers a few words of wisdom.
“Everybody on your farm or organization has a place, and as a leader or as a person of influence, your job is to help them be a part of that,” he says. “You want people who work with you to say, ‘This is why I love this. I love having these people on my team. I love this farm. I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.’ It is all about the experience you create.”
To help create a better work experience for your employees, Hoffman recommends doing the following:
Do the Random and Unexpected
“I want you to find ways to be random and do things for people that are unexpected,” Hoffman says. “Think of it like the mint on your pillow at a hotel. It’s a positive thing that not everybody always expects. It doesn’t have to be huge. It could be as simple as having a joke board in the office, but it’s random and unexpected, and people enjoy that.”
Some examples of this might include:
- Feeding calves together
- Bringing in doughnuts for the morning shift
- Handing out popsicles on hot summer days
“You have to have a heart that is constantly thinking, ‘How can I wow you? How can I do just a little something that makes somebody go, ‘I appreciate that.’”
Look at the Process Put in Place
Serving your people takes a lot of work, but you can’t forget about the business side of things while taking care of your employees. Therefore, it’s important to put a process in place to better help you serve. This includes:
- Putting time on your calendar to talk with employees
- Following up with employees after a conversation
- Scheduling regular meetings and employee trainings
Create Joy
People enjoy coming to work when they work in a fun environment. Take time to find little ways to create a positive experience for your employees.
“Life is already hard enough, it’s important to make time for joy and fun. Your team will love it,” Hoffman says. “I can’t emphasize this enough – joy is power. I promise you, people want to have a good time, and they can’t do that if they dread going to work.”
Some examples of fun activities include:
- Host a farm bowling tournament
- Have a soccer competition with the neighboring farm
- Taking time to celebrate employee birthdays
Don’t let your farm be just another place to work. Instead, take time to create a positive experience and craft a unique culture that your employees want to be a part of.
