Tell us why you started Align Talent.
“I provide recruiting services as well as industry and market analysis for companies and individuals within the ag industry. I specialize in sales leadership and operational roles exclusively for agriculture and ag tech companies throughout the United States. My mission is to use my experience and knowledge of the industry having worked in the industry for 27 years and having worked in a lot of the positions that I recruit for.”
What’s your philosophy about recruiting?
“While recruiting has never been part of my title, it’s always been a large part of what I’ve done, and I found that very fulfilling to be able to put the right people in the right seat on the bus and watch them grow.”
How can companies create greater success through the recruitment process and employment tenure?
One of the best ways is to spend the time to talk about what’s in it for the candidate. The companies that have embraced that and take the time to explain the role in terms of what the progression is throughout their career are the companies that are being most successful. Everybody wants to continue to progress within the compensation ranks. But people stay where they feel like they’re respected, they’re heard and they’re supported.
What’s a key driver changing the roles needed in the ag industry?
“One of the biggest things that is having an impact on the roles within agriculture is technology. It’s rapidly transforming how we do business and also the skill sets that are needed within the professionals and employees that work within the industry. We’re hiring for jobs today that we didn’t even know existed, just a few years ago.”
What are the biggest pain points in the labor force for ag retail?
As long as I’ve been in agriculture a challenge is finding the people. There’s such a high demand for the services and things that retailers provide, and not everybody is willing or able to commit to that level of service that’s needed. Technology is one of the ways that we’re addressing that as we try to take labor out of out of every operation within ag retail. For example, the automation systems within the chemical buildings and fertilizer buildings are what used to take 2 to 3 people to operate, and now you can get by with maybe one or one and a half people.
What trends do you see in tenures across the industry?
We’re seeing a real trend in the aging of our demographic within ag retail. A lot of our operators and leadership, or within 5 to 10 years of retirement. There seems to be a real gap when it comes to those folks that have 5 to 10 years’ worth of experience to come back in and fill those shoes. When I first got into business, you could see building careers in the industry, staying throughout their career, or spending 9 to 10 years in their in their job. And now 2 to 3 years stints are usually pretty common.
How are you seeing businesses solve for these problems?
The leaders within the industry are looking outside of just the industry For example, if you’re a person who knows how to how to sell, they may not have sold chemicals and fertilizer and technology, but they can very well be taught. Or for an applicator role, if you’re bringing somebody from the outside who knows how to operate equipment and is mechanically inclined, they can very much be taught how to how to operate our equipment. The ones that are that are getting on board with this approach the quickest are the ones that are really starting to bridge that gap the fastest.
Is there a formula for higher retention?
High retention teams usually have a strong communication, clear expectation and supportive family like culture. Within that organization your brand as an employer is more visible than ever. Candidates are researching companies online and listening to what others have to say about them. Telling your story, whether through social media, employee spotlights or community involvement, those types of things also help attract aligned candidates.
