Training your pig farming team for business success
Pig farming is hard work, with long and antisocial hours, and it can be a smelly environment.
Why would anyone want to work in this industry? This is a question I get asked many times by farmers who attend our workshops and accredited courses.
It is the common theme that staff recruitment and retention is the biggest challenge because there aren’t enough people to do the work. But what if there were enough people, why would they want to work for you?
Staff motivation is crucial in keeping teams productive and retaining staff, and the most important element of motivation is understanding that staff are different and have varying preferences.
One team member may prefer more money, one might like a beer on a Friday, and some appreciate training and development opportunities. By identifying which team members are switched on to which motivators, it will help to focus efforts.
Having training plans for each member of staff means you can identify the right opportunities to make the most of their skills. Some will want to focus on technical capabilities and some on managerial or leadership roles. Matching the right person with the right training will save time and money.
A great way to do this is by using a skills matrix; this enables the supervisor or manager to list all the required capabilities to do the role, plus the desired skills needed for the staff member to progress. Alongside this list will be the individual’s current score for that particular area. Your hotspots for training are where the areas score low. You can find examples of skills matrixes for pig producers on the AHDB website: pork.ahdb.org.uk/skills-training/human-resources-toolkit.
Someone recently told me: “Training without action is just entertainment.” Investing in training is not free. Whether there is a financial cost or the cost of your own time in training someone up, there is a recognised resource used. However, this is far less than the cost to recruit and replace an unmotivated member of staff. The true cost to a business of replacing a skilled and experienced member of staff has been quoted many times, from £5,000 up to £30,000! Just compare this to the cost of training…
For less than £500 you could put someone on AHDB’s Effective Manager Programme, which has a track record of candidates returning that investment (with interest!) back to their business within the first year. Not to mention, it can lead to an Institute for Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 3 Award in Management.
If you would like to find out more about this course and other training tips and hints, email skills@ahdb.org.uk
Amie Burke, Skills Development Manager, AHDB Pork
