Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) officially launched its new online ‘Employment Hub’, a one-stop shop for farm owners and managers to assist them as employers.
“Farmers have told us that they are struggling to employ and retain staff with unclear entry points, limited employment experiences and little to no support during this process,” says Jeremy Baker, B+LNZ’s Chief Insights Officer.
“Our Employment Hub pulls together all the information and resources into eight stages of employment to help assist both employers and employees with recruitment, defining on-farm roles, the application process, employee development, and more.”
North Otago sheep and beef farmer Jo Hay who already used B+LNZ’s Employment Hub says, “a staff member resigned recently, and it has been a great go-to resource to organise their exit and also our recruitment process moving forward.”
“All you have to do is click on the category and it will drop down with relevant resources,” says Jo.
The wider project will see the creation of a supporting farmer network made from B+LNZ’s Farmer Council members across the country who have a special interest in the area.
“We know farmers learn best form other farmers, and knowledge transfer is vital in the industry. The network will share experiences, tips and tricks and help farmers when it comes to recruitment and employment questions. The network will also identify other farmers who could be good mentors in this space and are able to demonstrate and promote good practice,” says Jeremy.
“We are deliberately not focusing on legal and human resource support because Federated Farmers, local Chambers of Commerce, and many commercial operators already provide this information.”
The webpage will be developed to provide advice and guidance on all aspects of recruitment and retention for farmers, as well as recommended contacts to engage with regarding farmers’ legal requirements as an employer.
This is part of B+LNZ’s commitment to supporting, growing, training and retaining people in our sector.
“B+LNZ collaborates with many partner organisations to extend our reach and make a greater impact. We will work with our extensive list of partnering organisations in this space to continue to develop the tool so that it is as practical as possible for farmers,” explains Jeremy.
About B+LNZ’s commitment to People & Training
Learn more about B+LNZ’s commitment to People & Training on B+LNZ’s website. Contact B+LNZ’s People & Training team at peopleandtraining@beeflambnz.com
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For more information, please contact Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Communications Advisor Abigail Delaney at Abigail.Delaney@beeflambnz.com or 027 290 9891.