Over the years, we’ve come to find that there are a couple of keys to finding good employees from this pool. It starts with how we advertise the positions. We ask friends and neighbors for leads, but we also reach out to local high school FFA programs. A few years ago, we developed an application system that allows students to tell us about themselves, their interest in the job, and any experience that might be pertinent.
I will be the first to admit that we’re still learning what works best for us. Of course, different farms have different considerations as well.
The right candidate
We find that the best results have come when we employ students who are inquisitive, intelligent, and hardworking.
An inquisitive personality can learn quickly. Students who love to learn also go beyond just what they are being asked to do and discover why we do things. This trait goes together with the second trait – intelligence.
My dad loves to ask prospective high school employees what their favorite subject is in school. More importantly, he asks them what kind of student they are. He’s not looking for their grade point average; he’s discovering how they look at their schoolwork and how important learning is to them.
The final trait, hardworking, is self-explanatory, but it’s the most difficult to discern in an interview. We like to ask questions about the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and how they use them to their benefit.
All this said, I return to my initial disclaimer. We haven’t cracked the code on hiring high schoolers. I am grateful for the many young people we’ve had apply, work for us, and go on to do great things. Getting to be part of their stories always makes us appreciative of the time they’ve spent with us.
The author is a dairy farmer in Kansas and a former associate editor at Hoard’s Dairyman. Raised on a 150-cow dairy near Valley Center, Kansas, Maggie graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in agricultural communications and animal sciences.
