A slight change to a famous quote places dairy farming right up there in the unenviable position of bringing together people to work with animals.  A well run team that compliment each other on a daily basis is a real asset to any farm business, but it is worth remembering that this doesn’t come without effort.

Our recent 5 year benchmarking report highlighted labour as consuming 16% of the total cost of milk production with the range from 14% to over 25%; very much related to working environment, training and overall structure.

If your business is about to go through a change in staffing, whatever the reason, it is an ideal time to review everything from the employment contract they sign, to the provision of a staff handbook highlighting ‘how things are done’ and a plan of formal training for the future.

If you have a settled team, that is good news, but what do you need to do to keep it that way?  Does everone really know the future for the farm and are they equiped with the skills that their role demands of them.

Ultimately, everyone who works on a farm wants to be involved, after all it is not a job that you just fall into!  But sometimes we can all say ‘yes’ to either a new role, responsibility or change and not be totally comfortable with what is being asked.  It is at times like this where independent eyes on the business can help you highlight key areas where improvements can be made.

At FCG we have a range of template employment contracts available alongside the ability to oversee where there might be key skills shortages and how your team can be made more effective.

For more information contact your local office or Chris at chriscoxon@fcgagric.com