Volume 7, Number 1, Winter-Spring 1998
Every year, especially at harvest time, many agricultural managers face a sudden influx of employees. A well-planned employee orientation can do much to help make this transition as painless as possible and get new employees off on the right foot immediately.
The essence of effective management is to get the job done right through other people. Business success depends on the quality of performance that managers get from their employees, which in turn hinges upon not only the workers' abilities but also the instructions they receive, the standards the organization sets for them, and the company rules under which they function. The work environment created by the employer and the performance pattern that an employee establishes during the first few days will have a strong influence on that person's attitude, productivity, and team spirit for weeks, months, and even years to come. This holds true even for seasonal workers, since many return to the same employer year after year.
A former personnel manager and mentor taught me a valuable lesson: Once bad habits are developed, and unacceptable standards of performance tolerated, they are hard to change. Workers tend to fall into good or bad patterns very early in their employment.
Steering new employees on desirable paths and monitoring success is a primary responsibility of management, generally the task of first-line supervisors in most agricultural firms. If it is not done well, one likely result is high employee turnover that disrupts work and raises costs associated with recruiting, hiring, training, some payroll taxes, and workers' compensation. Agricultural firms need stable, productive workers to operate efficiently. If managers want to mold workers' performance from the beginning, they cannot afford to treat the orientation employee process casually.
In many organizations, however, the orientation process is either short or nonexistent. The best way to begin cultivating committed, high-performance employees is through an organized introduction to the values, culture, and expected work ethic of the business, as well as to their particular jobs. Ideally, it includes filling out personnel forms, having the job duties explained and maybe reading or listening to job descriptions, reviewing the company handbook if there is one, taking a tour of the new surroundings, meeting co-workers, and starting the work day. All of these activities are important.
What else can be done to prepare employees for a new work environment? It helps if company rules and standards are clearly communicated in the orientation, including management's expectations that workers will perform to a specified level after being trained. New employees should be given explicit goals and work performance standards to meet or exceed in definite time periods. Fewer conflicts will occur if rules are evenly enforced over time and across the workforce. If after some time it is necessary to terminate a problem employee, it is best if others in the workplace see that the termination is deserved.
Employers can help new workers learn the job and can improve the firm's bottom line by stressing the importance of safety from the start. Reinforcing safe work behavior will help to reduce the frequency of accidents and cost of workers' compensation premiums in the future. Eighty to ninety percent of all injury incidents are reportedly caused by human error. Recently hired employees are involved in a disproportionate number of accidents and in general file a greater number of workers' compensation claims. By providing workers with safety information, scheduling regular safety training, and calling attention to specific safe and unsafe acts, managers and co-workers alike can increase safety recognition at work.
Creating a successful orientation process takes time and effort. Before beginning, you may want to get the opinions of those who have recently joined your firm and invite them as well as veteran employees to participate in the development. In preparing for an orientation, consider answering some questions for yourself before the new hire shows up:
Initial impressions are often lasting ones, so special care should be taken to provide the employee with a helpful introduction. The following are suggested elements to include in an orientation.
Pre-hire
Realistic job previews are a good tool to open communication lines with employees, manage initial expectations, and begin to set work standards. When given ample information about the job, uninterested or unqualified applicants may walk away, and hired employees are likely to provide a better fit with the organization. Explain how to perform the essential work tasks and responsibilities of the job, and give an idea of what an "average" day on the job might entail, both positive and negative aspects. Larger organizations often present this information on video, but the advantage of doing it in person is that it allows for questions and answers at any time. The common result from using a job preview is reduced turnover, which could save substantial money and time.
Use the I-9 form to verify that the individual is legally eligible to work. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 has altered employer sanctions, anti-discrimination, and document fraud rules. Failure to properly complete, maintain, or present the form for inspection may subject a person or entity to penalties. If the I-9 is not properly completed but the employer has made a "good-faith attempt" to comply, the government inspector must explain the problem and allow the employer at least 10 business days to correct it. If the failure then is not corrected voluntarily, penalties may be imposed.
The number of acceptable documents for I-9 employment verification will soon be cut from 29 to around 13. Documents that will probably no longer be accepted as proof of identity or eligibility to work include a school ID card, voter's registration card, and birth certificate. (An employer information webpage sponsored by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service is available through the APMP website or at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/employer/iirirawb.htm. It carries the latest updates on the form itself and rules for completing it to verify employment eligibility. The site includes a downloadable I-9 Form).
Initial welcome
Hours of work, pay policies
Discuss work hours, starting and stopping times, tardiness and absenteeism policies, and the call-in procedure if an employee cannot make it to work. Give information about the work schedule and its variability.
The job
Brief employees about work and training procedures. To enhance learning in on-the-job training, present one task at a time, step by step, in a logical manner. Related tasks should be learned together in one training session and repeated often on the job to increase retention. Give occasional, timely breaks to allow an opportunity to rest. Closely supervise the employee's first efforts, immediately correct errors, and reinforce successes until performance standards are met. Allow more independence as competence grows, and keep a record of the employee's progress for future reference.
General information and procedures
Safety
Involve workers in safety management by encouraging them to submit suggestions. Also, allow employees to take turns presenting tailgate safety sessions, and reward contributors.
Remember that according to California regulations following the U.S. EPA Worker Protection Standard, even field workers require pesticide safety training on the first day before entering a treated field. For legal and administrative purposes, all safety training should be documented. Inform employees of the general safety policies in the Injury and Illness Prevention Program and give them a copy of your rules covering the following items:
After a specified period of time, it is a good idea to evaluate the new employee to decide whether he or she is performing adequately and making adequate progress in learning the job. The evaluation is more beneficial if it also gives the employee developmental information, suggestions for improvement, and praise for what he or she is doing right.
Conduct an exit interview after seasonal layoff or employment termination. Decide whether or not the individual has performed well enough to be invited back next year. Keep track of the employee's permanent address and send, by certified mail, a letter offering re-employment shortly before the work starts next season. Whatever the immediate result, you stand to gain. If the individual agrees to return, you are likely to have a more productive, experienced workforce. If your letter goes unanswered or your offer is refused, your unemployment insurance costs may be reduced.
These employment practices may seem time consuming at first glance, but they generally cost less time and money than damaged equipment, mishandled crops, large medical bills, high workers' compensation premiums after frequent or severe injuries, and governmental fines. All employee orientations and safety training sessions should be documented in writing. A well-conceived and reinforced orientation can help set the stage for high employee productivity and positive work attitudes.
Knowing and using efficient agricultural production methods often are not enough to make for a successful operation. If growers and processors hire labor, they and their supervisors also must be effective managers and trainers. The ability to lead, manage, and structure work practices comes with experience, knowledge, and the use of appropriate management tools and techniques. It helps if lines of communication are opened at the outset of employment. Make sure that rules and standards are adhered to while encouraging employee participation in some decisions. A reliable, productive, and conscientious employee is a valuable asset to any business.