As labor shortages continue to be a foremost pain point for almost every industry, it has forced companies to adapt to a new way of working. As a result, candidates are in a unique position to be picky about their next career choice, leading to more companies offering better work-life balance for their employees to meet modern workplace demands so they can increase hiring and retention rates.

For the businesses in the Ag industry in need of C-Suite and executive-level talent, labor shortages are incredibly challenging. Unfortunately, most companies have stuck to a conventional way of working and haven’t done much to combat these shortages like other industries.

This is especially true for high-level leadership, C-Suite, and executive roles since employers have been hiring predominantly from the baby boomer generation to fill those and the number of talented baby boomers in the workforce who have the right credentials and pedigree are dwindling. This is due to the increased pace of retirement of older workers. Between the current candidate shortage and the retiring ranks of Ag executives, it’s now more important than ever to adapt to the job market’s needs.

Labor Shortages Demand Change in Economic Opportunities for Workers

Many professionals in today’s job market are moving to areas that offer better benefits, salaries, and job flexibility. This is making many businesses rethink how they advertise and recruit for open positions. Many are trying a different approach, to add new benefits, or highlight existing benefits that will make the role more appealing to these professionals.

Here are some of the most common modern workplace demands that Ag companies should look into to attract the industry’s best executive talent.

Work Flexibility Is a Must

One of the most sought-after company perks is work flexibility. Workplace flexibility can mean many things, but it often revolves around allowing employees to choose where they work and creating a schedule that works best. Giving your team the ability to create schedules and work remotely offers companies many benefits beyond employee happiness. 

Benefits of work flexibility can include improved retention rates and attracting top talent. If you’re looking to keep your current workforce around for longer, giving them the option to work when they want is a huge retention boost. Additionally, IWG conducted a survey that found 80% of workers would select a job that offers flexible work options over those that did not. Most of today’s job seekers value having a healthy work-life balance and expect that in their next career.

Better Benefits

Updating your benefits is an excellent strategy if you want to retain or find new top talent for your high-level leadership roles. Benefit options for higher-level positions can include:

• Annual incentives and bonuses
• Stock options
• Split-Dollar Plan for Life Insurance
• Executive Medical Reimbursement Plan

Companies can retain and recruit key employees, encourage a healthy and productive workforce, boost culture and morale, and have a foundation for growth when they have a robust benefits package. A solid benefits package is a must to win over top talent in the current job market.

Make Education More Accessible 

Another offering Ag companies should consider is personal and career growth for their employees. Offering mentoring programs, internships, scholarships, and collaborative workshops is a great way to bring young talent into the Ag industry. The younger generations desire learning, upskilling, and training to further their careers, allowing companies to train their next leaders. Learn more about bridging the gap and recruiting young professionals to the agriculture industry.

Uniting Face-to-Face Relationship Building and Virtual Communication

As the COVID-19 pandemic has showcased, employees can execute work at a high level of quality and successfully build relationships online. But, agriculture is a social industry, and face-to-face communication still needs to happen.

Isolation both showed us how essential in-person communication is and how virtual communication can be an asset to any company. It’s critical to offer a remote option to attract new top talent, but companies will want to find a happy medium of what is done in person and what can be done online.

Ag 1 Source

At Ag 1 Source, our team of recruiters specializes in helping companies find new top talent as the baby boomer generation retires. Each of our recruiters has a background in agriculture—meaning they come from the industries they are helping locate qualified candidates. We understand your pain points, challenges, and wants as an Ag business. Contact us today to learn more about how Ag 1 Source can find you the next generation of Ag leaders and find ways to overcome modern workplace demands.