Anyone who has been in the agribusiness industry definitely understands the difficulty that comes with hiring workers. It is one of the sectors that has been experiencing a lot of shortages of qualified professionals in the past few years.
The problem is partly attributed to the small number of people who want to pursue agribusiness courses both in lower and higher institutions of learning. This has made it difficult to get graduates who are specialized in different areas of agriculture.
According to a survey conducted recently by the Australian government through the department of agriculture, the number one challenge facing the sector is getting candidates that have the requisite qualification to perform the job in question.
Below are 10 challenges of hiring agribusiness workers:
1. Getting people who have the passion and long-term commitment
This is one of the challenges that most agribusiness companies pointed during a survey. Very few individuals have the passion and commitment to engage in agribusiness. Agriculture or agribusiness is generally viewed as a second-class career that no one wants to associate themselves with.
2. Lack of proper knowledge about the agricultural sector
Many people do not really understand agriculture and its importance. Some see it in a more basic manner without proper knowledge of what it entails. That’s why some agribusiness companies have taken the initiative to create public awareness about the sector.
3. Low wages compared to other sectors
There’s no doubt that the agricultural sector is among the ones that pay workers low wages. This is probably why many people tend to shy away in favor of other sectors such as medicine and law – where remuneration is higher. For example, the kind of salary a medical doctor earns is nothing compared to an agribusiness officer. These are some of the things that people look at when looking for jobs.
4. Being confined in rural areas
This has also emerged as a major challenge when it comes to recruiting agribusiness workers. Many young people prefer living in urban areas. This means that any job that is likely to force them to move to rural areas is a no. This has made it hard to even get people to apply for jobs in dairy industry.
5. Getting the right people for the job
Most of the people who get recruited to the agricultural sector often come just because they needed a job and not that they were qualified for whatever position they applied for. What does that mean? People end up in the wrong positions where they can’t perform as expected.
6. Longevity of employment
In the modern world, it is difficult to get people who stay in one job for a long time. Most of them will get recruited today and after a few months, they are looking for a job in a totally different sector. This makes it difficult to nurture talent and grow experience in the industry.
7. Unrealistic expectations
Some workers often come to the agribusiness sector with a lot of unrealistic expectations. They want to get employed today and achieve a thousand goals by tomorrow. When that doesn’t happen, they become demoralized and decide to quit. This means that the company has to start looking for a replacement again.
8. Finding candidates with relevant experience
Getting candidates who have previous experience in the agricultural sector is not easy. Most of those who quit other agribusiness companies never want to join businesses in the same sector. They choose to cross completely different fields. Hiring employees that don’t have any experience in the field means that the company has to spend more in terms of training.
9. Next-generation talent
This is another major challenge faced in the agricultural sector. Not many young people are willing to join agribusiness compared to other sectors. This is probably because most of them view agribusiness as a “dirty” kind of career reserved for the old and rural folks.
10. Poor perception about agribusiness jobs
There’s generally a poor perception held by the public about agribusiness. Most people see it as a less serious career that doesn’t need bright minds. They think that agribusiness is all about farming and selling produce. This makes agribusiness job opportunities unattractive to many young people in the country.
About the Author:
Eric Reyes is a passionate thought leader having been featured in 50 distinguished online and offline platforms. His passion and knowledge in Finance and Business made him a sought-after contributor providing valuable insights to his readers. You can find him reading a book and discussing current events in his spare time.
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