Hobart-based Abbie Crow – who is Compass Agri Australia Human Resources and Relationship Manager – says emphasis on supporting employment and people development has secured a suite of benefits for the 2,000-hectare dairy business in the past two years.
“Our emphasis on supporting employment and people development has led to a shift in the dairy business’s workplace culture,” Abbie says.
“The farm workplace culture has become more progressive and competitive, which, in turn, has led to an overall increase in dairying productivity and profitability.”
Drawing on her experience supporting and developing 35 staff members across multiple farm teams in the Derwent Valley and at Cressy, Abbie says these advances stem from a mix of measures.
For instance, Compass Agri Australia sees its farm employees engage in four to five training sessions a year, including those run by Dairy Australia. This development program most recently saw staff participate in a Downer Cow training session delivered by Dairy Australia at Ouse, Tasmania, in late July.
Other training options noted for their value to the business include a series of Lean Management workshops for dairy farmers, information sessions exploring milk supply with Saputo Dairy Australia and refresher courses. These cover a wide-range of issues, from mastitis and hoof health to dry-off.
Abbie says that complementing the training sessions, the business’s farm management team has also fostered a workplace culture and environment that strives to diversify the skill set of staff in the course of daily work.
“People development is a major focus for our farm managers, who aim to continually present farm staff with new opportunities for learning as part of their day-to-day work,” she says.
“The everyday focus on upskilling our employees has helped to build diverse on-farm skills and credentials, which has increased professional engagement, workplace satisfaction and staff retention.
“Our team members want to turn up to work. Plus, we promote work-life balance and encourage staff to support, and engage with, the local communities nearby our farms.”
Providing learning pathways tailored to the individual interests and professional aspirations of staff is another important component of the business’s people development strategy.
This year, for instance, the business assisted a new employee to enrol in a TAFE Certificate II Course in Agriculture to improve his overall knowledge of the dairy industry and the wider agriculture sector.
“Better understanding of the dairy industry – gained from learning with a broad and specific focus – has increased the professional confidence of our staff, boosted their engagement and has ultimately improved workplace performance,” Abbie says.
The varied, customised approach to learning is supported by a quarterly review structure and five-year plans that are developed in consultation with each staff member.
To find out more about how Dairy Australia provides support with employing and managing people, and building skills for successful careers in dairy farming, contact your regional team today or visit People | Dairy Australia
