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Individuals who are attracted to working in the extensive cattle industry want more than wages – they are looking for long-term security for themselves and their families so they can plan for their future, an industry-commissioned study has shown.

The key challenge for ‘medium-sized’ cattle enterprises is to avoid burning-out employees through too many work hours, a national survey has shown. Employees will tend to stay if they feel valued, respected, supported and are doing rewarding work.

Medium-sized employers occupy a substantial chunk of the cattle industry employment marketplace according to Meat & Livestock Australia’s “Attracting and Retaining Staff” research project.

Based on the findings of a national workforce survey of the pastoral livestock industry, the key features of medium-sized employers are that they:

• Employ 6-14 full-time staff
• Have a mix of mature and younger workers.
• Have a mixed-age workforce with 40pc being younger than 30 and 38pc between 40 and 59.
• Employees work long work hours and weeks.

There are compelling reasons for medium-sized employers to review their current attraction and retention practices, based on the results of the survey.

Staff shortages account for a loss of productivity between $15,200 and $51,000 annually, and the cost of staff turnover, on average, is $90,160 to $187,920/year. That assessment is based on cost of recruitment, loss of productivity and training.

While most of these costs are not transparent, they potentially have a significant impact on the long-term financial viability of medium-scale cattle enterprises.

In its project report, MLA has devised a series of strategies for medium-sized enterprise when engaging employees, designed to assist their sense of certainty about the future:

Ensure the basics are met

• Effectively communicate the total remuneration package showing the overall dollar figure for cash and non-cash items, incentives and bonuses
• Ensure fairness and consistency in the remuneration packages for similar roles
• Structure the remuneration package for pay on an hourly basis
• Link remuneration to workplace performance, rewarding specific concrete achievements
• Assist younger employees with saving and financial planning
• Investigate the ability for employees to have portable employee benefits.
• Provide good quality accommodation and well-maintained equipment.
• Foster an efficient, safe, healthy and harassment free work environment.

Ensure job tasks provide variety and learning

• Ensure employees have a clear understanding of the expectations of their role.
• Align job tasks to the employee’s knowledge, skills and experience.
• Find out what skills employees have and encourage multi-skilling.
• Provide training and opportunities to improve qualifications.

Provide a career path for each individual

• Provide a career plan with clear roles and responsibilities, the steps to move up the career ladder, what education and experience are required and how long it will take to progress.
• Provide leadership opportunities for male and female employees.
• Provide managers with training on career coaching.

Ensure employees have a work-life balance

• Monitor work hours and workload to avoid fatigue and risk to personal health. Encourage flexible hours, time in-lieu and taking holidays.
• Enhance the sense of well-being through employees experiencing a sense of community with fellow workers.

Ensure managers are approachable, supportive, good communicators

• Provide training to managers so they have the necessary communication, coaching and feedback skills to engage employees, specifically younger employees (Generation Y) and foster teamwork.
• Provide regular informal and formal performance feedback.
• Recognise hard work, commitment and experience.
• Address immediately individuals who are not performing effectively.

Provide a positive future of the property and its reputation

• Communicate the property’s track record, financial stability, demonstrated success and show that the company is well run, organised and is a quality operation.
• Provide guaranteed work where possible.
• Make employees the business’s ‘ambassadors’ and reward them for any staff referrals.

The full MLA project report can be read here.