Evaluating employees is
a necessary task for farm operators who hire workers. But employers
can also benefit from evaluating themselves. A group of farm employers
developed a list of questions for self-evaluation at a recent program
on agricultural labor management. Chuck Schwartau, Goodhue County
educator with the University of Minnesota Extension Service, says
the questions they came up with are:
· Are you fair to all employees and family members in the
farming operation?
· Are you open to suggestions, questions and criticism?
· Are you responsive to suggestions?
· Are you accessible to all, regardless of their working
schedules?
· Are you flexible in handling situations?
· Are you able to justify your decisions with sound reasoning?
· Are you approachable?
· How well do you communicate and promote communication among
the staff?
· What is your training program?
· Do your employees have the proper equipment to do the jobs
they are asked to do, and is the equipment safe?
· How is the working environment of your farm…the physical
worksite aspect?
· What is the working culture on your farm…the personal
aspect?
“How employees answer these questions could tell you a great
deal about why your farm operates as it does,” says Schwartau.
“A great deal of the success of the farm depends on those
doing the job.”
Schwartau says asking employees the questions yourself will probably
not get as honest a response as you need. This evaluation needs
to take place in a setting where employees feel safe to respond
and their responses can’t be traced back to individual employees.
A third-party interviewer who can conduct the interviews and summarize
them confidentially is essential.
