“Clearly defined skills, Tasks and room for nego­ti­a­tion”

How do you explain the recruit­ment chal­lenges?

This is a struc­tural problem, partly linked to the fact that there are less farmers, and conse­quently, fewer young people with an agri­cul­tural back­ground. As a result, 52% of recruit­ments in France are consid­ered diffi­cult. Tractor drivers and machine oper­a­tors are top of the list of the most sought-after profiles.

However, in rural areas agri­cul­ture is not the only sector under pres­sure. There is a direct compe­ti­tion with other sectors, like hospi­tality and catering, which are also expe­ri­encing labour short­ages.

Fewer young people from the sector means recruiting from outside the agri­cul­tural commu­nity. How can we achieve this?

One chal­lenge is the changing rela­tion­ship young people have with work. Many young people want to work remotely, take more time off, or work just enough hours to cover their basic needs. How can we recon­cile these expec­ta­tions with the constraints of our profes­sion?

In my view, the answer lies in direct dialogue between employer and employee at farm level, and in adopting an entre­pre­neurial approach to employ­ment. On the posi­tive side, this new gener­a­tion wants jobs that provide a sense of purpose.

In this respect, agri­cul­ture has a  lot to offer. It is a hands-on profes­sion working with living organ­isms and is grounded in strong values. It is also impor­tant to empha­sise the rich­ness and diver­sity of the work. No two days are the same; a world away from the office jobs that many people are trying to escape.

What best prac­tices should be put in place when recruiting?

Even today, 70% of agri­cul­tural recruit­ment happens through word of mouth. However, it is increas­ingly impor­tant to make better use of formal recruit­ment chan­nels. This starts with getting the job descrip­tion right, some­thing with which ANEFA regu­larly supports farmers.

A common mistake is a lack of clarity around the skills required, expected tasks and which aspects of the role are nego­tiable.

A common mistake is a lack of clarity around the skills required, expected tasks and which aspects of the role are nego­tiable. Language also matters. For example, it is more effec­tive to say “oppor­tu­nity to work outdoors” rather than “don’t be afraid of outdoor work”. It’s also worth taking inspi­ra­tion from the story­telling used for recruit­ment in other sectors. Tell the story of the farm, its values, its local roots and so on. This helps create an emotional connec­tion with the candi­date.

Should you invest to make your farm more attrac­tive?

Before making invest­ments, we recom­mend conducting a thor­ough review of the farm’s existing strengths as an employer, as these are often over­looked. In many cases, there are various attrac­tions, like offering training, assisting with accom­mo­da­tion or allowing employees to occa­sion­ally use the facil­i­ties if the farm hosts events or agri­tourism. There is no shortage of options, provided they are prop­erly promoted.

* ANEFA is a French national joint asso­ci­a­tion which supports employ­ment and training in the agri­cul­tural sector