We have recently expanded our sales team here at AgCareers.com, which meant taking a fresh look at our Account Manager job description. We realized the old description did not at all reflect our culture and the passion our team members have……we needed to make time for a revamp, even if it meant delaying the hiring process. This before and after displays where the message becomes more conversational and targeted to engage like-minded talent.
I can say from first-hand experience with the applicants, that the candidate pool was better with the revamped position description. We were attracting more people with passion that were interested in a career vs. just “a job”. People seemed to feel more connected to what we do.
As the world’s population is on pace to reach nearly 10 billion people by 2050, the number of employers that continue to recruit international talent continues to increase. The demand for talent in areas such as IT, research, engineering, and large scale animal/plant production specialists challenges employers’ ability to rely solely on domestic talent pipelines. The increased hiring of “expatriates” in developing countries in recent years is contributing to the demand for international talent as well. An expatriate (also known as an expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than his or her citizenship. Increased growth of large scale farming operations & modern food processing facilities in developing countries like Russia, China, and parts of Africa will continue to lead to lucrative opportunities for adventurous talent in North America. AgCareers.com is host to numerous opportunities like this.
Below are 5 tips to consider when recruiting internationally for talent:
Coca-Cola, Disney, and Starbucks all have the same thing going for them: They’re easily recognized brands. When a consumer sees one of those logos, certain expectations are associated with it, right?
As consumers we are inundated with brands on a daily, hourly, every minute basis. But, branding isn’t just necessary for marketing products, it is imperative for recruiting talented employees as well. Over the past 10+ years we’ve seen employer branding become crucial in this competitive job seeker market. More and more employers are focusing on it, but why?
Dr. John Sullivan (www.drjohnsullivan.com) provides a concise list of excellent reasons for employers to focus on their employer brand:
Advantages of Becoming an Employer of Choice
1. Sixty-four percent of companies who participated in the annual AgCareers.com Agribusiness HR Review estimate 1-5% of their current workforce will retire in the next 2 years. Talent doesn’t grow on trees but its growing at colleges & universities across the country!
2. Looking for local talent? According to CollegeBoard.org80% of students begin college in a state where they are a resident. Attending a campus career fair will give you access to talent who wants to stay in your area.
3. Think new grads lack knowledge? The millennial generation entering the workforce now is tremendously innovative. Just consider all the social media outlets and apps they’ve developed in the last 5 years!
4. In the 2015 AgCareers.com Internship Benchmark Survey49% of interns in the agriculture industry from across the country said they learned about their internship through career services/at a career fair.
Well, another Ag & Food HR Roundtable has come and gone already! Last week was an exciting whirlwind of new and familiar faces, in-depth conversations on recruitment and retention in agricultural business, riveting speakers, and way too much (but good) food.
I caught up with Breanna Lee, the West Region Recruiter for Crop Production Services, and Emily Gray, Director of Student Services at the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, to see what they thought of the 2015 Ag & Food HR Roundtable during the event in St. Charles, Missouri. Breanna attended her first Roundtable event this year while Emily attended her 13th.
Victoria Price serves as the Marketing Intern, operating out of the Ames, Iowa office. Victoria is a rising junior from the University of Florida and joined AgCareers.com for this summer.
Originally from Florida, Victoria will return back the University of Florida and continue pursuing a degree in Public Relations after she finishes the internship program August 12th.
Q: What do you do on a day-to-day basis?
I work on many different marketing projects that have been assigned to me with different deadlines. I put together the Internship Benchmark Survey and wrote blogs, newsletters, and an employer guide article. I am working with Ashley Collins and Kristine Penning on social media development for AgCareers.com. One of my main responsibilities has been helping prepare material and corresponding with Ag and Food HR Roundtable attendees to promote the conference.
Q: What do you enjoy about working here?
I enjoy the people and variety of work experience I have encountered. AgCareers.com is a very team and family oriented business, where all the coworkers genuinely care about each other. I have really enjoyed getting to know the whole team and feeling so welcomed being a part of it. The variety of projects I have done, have really given me wonderful work experience that I will be able to take with me in the future.