Sexism in the workplace is a complicated topic that can be very difficult for both men and women to deal with. Effective methods of coping and reacting depend very much on the situation and the individuals involved. But most importantly, people should understand that no one should have to deal with harassment or sexism in the workplace. In any situation, if a person feels threatened or harassed, they should go to management or their human resources department immediately.
While overt sexual harassment is a very real problem, many people have to deal with more indirect forms of discrimination which can be difficult to navigate. Specifically, many women are expected to tolerate sexist jokes, pet names, comments about appearances and expectations that they take on a disproportionate share of office domestic work and tasks. What can women or men do in these situations? Ideally, we would want people to call out sexist behaviour publicly, but many times, that approach can result in a backlash against the complainant from coworkers and supervisors.
When considering a recruiting strategy to attract passive talent, employers should note the following important statistics from AgCareers.com’s latest Candidate Motivation & Behavior Survey. With over 1,500 people polled, the survey revealed that while the vast majority (84%) were currently employed, over 40% of them were passively looking for work. This reinforces the unique challenge employers face in targeting what is generally believed to be the best talent pool – passive candidates. Candidates who are not urgently looking for work, and are typically employed, are generally defined as “passive”.
As the leading job board in agriculture and food, AgCareers.com recognizes the need for employers to proactively source talent in addition to seeking job posting respondents. We provide a vast, searchable database of resumes that allows employers to forward candidate profiles to team members, add candidate notes, and contact the job seeker by e-mail without ever leaving our site! We also have a notification tool that sends an e-mail alert when a job seeker matching the employer’s criteria registers on our site. Employers with active job posting packages or paid subscriptions gain access to search our database, which currently contains over 10,000 up-to-date job seeker profiles.
Wow! What a jam packed few days!
I absolutely loved attending my first AgCareers.com Ag & Food HR Roundtable and look forward to being able to attend again. The networking is amazing! I loved watching all different types of companies from different places with similar goals and challenges get together and share ideas, laugh about similar stories or just vent! Whether it was at a breakfast, break in between sessions or reception in the evening you could spot information being spread throughout.
For me it was awesome to be able to meet people I email and talk to over the phone live and in the flesh! One of my most memorable experiences is when a client told me they expected me to be taller! Well I am all of 5 feet tall but I guess my voice sounds a lot bigger!
Recruitment in agriculture can be difficult. With a reported four vacancies awaiting each new graduate in this industry, recruitment brand and reputation has never been more important. The eastern Canadian provinces are facing their own set of challenges: low populations, bilingualism needs, and market limitations all affect the job market in Eastern Canada. As an employer, here’s a few option to consider as part of your recruitment strategy.
Bilingualism – Both Ontario and the Maritime Provinces have an increased number of bilingual opportunities because of their spatial relation to Quebec. If your vacancy requires a second language, go ahead and state the bilingual need right in the job title. If the candidate pool is limited, it is much easier to train other skills and experiences then it is to develop language skills.
Retention – With recruitment being such a challenge in eastern Canada, your best bet is to always retain the experienced talent that you already have. Use perks and professional development opportunities to keep your current employees motivated and engaged. Ask yourself what you love about working for your company. If you can’t easily answer that, then chances are other employees can’t either. Don’t risk losing them for a bit more flexibility or slightly more salary. Consider the AgCareers.com Compensation Benchmark Review to establish what salary range is fair for each role your company employs in each sector and province.
Betty Draughon has spent one year as administrative manager with AgCareers.com. She works out of the Clinton, North Carolina headquarters.
What do you do on a day-to-day basis in your role with AgCareers.com?
I support both the company President, Eric Spell, as well as the leadership team with a variety of administrative functions. This can be anything from managing calendars and schedules, booking appointments, organizing and booking travel arrangements, coordinating meetings and events, to maintaining personnel files and ordering office supplies, just to name a few.
What do you enjoy about working with AgCareers.com?
I really enjoy that no two days are alike when I come to work each day. It is definitely not a monotonous job and I love that. I also enjoy knowing that I work for a company who truly cares about its employees and work-life balance. That means a lot this day and time!
What advice would you give to employers using AgCareers.com for the first time?
I would advise employers to utilize our resume database to find the perfect talent and fit for any job openings they have. I usually also end up letting them speak with the appropriate Sales Rep to give them all the information they would need to know about utilizing our website and what we have to offer with our different job posting packs, CBR, Employer Guide, etc.
Eric Spell serves as president and co-founder of AgCareers.com. He has been with the organization since its beginnings in 1997. He works out of the Clinton, North Carolina office.
What do you do on a day-to-day basis in your role with AgCareers.com?
Much of my day consists of supporting my teammates – client requests, marketing-related activities, new product/service development, and monitoring key performance indicators for our business. I also spend time each week planning my travel schedule for upcoming industry events.
What do you enjoy about working with AgCareers.com?
I enjoy helping people around me develop and grow professionally. It’s very important to me that people around me enjoy what they do, feel like they are accomplishing their goals, and proud to be a part of our team! I also get great satisfaction knowing that we are helping connect people with careers every single day.
What advice would you give to employers using AgCareers.com for the first time?
We’re glad you chose to use us! While we are an industry niche employment website, please note that 40% of our talent audience has degrees/experience outside of agriculture, so please note that finance, accounting, IT, marketing, and HR roles do really well on our site. Also, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn – you’ll be impressed!
