Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2.
The type of job. How is the employee supervised? What are the responsibilities and
training opportunities? Is this a single level job or one that offers growth and promotion
opportunities?
3.
The requirements of the job. What educational level is required? What experience, spe-
cial skills, physical strength or condition, emotional or personality factors would be
helpful for this position?
4.
Other factors. What testing would provide useful information? What work experience
or other factors might determine the applicant's ability to do the job?
Every manager wants someone who is as creative as Thomas Edison, as intelligent as
Albert Einstein, and as motivated as Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, but such perfect people
just do not exist. Qualifi cations that are set too high can be just as bad as those that are set too
low. For this reason, job specifi cations should refl ect the actual needs of the job. Generally
speaking, a series of concise statements will suffi ce for a job specifi cation. The person who
supervises the job in question can often provide the information the HR manager needs. If the
agribusiness manager cannot inventory the requirements of a job, it may be wiser to leave it
unfi lled, since the manager will never know whether or not it is being done well.
Table 17.1
provides an example set of job specifi cations for a specifi c position with Culpen County
Farmers' Co-op.
Job description
At the same time that job specifi cations are being developed, a
job description
should also
be formulated. A job description stresses a job's activities and duties. Like the job specifi ca-
tion, the immediate supervisor of the job in question is the best source of information about
Table 17.1
Example of job specifi cations
Culpen County Farmers' Co-op: Job Specifi cations
Job: Millhand
1. Purpose of job: To service customers' needs in unloading and loading grain, mixing and loading
feed, and fi lling customers' orders.
2. Responsibilities: To direct and assist farmers in unloading grain rapidly and effi ciently; to operate
feed-mixing equipment; to load mixed and bagged feed; to maintain clean and safe conditions in the
mill and elevator at all times; and to provide prompt and courteous service to customers.
3. Requirements: Education—High school diploma (minimum)
Experience—Farm background or 1 year grain elevator experience
Physical—Good health and free from dust allergies
Personality—Must be friendly and outgoing, and work well with others.
4. Opportunities: This position provides the necessary experience to move into management as mill
supervisor and eventually into sales or general management.
5. Special Considerations: Any applicant must be willing to work in dusty and noisy conditions and
to work as many as 4 to 6 hours overtime per day during the harvest season.
