Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
training and development if the agendas are carefully controlled and directed toward this
end. Sharing information in this setting can satisfy the need for employee recognition and
participation and can help make employees feel more a part of the organization.
Formal external training and development
Agribusiness abounds with conventions, conferences, lectures, workshops, seminars, and
the like, on every known subject. In addition, there are trade schools, extension courses, high
school and university courses, and business and trade courses that can provide enhancement
and/or enrichment to employees and employers simultaneously. Almost every community
has most of these alternatives available. Most agribusinesses will be affi liated with a trade
association or group that sponsors educational experiences. The trick is to use suffi cient self-
discipline to determine what specifi cally must be learned. Many managers are not discrimi-
nating enough in choosing educational experiences to improve their employees' productivity.
Employee participation in selecting the best training options is often benefi cial.
In today's fi ercely competitive marketplace, learning should challenge a fi rm's people
from top to bottom. This is recommended not only to improve basic skills (the best way of
doing anything has not yet been discovered!), but also to encourage the positive psycho-
logical effect on people of working for a progressive, aggressive fi rm interested in develop-
ing its employees. Training and development involves some cost, but the returns in the form
of a more dynamic, effective human resource far offset this expenditure. Training of employ-
ees should be regarded as an investment in the future of the fi rm.
Promotion and advancement
An agribusiness fi rm's promotion program and policies are related to the factors previously
discussed in this chapter. Finding and hiring promotable people, determining their compen-
sation, and overseeing training and development programs, all lead to the question of promo-
tion, since promotion may be viewed as another form of compensation. To many employees,
a
promotion
says, “You've done a good job—the fi rm appreciates you!”
At any time a position is open anywhere but the lowest level in the organization, a
fundamental question is raised: should the fi rm promote someone from within, or hire
someone from outside of the business? The answer to this question should be whoever has
the best qualifi cations, skills, knowledge, and communication ability for the job. However,
a strong case can be made for promoting from within, provided that the right people are
available. Such a program of advancement encourages employees to grow in their current
jobs—as they have a potentially higher-level position to aspire toward. In other words, the
potential for promotion can be a strong motivational factor. At the same time, management
must be careful that the fi rm does not become too inbred—new ideas, approaches, and
methods need to be introduced from time to time, and hiring from the outside can help make
this happen.
The criteria for promotion, then, becomes the critical factor. Several criteria must be
considered. In a union operation, this may be the primary consideration. Other factors to
evaluate are the merit or contribution of the employee in the past, and the employee's atti-
tude and personality (in particular, the ability to function with the new team). A careful
performance evaluation program will prove its value here. The employee's potential for
growth must also be considered. Finally, the individual employee must want the promotion
and be able to handle the new assignment.
