When a role opens up on a farming operation, the instinct is to find someone who ticks every box. Fully qualified, fully experienced, ready to go from day one. And while that sounds ideal, it’s often the reason good candidates get passed over, and why so many positions stay vacant longer than they should.
Here’s a different way to think about it.
Here’s a different way to think about it.
The 80/20 Approach to Hiring
What if instead of holding out for a perfect match, you hired someone who could confidently do 80% of the role right now, and had the potential to grow into the remaining 20%?
That 20% isn’t a gap. It’s an investment. It’s the part of the role where you shape someone into exactly the kind of worker your operation needs. And in our experience, the candidates who grow into a role tend to stay far longer than those who arrived already knowing everything.
That 20% isn’t a gap. It’s an investment. It’s the part of the role where you shape someone into exactly the kind of worker your operation needs. And in our experience, the candidates who grow into a role tend to stay far longer than those who arrived already knowing everything.
Why Longevity Matters More Than Perfection
Turnover is one of the biggest hidden costs in agricultural employment. Every time someone leaves, you’re absorbing the cost of recruitment, onboarding, lost productivity, and the load that falls on the rest of your team while the position is empty. It’s a pattern we see constantly across agricultural recruitment agencies, and one of the core reasons we push for longevity over a quick placement.
A candidate who is stretched just enough to feel challenged but supported enough to feel confident, is a candidate who has a reason to stay. They’re invested in the operation because the operation is invested in them.
A candidate who is stretched just enough to feel challenged but supported enough to feel confident, is a candidate who has a reason to stay. They’re invested in the operation because the operation is invested in them.
What to Look for in That 20%
The growth component of a role works best when it’s built around things that can genuinely be taught or developed on the job, whether this is a specific piece of machinery, a management responsibility, a new area of the property or operation. What it shouldn’t rely on is attitude, work ethic, or the ability to thrive in a regional environment. Those things are harder to teach, and they matter from day one.
When we’re shortlisting candidates, this is exactly the lens we apply as an agricultural employment agency. Get the foundations right, and the rest can be built.
When we’re shortlisting candidates, this is exactly the lens we apply as an agricultural employment agency. Get the foundations right, and the rest can be built.
Building It Into the Role From the Start
This approach works best when it’s intentional, not just something that happens by default. That means being clear in the job brief about what the core responsibilities are, and what the growth pathway looks like. Candidates who know there’s room to develop are more likely to commit. And employers who plan for it are more likely to retain the people they invest in.
It’s a small shift in thinking that can make a real difference to how long people stay, and how much they contribute when they do.
It’s a small shift in thinking that can make a real difference to how long people stay, and how much they contribute when they do.
At AgriTrade Recruitment, we work with employers across regional Australia to find candidates who are the right fit for the long haul, not just the short term. As a specialist rural recruitment agency, if you’d like to talk through how to structure a role for longevity, get in touch with our team.
