You may make an initial assessment of an applicant as unskilled, dismiss their application as unsuitable and move on to the next applicant without giving them another thought.

However, let’s assume for a moment, that one of the other dairy farmers in your region decides to take a chance on that unskilled applicant and hires him or her to work as a farm hand.

Two years later, that same applicant has the following skills — milking, calf rearing, pasture utilisation, ability to identify and treat sick animals, fencing and machinery operation.

Would you be interested in them now they have gained these desirable skills?

Do you think they would still be keen to work for you if they remember a bad experience?

Applicants expect more

The way you treat job applicants can impact your image as a potential employer.

As they transition through each step of your recruitment process, applicants are forming an opinion of you as their next potential manager.

Twenty years ago, when it was common to receive hundreds of applications, the way applicants viewed you probably wasn’t front of mind for many employers.

Fast forward to 2023, in the wake of a global pandemic that caused wide-scale disruption and uncertainty, today’s applicants are wanting more.

Employer image protected

Applicants talk. They talk to their friends and family, and within their social circles, and sometimes this extends to social media.

If you want your name and your farm mentioned positively, then it’s simple really — treat all applicants with a great experience.

Don’t drag things out and leave an applicant waiting for long periods of time while you wait for that unicorn to apply.

Even those who are entirely unsuitable for the role deserve to have their application acknowledged as the bare minimum.

If you don’t provide all applicants with a great experience, then you run the risk that some may speak negatively about you and your farm.

Information and support

In an environment where it’s challenging to find workers, such as the one we are in, aim to deliver a great applicant experience every time.

You can treat all unsuccessful applicants respectfully, particularly while providing them with the news their application has not progressed.

Use the opportunity to soften the blow, by providing constructive feedback to applicants and they may remember you fondly enough to reapply down the track.

If you would like some tips on how to do this well, contact Murray Dairy extension adviser Shane Byrne on 0402 971 593.

From Murray Dairy.