US Career Guide

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by Kristine Penning, Creative Marketing Specialist
GIFS. WORKING FROM HOME.
Working in gym shorts. The agricultural
workplace is looking different in many
ways. And it was even before the onset
of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which
will almost certainly leave a permanent
mark on the workplace as we know it.
Students being taught to expect one
thing may face a workplace a bit different
from what they originally pictured. To
give a better understanding of what the
American agricultural workplace might
look like for young people entering the
working world, we consulted with human
resources and hiring professionals about
what long-held expectations are no
longer always correct or applicable as
well as what changes they expect in the
workplace because of the COVID-19
pandemic.
COMMUNICATION PRACTICES
A noticeable change in the American
agricultural workplace is traditional
communication practices. Younger
generations (late Millennials and
Generation Z’ers) communicate more
visually in pictures and images such as
GIFs, memes, emojis, and even TikTok
videos. Although long considered
inappropriate in the workplace, these
informal and often humorous methods
of communication have worked their way
internally at many companies in email and
instant messaging.
“It is always important to communicate
clearly and effectively, but the manner
in which it is done has evolved over
time,” said Robin Thomas, Early Talent
Acquisition Lead with Syngenta US, who
shared that this form of communication
is now used in some of their internal
messages. “Some of us are more
comfortable using emojis, GIFs, and
informal language at work, but it is
important to use it only when
appropriate.”
Kelsey Seidl, Talent Acquisition
Recruiter with Christensen Farms, noted
that there are pros and cons to this shift.
“The pros being it has allowed for more
open dialogue and connection within the
workplace simply due to a much more
relaxed setting with peers, managers and
executives,” Seidl said. “On the flip side,
this shift does come with its challenges.
I think with the acceptance of less
formality in communication in the
workplace, comes a lag in some
important, more formal skills required,
such as writing, presenting, direct
conversation, etcetera.”
The underlying message here is that
you should still refrain from sending
GIFs and emojis to hiring managers,
clients, business partners, your company
leadership, and other crucial contacts, but
when conversing with internal colleagues,
this informal, laid back communication
may be permissible, depending on your
workplace culture. No matter how you
communicate, be sure that your written
and spoken communication skills do not
suffer because of more informal day-to-
day practices.
WHERE AND HOW WE WORK & WHAT
WE WEAR
Changes to traditional workplace
flexibility and the ability to work
remotely had changed even prior to the
pandemic, but it is something agricultural
professionals see being impacted even
more due to COVID-19. Flexibility has
long been a sought-after if unwritten
benefit in many workplaces, as several
roles come with the capability to work
in a remote setting. This element is also
attractive to employees with young
children as it allows them to work
around kids home sick or their children’s
activities.
“Many employers have gone away
from the 8 to 5 job and transitioned to a
schedule with greater flexibility to allow
for individualized needs and a greater
work-life balance,” Seidl said.
However, there will always be career
paths and industries within agriculture
that will require employees at work or
on-call at all times. “Pigs must be cared
for each and every day – something that
simply can’t be accomplished from home
or in a remote setting,” Seidl noted.
With shifts in workplace location
5 Ag & Food CAreer guide
>>>
The Changing Workplace
The Agricultural Workplace in the
Post-Pandemic 21st Century
Robin Thomas,
Syngenta
Kelsey Seidl,
Christensen Farms
Chris Long,
Syngenta