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and scheduling, there has also been
a shift in workplace attire for some
businesses.
“We want to set a professional
image by being dressed neatly and
appropriate for our work during business
hours and whenever we are representing
the company,” Thomas shared regarding
Syngenta’s dress code. “At the same time,
we have recognized the opportunity to
allow employees to dress as they would
during their off-hours, including wearing
jeans, when not interfacing with clients.”
Seidl, however, shared that
Christensen Farms still expects their
employees to “dress to instill confidence
in those you are working with.”
“Pending your role, your audience
and the end goal, this can range from
business casual to business professional
dress,” Seidl said.
For roles not normally facing the
public or clientele, such as animal
caretakers with Christensen Farms or
scientists at Syngenta, these policies
are laxer.
“If you are working on the farm, it’s
important that those individuals can
dress for comfort, safety, and efficiency
being a highly labor-intensive role within
our company,” Seidl shared.
A FOCUS ON DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION
You may have heard your career services
representative, or your professor advise
you to avoid topics around religion and
politics in the workplace. While this may
be applicable advice during the hiring
and interview process, many agricultural
workplaces welcome and embrace
diversity of thought just as they have
diversity of their workforce itself.
“We have a strong commitment to
diversity, inclusion, and belonging that
pre-dates recent events,” Thomas stated.
“Some of the resources we have include
dedicated internal web pages, employee
training, and multiple Employee
Resource Groups (ERG) that are
employee-led groups formed around
common interests, issues, and/or
backgrounds.”
Christensen Farms has also
developed ERG’s into their organization
within the last two years open to all
employees and not exclusive to the
named group.
“Our first ERG group formed back in
2018 and has served as an avenue to
give employees a sense of belonging,
while building on a culture of inclusion
across the broader organization,” Seidl
shared. “Regardless of what a person’s
belief system may be, we focus on
respecting one another, fostering
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will forever remain the norm, but “it’s
definitely long-term at this point.”
“We are constantly reevaluating what
jobs can allow for greater flexibility to
work from home when and where it
makes sense,” Long added. “We have
scaled up our VPN network in order
to better support our workforce as we
move toward more and more virtual
engagement.”
Seidl shared that Christensen Farms
has implemented “mitigation efforts such
as temperature-taking and pre-screening
questions” before employees enter their
work locations and “mass distribution
of necessary PPE such as masks” and
sanitizers.
“It is unknown what will remain
permanent in the changes we have made
and what potentially goes away,” Seidl
said. “What it has taught us is to be more
agile in our work and creative in how we
are able to get the work done.”
As the pandemic has created
challenges regarding employee
wellness and adjustment, Syngenta has
also created an online portal to provide
resources and interaction for their
employees.
“Ergonomics are more important than
ever as employees learn to work from
anywhere that’s not their typical office
setup, so we provide informational
resources to educate our employees
on how best to work from home,”
Long shared.
Still, take seriously what you’ve been
told about the agricultural workplace,
as professionalism is vital during the
hiring process. But that doesn’t mean
it’s stuffy and uncooperative. Agricultural
employers are eager to make their
employees feel comfortable, welcome,
and empowered to succeed in their
roles.
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inclusion and doing what needs to be
done to achieve our work and ultimately
our mission.”
THE LASTING EFFECTS OF COVID-19
Besides the many changes the
agricultural workplace has experienced
in the last five years, it is rapidly having
to shift due to the onset of the global
COVID-19 pandemic. Most workplaces
implemented safety procedures that
have made the employee experience
significantly different.
Chris Long, North American HR
Generalist for Syngenta, shared that it’s
uncertain whether disease preventative
practices like encouraging the usage
of face masks and social distancing
“With the acceptance of less
formality in communication
in the workplace, comes
a lag in some important,
more formal skills required.”
Kelsey Seidl, Christensen Farms