21st #AgRT Key Takeaways

People Matter  

This year’s #AgRT speakers presented a wide range of topics, varying from pay transparency, recruiting for rural jobs, building effective partnerships, to flexibility and employment trends. A common theme during most of these presentations was that organizations are taking a more people-centered approach in the workplace, rather than strictly transactional. Employees are bringing their entire selves to work, and this necessitates employers and managers strive to understand each employee as an individual. Simply put, people matter. They encouraged attendees to get to know their staff and personalize the process. 

Laurel Farrer, Distribute Consulting, reminded us of this approach during her keynote presentation on “Balancing Flexibility Expectations in the Real World.” Farrer shared, “Value comes from the people, not the places.” She explained that work should be something you do, not somewhere you go.  

This people-first approach was also emphasized beyond recruiting and into retention. During the “Retention is Not Just a Recruiting Issue” keynote presented by Justin Wiley, Gallup, he reiterated the theme of “people matter” with workplace engagement statistics. Wiley shared that 80% of employees who report receiving meaningful feedback in the past week are engaged. 

In-Person Tours 

Thanks to sponsor Trimble, our attendees were treated to an extensive tour of the Trimble Global Headquarters. Participants saw first-hand how agriculture technology is changing the industry.  Roundtable attendees also had the opportunity to participate in exclusive, guided tours of the CSU Spur facilities, including equine-assisted therapies, virtual reality lab, green roof research, and food innovation center.