Agribusiness HR Trend Report Released

• May 22, 2015
• Newsletter Article

More than 100 diverse agriculture companies participated in the 2013-2014 Agribusiness HR Review and the trends were very promising for the ag community. Many of the metrics assessed in the survey provided compelling data that our industry is on the rise and the emphasis on human capital is stronger than ever.

Results specifically pointed to job market growth within the ag industry in the next year. 60% of companies in Canada and 65% in the U.S. expect the size of their workforce to increase in the next two years. The AgCareers.com job board has seen an increase in job posting activity that also supports this trend.

The expected increase in the size of workforce is also good news to students graduating from ag degree programs. Participants plan to do more graduate recruitment in the next 1 to 5 years (53% U.S. and 60% Canadian). This indicates many industry employers are in need of adept staff and are embracing young talent into their organizations.

More than 90% of participants in both the U.S. and Canada also indicated that salaries had increased in the last 12 months. When asked how many of those employees would see an increase in the next year, 97.59% in the U.S. and 100% in Canada said “Yes, to some” or “Yes, to all staff”. This is also good news for employees who can expect an average increase of 2 to 3.5% in 2014, according to anticipated budgets.

However, salary is not the only pay out; bonuses were identified as the key motivator in keeping employees challenged and productive in their roles. Forty percent or more of companies paid bonuses to 90+% of their staff in 2013, frequently tied to performance.

To learn more about these trends and discover additional metrics from the Ag HR Review reports, download your FREE copy at the following links:
2013-2014 U.S. Agribusiness HR Review
2013-2014 Canadian Agribusiness HR Review

The Ag HR Review provides a range of human resource practices relevant to participating agribusinesses over the last 12 months within the U.S. and Canada. These results are compiled from our 7th edition release providing market knowledge, data and trends with participation from 30 agribusiness companies in Canada and 85 agribusiness companies in the U.S.

Topics included in the survey are as follows: salary reviews, employee attrition, workforce trends, development, flexible staffing, bonus and incentive schemes, benefits, recruitment practices, and employer branding strategies.