TOP FARMING ADVICE

HUMAN RESOURCES

GETTING THE FARM MANAGER JOB RIGHT

Planning to employ a general farm manager or applying for such a position yourself? Being a farm foreman can either be extremely fulfilling or hell on earth, depending on how you approach the job.

The joke that some farmers treat their foremen like sons while others treat their sons like foremen sums up this unique occupation well.

The job of managing an average South African commercial livestock or crop farm is difficult to formulate: you never know where your responsibility ends in looking after valuable and vulnerable assets. There are so many things that can go wrong – even within a few hours.

Salaries can be another big issue. Unless the applicant is very well qualified with some practical experience, he or she is likely to work hard – and for long hours – for a relatively low salary. But the perks of farm life could make up for this, depending on your mindset.

Although landing a job with an understanding farmer could secure your future, it could also result in extreme disillusionment for both the farmer and the new recruit. Often it’s youngsters or older couples who apply for these positions. In both cases the applicants are so keen to get the job that they’re prepared to fall in without signing any kind of work contract. A big mistake, obviously.

Farmers or absentee landowners advertising for a foreman usually have definite criteria in mind, uppermost probably being responsibility. They want someone they can rely on 24 hours a day to do almost anything they themselves can or cannot do. They want someone who is not only enthusiastic about the work but also energetic and inventive. So it goes without saying that being a