Recruting a new farm manager - where on earth to begin?!

T Hectares

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Berkshire
And now back to the OP:
As an old fart I’m not sure about social media as a means of recruitment. I think any professional manager looking for a change will be looking at FW.
So a good clear job description without any of the modern recruitment mumbo jumbo.
Social media is free and reaches lots of people, I wouldn’t rely on it exclusively but it’s great to use alongside an ad in FW or elsewhere, which will cost ££
I recruited for an estate management role through a FB ad on the local Farming wants and sales page as well as letting property and selling kit, it’s a very effective way of reaching people
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
I do wonder whether some, so say “manager” jobs advertised should be advertised as “farm foreman”.
Apologies if the above is a bit of generalisation but I say the above as I don’t think the two so say managers I am thinking of have much say, if any,in the cropping rotation,doing budgets, filling in any subsidy payment forms, selling grain etc, or buying the farm fertiliser/ chemicals, or sitting down with(phoning) the bank manager to organise the farms overdraft requirements.
Seems to me these days in many cases ,land agents are the farm/ estate managers, and the actual , “on farm mabager”, has the job of implementing the land agents plans, in some situations not an ideal situation, especially if the agent has had very little practical on farm experience, yet knows all the answers. :banghead: ;)
 
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I do wonder whether some, so say “manager” jobs advertised should be advertised as “farm foreman”.
Apologies if the above is a bit of generalisation but I say the above as I don’t think the two so say managers I am thinking of have much say, if any,in the cropping rotation,doing budgets, filling in any subsidy payment forms, selling grain etc, or buying the farm fertiliser/ chemicals, or sitting down with(phoning) the bank manager to organise the farms overdraft requirements.

Which is going to upset a lot of people applying for a job in which they think they will be managing the place.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I do wonder whether some, so say “manager” jobs advertised should be advertised as “farm foreman”.
Apologies if the above is a bit of generalisation but I say the above as I don’t think the two so say managers I am thinking of have much say, if any,in the cropping rotation,doing budgets, filling in any subsidy payment forms, selling grain etc, or buying the farm fertiliser/ chemicals, or sitting down with(phoning) the bank manager to organise the farms overdraft requirements.
Seems to me these days in many cases ,land agents are the farm/ estate managers, and the actual , “on farm mabager”, has the job of implementing the land agents plans, in some situations not an ideal situation, especially if the agent has had very little practical on farm experience, yet knows all the answers. :banghead: ;)
Sounds like an S&P Agent I knew, not far from here.... 🤔
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
I do wonder whether some, so say “manager” jobs advertised should be advertised as “farm foreman”.
Apologies if the above is a bit of generalisation but I say the above as I don’t think the two so say managers I am thinking of have much say, if any,in the cropping rotation,doing budgets, filling in any subsidy payment forms, selling grain etc, or buying the farm fertiliser/ chemicals, or sitting down with(phoning) the bank manager to organise the farms overdraft requirements.
Seems to me these days in many cases ,land agents are the farm/ estate managers, and the actual , “on farm mabager”, has the job of implementing the land agents plans, in some situations not an ideal situation, especially if the agent has had very little practical on farm experience, yet knows all the answers. :banghead: ;)


I know a farm near here that does that. They give a job a flash job title in advert, then it's just basically a dogsbody job. The managers a d**k.

Incidentally they don't keep staff very long.
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
I do wonder whether some, so say “manager” jobs advertised should be advertised as “farm foreman”.
Apologies if the above is a bit of generalisation but I say the above as I don’t think the two so say managers I am thinking of have much say, if any,in the cropping rotation,doing budgets, filling in any subsidy payment forms, selling grain etc, or buying the farm fertiliser/ chemicals, or sitting down with(phoning) the bank manager to organise the farms overdraft requirements.
Seems to me these days in many cases ,land agents are the farm/ estate managers, and the actual , “on farm mabager”, has the job of implementing the land agents plans, in some situations not an ideal situation, especially if the agent has had very little practical on farm experience, yet knows all the answers. :banghead: ;)
I do all the jobs on your list as a Manager, as well as all the practical work as this farm is a one-man band now with the help of a friend when needed.
I wouldn’t work as Manager on any farm that involves any Agents. There are a few specialist Agents that are really good at recruiting Managers for Landowners, but avoid any of the big Estate Agents like the plague!

But you are right insofar that the term “Farm Manager” does cover an awful lot of sins.

In @confusedsibling ’s situation, I’d advertise the post in FW and on here. Not everybody uses FB, but worth a try.
Obviously you need to meet those that appeal to you. I’d recommend meeting their wife/husband at the first interview too. Employing a new Manager has got to involve total trust on both sides.

I love God’s own County and it is where my wife comes from. Anybody who refers to it as that appeals to me and if I was a younger man, I’d be interested myself.
I think that by starting off asking your question on TFF, you may well have stuck a note of the type of person you are and hopefully this might appeal to the right candidates for you.

Hope it all goes well for you and whoever you end up with, in what will be a “working partnership”.
 

jamesy

Member
Location
Orkney
I know a farm near here that does that. They give a job a flash job title in advert, then it's just basically a dogsbody job. The managers a d**k.

Incidentally they don't keep staff very long.
Must be common for “managers” in that area! Chap from near here has had a couple of jobs on fair size estate/farms in Aberdeenshire and both managers appear to have been dicks!
 

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