Make it more exciting!

Chris Day was speaking at Parliament last week at Pāmu's annual showcasing of some of its new, innovative food products including some made from sheep and deer milk. About 200 people attended the event.

He told Rural News that minimising some drudge tasks would provide more opportunities for ambitious young people to go into farming and make a positive contribution.

Day says he has three millennials of his own, two of whom are working and he enjoys their insights into the workplace.

“Millennials and other young people are looking for more team based opportunities. They want to contribute to a team, they want to feel valued. But they are also still looking for leadership, support and opportunities where they can get clarity from the leaders of the business they are a part of,” he says. 

“They want to know what that business is about, what the ambition is and how the company is led. They are looking for that leadership and also an environment that is more supportive and team-based than older people may have had in their work experiences.” 

Day says millennials are not as different from past generations as many people make out. He hesitates to put labels on generations because it creates separateness, and says there are really just nuances between the generations.

He’s spent quite a bit of time thinking about productivity in NZ and seeing that through the lens of wealth creation. Talking to people from the Productivity Commission he gets the message that there is insufficient investment in NZ in the area of technology. He believes this and lack of strong leadership in many NZ organisations is holding the country back. 

“If it was up to me I would be encouraging farmers to spend more time with their people and seeing how they can support them in their business while at the same time looking for opportunities to invest in technology or other capital goods.”

Day says this does not apply to all farmers and he’s aware that many place a high value on leadership and challenge themselves to learn from others through discussion groups and other industry groups.

“There is an opportunity for a greater connection to be made by people and the staff of their businesses. There is a saying that culture trumps strategy every time,” he says.

Day’s view is that if the culture of a business is right, the strategy is easier to deliver.