DairyNZ funded How to be a bloody good boss virtual workshops are being run by the Dairy Women’s Network. Dairy farm
manager Chelsea Smith from the King Country (pictured with her team and dog Beau) oversees four farming operations near
Otorohanga in the Central North Island. Photo credit: Dairy Women’s Network.
How to be a bloody good boss virtual workshops are being by the Dairy Women’s Network this week.
The workshops are the second wave of seminars run by the Dairy Women’s Network that were originally being held in person
throughout the country but have been adapted to run as an online webinar series.
“Moving our workshops online has gone really well,” Dairy Women’s Network Partner Relationships and Marketing Manager
Zellara Holden said.
“We’ve worked hard to ensure we can continue to provide our communities with good informative, relevant knowledge so
they can continue to enhance themselves, support their teams and their businesses.”
Delivered in conjunction with DairyNZ and PaySauce the workshops cover the whole recruitment process.
The five employment pillars of skills needed on farm, recruitment, the interview process, contracts and orientation will
be discussed in sessions designed to support the Good Boss campaign that was launched earlier this year in Wellington a
sector-wide initiative by Federated Farmers, DairyNZ, Dairy Women’s Network and NZ Young Farmers.
“The workshops come at a really good time,” Holden said. “The new season is kicked off by moving day which sees many
farming employees and families around the country move their cows, equipment and families to new farms on June 1. This
is also a time when farmers review their systems and team.”
Dairy Women's Network CEO Jules Benton said the aim of the workshop and Good Boss campaign was to ensure that dairy
farming employers know what a good boss is, what is expected of them, and that they are implementing the changes needed
to enhance their workplaces where it’s needed.
“It is important we attract and retain great people within the dairy industry and offer a positive environment and
employment opportunities,” she said.
“DairyNZ have worked incredibly hard to pull together a practical employment toolkit to ensure that they have great
resources at their fingertips through this recruitment process.”
The workshops will drill down into identifying the roles and needs on farm, job descriptions, adverts, where to
advertise, finding HR consultants for support, phone interviews, reference checks, interview questions, compliance and
HR, preparing for a new team, health & safety and farm processes, payroll, weekly meetings and performance reviews.
“There are many ways to be a bloody good boss and we need to ensure farmers have access to the tools, resources and
other farming leaders, to help them have better workplace and good performing teams who are well recruited and supported
and understand their roles and responsibilities,” Benton said.
“It’s great we’ve been able to adapt so we can successfully run workshops like this online, and the engagement has been
really encouraging.”
The How to be a bloody good boss online seminar series started on Monday and go through to Friday. They are funded by
New Zealand dairy farmers through the DairyNZ levy so registration is free.
Find more information on DWN workshop events