Personnel Polices

Consistency

Personnel policies serve multiple purposes.

• They are the starting point of how you interrelate with your employees.
  
  
• Personnel polices create a foundation for your employees.
  
  
• Perhaps more importantly, they provide consistency for you, your employees, and your business.
  
  
• Your employee handbook provides basic information for your employees. It should be referred to when you train new employees.
  
  
• Having your policies in print, provide you and your employees with a consistent reference.

Regularly scheduled performance evaluations provide the framework for the employer to assess how the employee is working. Feedback on performance is important to the employee. Scheduling evaluations and having a format provides consistency.

Is your farmyard paved with good intentions?

Have you been intending to put down on paper the vision for the future of your farm?

Without a vision of where you want your farm business to be, you may feel stuck or frozen, because you do not have a sense of direction. Your employees will consciously or unconsciously key into this.

What are your personal values? When was the last time you intended to really think about what is important to you?

Your core values are reflected in your farm's goals and vision.

Your farm policies and procedures, including the personnel policies also reflect your values and goals.

Core values are the principles and standards at the very center of our character, and from which we will not budge or stray. David Grusenmeyer, PRO-DAIRY

Simplified equations

Your Core Values + Personal Goals = Personal Vision
Personal Vision + Input = Farm Vision
Farm Vision  -->  Mission  -->  Goals  -->  Personnel policies  --&g t;  Employees

Mission, Vision, Values & Goals, [Link to PDF] includes worksheets to assist you in determining your personal and business goals.

Cultivating Culture by Bernard Erven [Link to PDF] provides more information on culture, norms, and values.