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| Title | Labor Management in Agriculture: Cultivating Personnel Productivity - (2nd Ed, 2004) - Chapter 3 |
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| File Information | Agricultural managers interested in cultivating worker productivity can begin with the selection process. Any tool that attempts to assess an applicant’s knowledge, skill, ability, education, or even personality can itself be evaluated by how consistent (i.e., how reliable) it is and by how well it predicts the results it is intended to measure (i.e., how valid). Improving the validity of a selection approach entails designing job-related questions or tests, applying them consistently to all applicants, and eliminating rater bias and error. A content-oriented selection strategy is one in which the content of the job is clearly reproduced in the selection process. For example, applicants for an equipment operator position should be asked to demonstrate their tractor-driving skills, ability to set up a planter or cultivator, and other related tasks. A statistical strategy, on the other hand, studies the relationship between a test and actual job performance. A test may be useful even if it does not seem relevant at first glance. For instance, high performance on a dexterity test using tweezers may turn out to be a good indicator of grafting skill. The validity of a specific selection instrument can be established by statistical or content-oriented strategies. Ensuring face validity will enhance applicants’ acceptance of the process. The more valid the selection instrument, the better chances a farmer has of hiring the right person for the job—and of successfully defending that choice if legally challenged. A thorough employee selection approach brings out the differences among applicants’ abilities for specific jobs. Farmers should not depend too heavily on applicant self-appraisal to make their staffing choices. In the long run, a better selection process can help farmers hire workers who will be more productive, have fewer absences and accidents, and stay longer with the organization. |
| Author |
Billikopf, Gregorio
Area Farm Advisor emeritus
Labor management in agriculture: employee productivity (employee selection and testing, piece-rate pay design, incentive pay, internal wage structure and quality control); interpersonal mediation (co-worker mediation, supervisor-subordinate mediation, communication, interpersonal negotiation skills, effective listening); and supervisor training (employee discipline, praise, performance appraisal). |
| Publication Date | Jan 2, 2004 |
| Date Added | May 1, 2009 |
| NALT Keywords |