Recruiting an agricultural employee: what you need to know

Recruiting an employee in the agricultural sector, especially in 2025, is becoming a real challenge for many farmers. Between the labor shortage, the complexity of administrative procedures, and the need to attract motivated and skilled professionals, it’s essential to know the best practices for success. Today, many farmers are facing a growing tension between their labor needs and the lack of suitable offers on the job market. However, with a clear strategy, it’s possible to turn this phase into an opportunity to develop your business. Discover in this article everything you need to know to optimize your recruitment and retain your agricultural employees.

How to precisely define your needs for successful recruitment?

Before even starting to write an advertisement or launch an active search, it’s crucial to clearly identify what you’re looking for. A poorly defined need can quickly lead to poorly suited applications or recruitment that doesn’t last. The first step is to analyze your agricultural project and the required workforce. What tasks will the future employee be expected to perform? Is this a seasonal, long-term, permanent, or fixed-term position?

You also need to define the ideal profile: technical skills, but also interpersonal skills, motivation, and adaptability. For example, if you’re looking for someone to grow fruit, experience in arboriculture will obviously be a real plus. Similarly, if you work in a region with unpredictable weather, the ability to withstand unpredictable weather and work in a team becomes essential.

To clarify these points, some farmers use a summary table to structure their needs:

Once this table is completed, you will have a clear vision for writing your job description, an essential tool for attracting the right candidate.

How to write a clear, precise, and effective job offer?

To maximize your chances of finding the perfect candidate, your offer must be clear, attractive, and, above all, compliant with regulations. It must be appealing, while being transparent about the conditions. Mandatory elements to include:

📌 The job title (avoid rushing into the job or using difficult-to-understand jargon)

• 📌 The type of contract (permanent, fixed-term, seasonal, full-time, or part-time)
• 📌 The precise location (farm address, region)
• 📌 The employer’s name and full contact information
• 📌 The date the ad was posted
• 📌 The proposed salary, if possible with an exact figure (e.g., €13/hour) to attract candidates more quickly
• 📌 A description of the main duties
• What to avoid:

🚫 Discriminatory language (gender, age, origin, family status, etc.)

• 🚫 Incomplete or ambiguous information
• Regarding distribution channels, diversity is essential. It’s best to use multiple platforms to reach as many people as possible:

🌱 Specialized networks like AgriJob or Cultures et Compétences

1. 🌱 Traditional websites like Pôle Emploi, jobagri.com, or agriaffaires.com
2. 🌱 Social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram
3. 🌱 Local distribution via the agricultural press or within your local circle
4. A well-written job offer is the key to quickly attracting relevant applications and saving time in the selection process.

Once you’ve received several applications, you need to know how to sort them quickly. Of course, the first filter is often the CV and cover letter. Here are some tips to avoid missing out on the right candidate:

📝 Define your priority criteria beforehand: experience, technical skills, motivation

🧐 Check the consistency between the candidate’s background and the position offered

• 📞 Contact selected applicants for an initial telephone conversation
• ⏳ Take the time to set up a second step: a face-to-face or video interview
• 💡 Always provide feedback, positive or negative, even if the application isn’t a good fit
• For example, if you’re looking for someone to maintain crops in the summer, experience in viticulture or market gardening would be a plus. On a personal level, look for a motivated person who can integrate into your team, as human relationships are crucial to long-term success. To help with this step, some operators use a simplified table to evaluate applications:
• Criteria

Importance

Score/5

The interview appointment is the final step before the decision. It must be carefully prepared to demonstrate the seriousness of your approach. Creating a friendly, quiet environment will put your candidate at ease. During the interview, don’t forget:

📝 Ask questions about the candidate’s background, past experience, and motivations

🤝 Assess their ability to integrate into a team and handle difficult situations

🗓️ Clarify what’s next: timeline, trial period, and response methods

• It’s also very useful to involve other people already working on the farm to get their feedback. Trust in the team is the foundation for the new employee to thrive.
• Finally, here are some tips for promoting the offer:
• ✨ Highlight benefits, such as life on the farm, proximity to nature, or competitive pay
• ✨ Explain career opportunities, for example, through training or specialization

How can you retain and motivate your farm employees over the long term? Recruiting is good, but above all, you need to retain your employees to ensure continuity. Employee retention requires several levers: communication, recognition, training, and work-life balance. Here are some areas to focus on:

• 🎯 Regularly clarify expectations and objectives
• 🎯 Recognize each success and encourage collective motivation

🎉 Offer social gatherings or training sessions to develop skills (see https://www.oeuvray.fr/2025/07/17/competences-transversales-bts-acse/)

💬 Encourage open dialogue to avoid misunderstandings or resentment

It is also important not to base compensation solely on salary, but to offer career development opportunities through training or increased responsibilities. On this basis, many employees, particularly in the Agricultural Employment sector or in organizations like Agriconnexion, are primarily looking for an employer who values them and offers them a real project. Essential administrative procedures for a smooth recruitment process

• Starting a recruitment process also means complying with essential formalities. The first step involves creating the job offer, which must be published on appropriate media, followed by managing the hiring process itself. In 2025, all these procedures have been simplified by the digitalization of many services.
• The main steps are:
• 📝 Pre-employment declaration (DPAE) via the official portal
• net-entreprises.fr
• 📝 Drafting the employment contract, choosing the appropriate legal framework (fixed-term, permanent, seasonal)

📝 Considering the trial period to ensure proper alignment between employee and business

📝 Implementing administrative and social monitoring (pay slips, social security declarations)

To facilitate these procedures, some employer groups such as Sdaéc-Terralliance offer turnkey services, also allowing for employee pooling. This represents an advantageous solution in the tense context of 2025.

For example, you can consult its key figures:

1. Key Figures Details
2. 🌿 Examples
3. 330 employees in 3 departments, more than 6,000 member farmers
4. 🌿 Services

Secondment, administrative support, training

🌿 Benefits

Follow-up and communication serve to build a relationship of trust. In my opinion, this is the true foundation of loyalty. Investing in social moments, such as meals or outings, also fosters a sense of belonging to the farm family.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about recruiting a farm employee

How can I tell if a candidate is truly motivated?

• True motivation is evident in the questions they ask about the farm, their desire to advance, and their understanding of the profession. During the interview, also prioritize discussions about their motivations and projects, and try to identify their concrete achievements.
• What are the advantages of using an employer group like Sdaéc-Terralliance?
• They offer the opportunity to pool labor, reduce administrative burdens, and access more flexible employment management, which is very useful in a context where finding qualified candidates is a real treasure hunt.
• How can you build lasting employee loyalty?
• By combining clear communication, recognition, ongoing training, and socializing. Recognition and autonomy also play a key role in ensuring employees feel truly invested in the farm.

What media should you use to advertise a job offer?

Specialized platforms like AgriJob, Cultures et Compétences, or Job Agri are essential. Don’t forget social media, which allows you to reach a young and dynamic audience. Local press also remains an effective channel in certain cases.

What criteria should be prioritized during a job interview?

Interpersonal skills, motivation, and the ability to learn and integrate are just as important as technical experience. The ability to work in a team and manage the unexpected is also essential to avoid long-term disappointment.