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Obstacles or Opportunity?
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Welcome to our AGRI-SEARCH Newsletter!
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Obstacles or Opportunity?
 

The world can be cruel; challenges abound at every turn.  Whether starting a new career, managing a team, cultivating friendships or a marriage, raising a family, or maneuvering through financial or health issues, life has a way of finding the bumps in the road.  Some bumps are bigger than others, but in the moment, the obstacle we face today often seems to be the biggest one yet.

Whatever stage of life’s journey you are in, take inventory of your own life.  What obstacles are you facing today?  Will they make you better and stronger, or will they make you bitter? Many of our obstacles we do not get to pick.  Some are self-imposed by choices we make.  Regardless the source of the obstacle, how we approach it and deal with it is what really matters.

I think back to my wife and me awaiting the birth of our first child.  We were excited, nervous, and not at all expecting our beautiful daughter to have Down Syndrome.  Shortly after she was born, we were

 
Dave Allen
President, AGRI-SEARCH

challenged by a counselor who simply said, “Challenges like these will either strengthen your marriage or destroy it.  It is your choice.”  We resolved that day that it would make us stronger, and it has; yet in the 30 years since, we have certainly had many instances that have tested that resolve.

In your life, you will have similar challenges, and the counselor’s wise words will hold true for you.  You must decide if they will defeat you or if you will overcome them.  In business, obstacles pop up daily.  Finding and hiring quality talent is a big one.  Covid and other issues have set up barricades in the “normal” practice of hiring and the temptation may be to just give up.  But don’t.  Stay true to your principles and faithful to complete the task at hand, whatever you may be facing today.

For more insight, read, The Obstacle is the Wayelsewhere in this newsletter.  Then, always remember John 16:33 (see top of newsletter) and don’t ever give up!

 

Current Open Career Opportunities

 
At AGRI-SEARCH, our staff is committed to bringing top-tier talent to our clients. Open positions change daily, but the need for quality people is constant in every successful business.

Highlighted below are some of our current open positions we are assisting our clients with. If interested in having us assist you in landing talent for one of your positions, or if one of these opportunities looks attractive to you or someone you know, please contact us.
  • Highly respected grain company in the Southwestern US is seeking a positive minded Feed Ingredient Merchandiser with quiet confidence and a can-do attitude to join their team of trading professionals. Great opportunity for a trader at any stage in their career who prefers nice weather year around.

  • General Manager is needed for an independent seed research and product development company. While this company is based in the heart of the corn belt, this role has the flexibility for you to work remotely.

  • An exceptional opportunity in central Ohio for a highly motivated individual who possesses office and mechanical abilities along with a desire to learn. You must have the initiative to work hands-on, help lead a crew, and figure out solutions to challenges as they arise.

  • Highly respected company that takes great pride in grain quality and their impact on the food market is seeking a Grain Merchandiser / Originator who will play a key role in buying and selling grain and providing outstanding customer service for this key location.

  • Stable and respected Wisconsin grain company is seeking an energetic and self-driven Grain Merchandiser / Originator with excellent interpersonal skills to fill a key grain buying and selling position within the company.

  • Third party research firm is seeking someone to fill the Research Manager role for their company based in central Illinois.

5705 Grain Merchandiser / Originator - Western Kentucky
  • Highly respected company that takes great pride in grain quality and their impact on the food market is seeking a Grain Merchandiser / Originator who will play a key role in buying and selling grain and providing outstanding customer service for this key location.

5740 Facility Managers - Midwest River Terminals
  • Outstanding grain company is seeking two Facilities Managers focusing on operations for their Midwest river terminals. These facilities are primarily truck-in and barge-out and are high volume, fast-paced barge loaders.

  • Innovative, entrepreneurial, and expanding company with a highly successful track record is seeking a Farm Site Manager for a new Florida farm location. This trustworthy individual will serve as the on-site manager for contractors building the roads, utilities, office, greenhouses, and other buildings, then oversee the planting, growing, and harvesting of a specialty crop.

  • A thriving grain company seeks a highly motivated Grain Operations Superintendent with solid leadership skills and an agricultural background. This opportunity is open to new grads or experienced grain operations professionals.

 
 

Featured Team Member
Vic Heinold

 
The Challenges of Finding Great Candidates Post COVID
To say we are “post COVID” is a little questionable. It seems to hang around in different ways like an unwanted house guest. But even as things do improve, identifying and attracting quality candidates for your business is tougher than ever.

As recruiters, what are the obstacles we are seeing? For one, many companies are still not back into a normal office setting. Several have incorporated a “hybrid” office schedule, others are all still working from home, and some are all back in the office. One huge obstacle when you contact these candidates is the first thing they ask… “Can I work remotely?”. Many companies were successful when their entire staff was working remote, so saying everyone must go back to the office is a tough argument. Of course, this does not apply to operations, management, maintenance, and other essential positions who have gone to work every day. Companies are reevaluating what jobs can be done remote and what jobs need to be done in a company specific location.

Another thing we are seeing after going through this past year and a half is many people do not want to move. They are secure and content knowing they’ve made it through the last 18 months and survived where they are; packing up and moving is not very attractive to the family. The real exception to this is the group that wants to go back home. Their once highly valued independence does not seem as attractive now as going back to their families. It is interesting that the last time we saw such a need for family was following September 11, 2001. This is a direct indicator of how dramatic the pandemic has been to our society.

By now you are saying, well, Vic has pointed out what we know and obviously he is ready to step in and be the hero. Trust me that is not my goal, but I do want to make a few points that can improve your odds of success in recruiting great talent during these times.
  1. Think about your company and any policies that may be obstructing new hires. Included in that would be your consideration of hiring remote employees. Like my father used to say, never say never. 
  2. Be open-minded when picturing your traditional, or ideal, candidate. We have seen some very good candidates who have come out of the military and are looking to get back in the work force. These are typically highly disciplined people who often have the number one characteristic you are looking for in managers, strong leadership. This may not be an answer for you, but I just want you to think a little out of the traditional box and perhaps make some very good hires.
  3. Consider and value work experience. A couple weeks ago I was visiting with a client who was questioning if it was necessary to continue to require all management level candidates to have a Bachelor’s degree. We discussed that there is a large group of very experienced people in other companies who have not completed a college program. We talked about changing that requirement for some more operational roles to “Bachelor’s degree required but can be offset with solid industry work experience.”
  4. Keep things moving. This last point goes back to an article I wrote a few months back on hiring top talent. I encourage you when you are trying to hire these candidates to make the process as quickly as possible and communicate your interest throughout the process. (Why Aren’t We Getting the Best Candidates Hired?)

Just remember: We have seen a lot of challenges in our industry over the decades, and they all eventually pass.

The Obstacle Is The Way

 
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor and a Stoic philosopher. On the throne from 161 to 180, he was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good Emperors and the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace and stability for the Roman Empire.

Marcus acquired the reputation of a philosopher king within his lifetime, and the title would remain after his death. Between 170 and 180, he wrote what would become Meditations, a series of personal writings that recorded private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. It is unlikely that Marcus ever intended the writings to be published. However, Meditations is a classic compilation that has been studied and revered by heads of state, business moguls and military leaders for centuries.

 

Connecting Quality People to
Quality Companies is Our Passion

 
Our job as professional recruiters is to identify, attract, evaluate, and help our clients land top talent for their team.   We are constantly working with quality individuals who are positioned for growth in their career and are open to or actively seeking to make a change.

If your team is seeking talent to make a positive difference in your ability to serve your customers, reach out to us and see if it is something we can assist you with.

Talented Candidates

Listed below are just a sampling of the talented candidates we have evaluated recently. If you would like to learn more about these or other candidates we have available, please contact us.
Grain / Agronomy Operations and Facility Manager with successful and diverse experience (including extensive shuttle loading) will relocate almost anywhere.
Location / Grain & Agronomy Operations Manager with extensive and diverse grain operations experience (including shuttle trains) is seeking an opportunity in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Texas or the western Dakotas.
GM’s and CEO’s – contact us about finding the right leader capable of taking your agricultural business to the next level.
Grain Merchandisers, Originators and Traders who are diversely talented, passionate and looking for new challenges.
Field Operations Manager in Seed Production. Currently resides in the PNW and desires to move to the Midwest.

Growing our Team with
People Who Have Grit and Passion

 

Do you have the grit to not give up and stay true to the course, no matter how difficult it may be? Are you competitive and possess a strong sales mentality where every “no” is just one step closer to a “yes”?

If so, and you have a passion for connecting with and helping people, plus a strong agricultural industry background in agronomy, grain, or other areas, please contact Dave Allen. We would enjoy having a discussion with you about how a recruiting career may be a great fit for you.

About AGRI-SEARCH

 
Founded in 1995, AGRI-SEARCH is a professional recruiting firm providing clients with customized recruiting solutions in various niches within the agricultural industry. Our success results from our industry focus, our specialized approach to recruiting, and our staff's lifelong roots in, dedication to, and vast understanding and knowledge of the agricultural industry.

At AGRI-SEARCH, our mission states that we “are committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.”
agri-search.com | 217-543-2505
 
 
 
 
 

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