I shared some farm labor onboarding tips on LinkedIn recently, and I've had more ideas since then, enough they deserved a detailed blog post. So here are some tips to make hiring ag workers smoother and faster. These all come from me witnessing countless customer hiring events firsthand. They are in no particular order and are so easy you could try them on your next hire:

• Play low music in the background to create a welcoming atmosphere during onboarding. 
• But don't hire workers in noisy places (packing line break area, machine shop, etc.).
• Have adequate seating because people will be waiting around no matter how fast your process is.
• Please have signs pointing out bathrooms for brand-new people who may not be familiar with your farm facilities.
• Separate candidates into those with a phone and without. Those without a phone shouldn't make those with a phone wait extra long.
• Encourage workers to independently complete straightforward forms, allowing you to concentrate on more complex labor compliance documents, such as the I-9. This can be extra tricky for H-2A workers!
• Ask workers to take a selfie for their employee ID badge photos: saves you time and hassle.
• There should be multiple hiring stations but one line, so people don't need to strategize lines like at the grocery store.
• Prioritize rehires since the onboarding system should have their info saved from last year, making this onboarding faster.
• Good lighting is critical to scan IDs and have the info pre-populate the employee's I-9.
• Choose a location with excellent cell service and WiFi for hiring events so you can use your farmworker onboarding software without interruption. H-2A housing or field offices are generally good places. Basements, loading docks, and unused CA/warehouse rooms are bad.
• Have employees do their safety training while they wait. This will save you and them time. However, this only works if your onboarding software includes training like Harvust.
• Give each new hire your business card: start building that HR relationship now.
• Sit at a right angle to the person you're hiring. If you're at a desk or table, position them on the end instead of across from you. That way, if you need to help them on their phone, or they have to use your device, it's easier for you both to turn.
• Have water for yourself: you'll be doing a lot of talking.
• Temporarily increase the lock screen timeout on any phone or device being used for hiring. If the device belongs to the farm, you could even temporarily disable the passcode. You do not want to spend half your time entering the passcode over and over again.
• Have hand sanitizer for yourself. You'll probably be shaking a lot of hands and handling ID cards.
• Try scheduling new hires in batches. Try grouping new hires, messaging/calling them before the onboarding event, and giving them a specific time to show up. I've only seen this pulled off a few times, but it was helpful.

While these are tailored for those using farm labor management software, like Harvust, to streamline farmworker onboarding; the principles could be used for any agricultural employer still using paper. If you have questions or want us to help you optimize your onboarding, get in touch!