If you look at the schools today vs. even 5-7 years ago, many more are offering degrees in Ag Tech and CEA. This allows many more students to pursue this as a course of study, and hopefully have increased opportunity after they graduate.
Recruiting Talent in the AgriTech Industry
Q&A with Mike Ruane – Principal & Lead Recruiter | M&F Talent
Please tell us about yourself and your role with M&F Talent.
I founded the company with my colleague and co-worker in 2015, and currently serve as the Director of Sales & Recruiting. In a nutshell, I am responsible for working directly with our clients to help them identify top talent to fill their roles in CEA. I also work directly with candidates as I determine if they are a fit for our client's openings.
In your opinion what makes recruiting for Agritech different from other sectors you’ve worked in, such as logistics and manufacturing?
What is the most different for me is not necessarily the specialty nature of the industry, but how spread out it is. When I started my recruiting career in 2006, it was focused specifically on the manufacturing sector in SE Wisconsin. In that role, there were enough manufacturing companies in that immediate area to keep me, and many other recruiting companies busy.
On the other hand, if you look at the CEA industry, it is very spread out over the US and Canada. On the producer side - and with the exception of the Leamington area - it is not uncommon for a large greenhouse grower to be in a remote location, which means mid-to-Sr. Level employees must relocate. In recruiting, it is always more difficult to recruit for talent that must relocate.
On the equipment side, we see many more remote positions. However, the skill sets our clients require are very specialized, and candidates are often all over the country, too.
What skills and experience are most in demand for Agritech roles right now?
At M&F Talent, our biggest focus is Mid-to-Sr. Level Sales talent on the equipment side. So, in that regard, the most in-demand talent we see is for people who know how to sell to commercial greenhouse/ CEA growers. Generally, there is a technical element to their sales experience, but not always. People who are familiar with a variety of markets and crop types and how to sell to these growers will always be in demand. For example, somebody who can sell to: leafy greens, vine crops, and cannabis will always be in demand as equipment companies look to diversify and add to their client lists.
How has the job market for Agritech professionals changed over the past five years?
Over the past 5 years, I think that there has been a lot more opportunity in the AgTech sector. If you look at the schools today vs. even 5-7 years ago, many more are offering degrees in AgTech and CEA. This allows many more students to pursue this as a course of study, and hopefully have increased opportunities after graduation.
On the professional side, I think the widespread adoption and state-level legalization of cannabis have motivated people from mainstream industries to get involved in the CEA and AgTech industries. Another contributing factor I have seen is the advanced tech that is being introduced into the industry, such as robotics and other technology used within controlled environments. This has generated increased interest from people who may not otherwise be interested in horticulture or growing.
I think these factors have contributed to a general growth in the industry as a whole, and in turn, the candidate pool.
What advice would you give to Agritech startups that are looking to attract top talent but may not have the hiring budget of larger companies?
My advice would be to find a way to add value to the opportunity. This could be allowing people to be remote or hybrid, or it could be added value in benefits. But I would always advise companies to pay at least the market rate, and then just make working at your company a positive, engaging, rewarding experience for employees. Show employees that they are valued and appreciated consistently, even if you aren’t able to offer above-market salaries or bonuses.
What strategies do you use to identify and attract top talent in Agritech, especially for niche technical roles?
As a recruiter who specializes in the CEA industry, I think my best “strategy” is building a network, and leveraging that network to find candidates. That could be directly contacting my network to see if they are interested in a job, or it could be contacting people in my network to ask for referrals. But either way, that is probably the best strategy, and what sets us apart from the rest.
The next best strategy I use is knowing where to look for talent, and then knowing what to look for. There are a lot of resources today to find candidates such as LinkedIn and job boards. But usually, different resources are better for finding different types of employees. So, knowing what resources are better is a good strategy to not waste time.
Hand-in-hand with that is knowing what to look for on a resume. Just because a resume has some good keywords or recognizable names, it doesn’t always mean they are a good fit for the position.
As a recruiter, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of the market, and of the requirements of a position, and that often comes with experience.
What trends do you see shaping the future of Agritech recruitment, and how can companies stay ahead of them?
I think that recruitment will continue to remain specialized in AgTech, although I also predict more agencies trying to enter the field. Similar to cannabis, there will be many agencies who try to enter the industry, but only time will tell how many will last. For AgTech companies that work with outside recruiters, it will be important to develop relationships with recruiters who have the appropriate experience to support you.
As the industry grows, another trend will be AgTech companies trying to bring recruiting in-house. This is nothing new, but it will be important for AgTech companies to know what positions are best suited for internal recruiters, and when it is still necessary to look to outside agencies. Because all positions are not created equally, and in some roles, an outside resource may be best to help you find the best talent.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AgriTechTomorrow
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