Milking 640 cows through a 26-herringbone dairy at their northern Victorian farming operation is labour intensive enough. Throw in rearing stock, grazing, fodder production and growing a third of their grain requirements – this means there is always additional labour required at the Sebire’s farm.
With a team of five full-timers, seven casuals and a number of fencers, Christine acknowledges staff numbers might be a little higher than other businesses. She also knows, however, that they can’t run the farm the way they want to without their support.
With many long serving team members on the farm – including one who has been with them for 15 years and two others who worked for the family for 10 years before retiring recently – they must be doing something right.
“Most of our senior staff have been working for us for at least four years and we have an apprentice who first came to work for us when she was 14,” Christine says.
“We believe longevity in staff is the key to our success and we try to be as flexible as possible to make things work, along with keeping things as simple as possible.”
Christine says they are always keen to accommodate any staff training, which in the past has included participation in a wide range of Dairy Australia courses. Most recently, this has included attending a workshop with renowned international industry management consultant Nollaig Heffernan from Ireland as well as participating in the People and Culture Accelerator Program.
Their team has also participated as a group in Dairy Australia’s Milking and Mastitis Management course (formerly known as Cups On, Cups Off). It was a refresher for those who had done it before and upskilling for those who hadn’t.
“This was the first time we have done the course as a group and it helped put everyone back on the same page,” Christine says.
While working roles are defined, there is flexibility and some crossover but one of the rules never broken is you only ever milk once a day.
“Depending on the season and the time of year we could spend up to five hours in the shed and we don’t expect anyone to do that twice a day, that is just an unspoken rule,” Christine says.
The Sebires have acknowledged that they need their people to be able to work across a diverse set of farm jobs and therefore actively support their team’s development. Maintaining staff capabilities and having a workforce that is empowered means they work better as a team and are motivated to improve.
“We have a diary with a list of jobs, and it is our expectation that staff will work out among themselves who is doing what. This gives them some ownership and we aren’t dictating everything they have to do,” Christine explains.
“We want our employees to enjoy working for us but also have a fulfilling life away from the farm and it is always about getting the balance right.”
Christine says they always make a point of speaking to workers individually through regular catch-ups to enable open and honest conversations about what is working, what is not and what development opportunities would be suitable.
“Our people journey is an evolving process and, while we are a long way from finishing, we have also come a long way from where we started,” Christine says.
“We couldn’t do what we do without our great staff, and it is always better to take a bit of time and look after them.”
To find out more about how Dairy Australia provides support with employing and managing people, and building skills for successful careers in dairy farming, contact your regional team today or visit dairyaustralia.com.au/people.
