Key Steps in the Employee Selection Process

Every agribusiness – whether a large farm operation, a seed company, or an agricultural cooperative – runs on the strength of its people. Yet, bringing the right person on board is rarely straightforward. The employee selection process is the structured series of steps that sits between receiving a pile of applications and confidently extending a job offer. Done well, it saves time, reduces costly turnover, and ensures the organization always has the right talent in the right role. Done poorly, it can drain resources and set a team back significantly. According to the Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR), a bad hire costs organizations an average of $17,000 – a figure no agribusiness can afford to ignore.

What is the employee selection process? 🔗

The employee selection process refers to the multiple, sequential steps involved in identifying and choosing individuals who have the right qualifications for a current or future job opening. As noted in the Lumen Learning HR Management resource, the role of human resource management is not simply to hire – it is to create a structured funnel that narrows the candidate pool and guides decision-makers toward the best possible match. Unlike the broader concept of hiring (which can be as informal as taking the first available applicant), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) defines employee selection as a formal process that identifies job tasks and responsibilities, assesses applicant readiness, and places the most qualified candidate in the role.

In an agribusiness context, this process takes on added importance. Labor costs are among the highest expenses in operations like dairy, swine, and beef feedlot businesses. As the Iowa State University Extension points out, it is absolutely vital to hire right – and then train and retain good employees. The selection process is where that journey begins.

Step 1: Criteria development and job description 🔗

Before a single resume is reviewed, the organization must be clear on what it is looking for. Criteria development means defining the skills, abilities, qualifications, and personal characteristics a candidate must have to succeed in the role. This step is directly tied to a thorough job analysis – examining what the job actually requires day to day.

In agriculture, this is particularly detailed. The Pork Information Gateway, a resource supported by USDA and multiple Land-Grant universities, emphasizes that agricultural employers should consider not just technical skills, but also required licenses, certifications, physical demands, and whether the role is full-time, part-time, or seasonal. For example, a swine production associate role may require mechanical aptitude, experience with livestock handling, and a commercial driver’s license – criteria that must all be defined before the search begins.

A clear job description built on these criteria serves two purposes: it attracts candidates who genuinely fit the role, and it gives the HR team an objective baseline against which every applicant can be measured fairly.

Step 2: Application and résumé screening 🔗

Once the job is posted and applications start arriving, the next step is screening. This involves reviewing each resume or application to determine whether the candidate meets the minimum criteria established in step one. According to Indeed’s Employer Guide, the HR team assesses not just listed qualifications but also evidence of skills – for instance, how a candidate describes their professional experience can itself demonstrate communication ability.

For agribusinesses receiving a large volume of applications, it can help to sort submissions into three categories: candidates to interview, candidates to potentially interview, and those who do not meet requirements. This approach, recommended by the Pork Information Gateway, prevents reviewer fatigue and keeps the process organized. Many larger agribusinesses now also use applicant tracking systems (ATS) – software that posts jobs, sorts incoming resumes, and schedules interviews – to handle high application volumes efficiently.

One practical tip: acknowledge every application with a brief response. It is a small step that signals professionalism and builds your reputation as an employer of choice – which matters greatly in tight agricultural labor markets.

Step 3: Preliminary screening interview 🔗

After the initial application review, many organizations conduct a preliminary or phone screening interview before committing to in-person meetings. This is a short conversation – typically 10 to 20 minutes – designed to confirm basic eligibility and gauge the candidate’s interest level.

During this stage, the interviewer covers the general nature of the role, the candidate’s current situation, salary expectations, and availability. Applicants who clearly do not meet the requirements are respectfully informed at this stage, saving time for everyone. Those who pass the screening are then invited to a full interview. This is especially practical for agribusinesses that may be hiring seasonal or specialized labor and need to move efficiently through a large pool of applicants.

Step 4: The formal interview 🔗

The formal interview is the most critical touchpoint in the selection process. It gives both sides a chance to assess fit – the employer evaluates whether the candidate can do the job, while the candidate evaluates whether the role suits them.

Preparing structured questions 🔗

Preparation is the foundation of a good interview. The Pork Information Gateway recommends preparing a standardized list of core questions to ask every candidate, along with any individual follow-up questions based on their specific background. Asking each applicant the same set of questions ensures fairness and makes comparisons more accurate. In agribusiness settings, relevant questions might include experience with specific machinery, livestock management decisions made under pressure, or how a candidate has handled the physical and seasonal demands of farm work.

Importantly, interviewers must stay within legal boundaries. Questions about race, religion, disability, sexual preference, or financial status are off-limits. The focus must remain entirely on job-related competencies.

Types of interviews 🔗

Organizations may choose from several interview formats. A one-on-one interview is most common for smaller agribusinesses. A panel interview, involving multiple team members, adds objectivity and reduces individual bias – particularly useful when hiring for management or specialist positions. For highly specialized roles, multiple rounds may be appropriate: a screening call, a video interview, and then an in-person visit to the operation.

UFP Packaging’s guide on agricultural talent strategies recommends using standardized, consistent questioning across all interviews and checking for alignment with the organization’s culture – not just technical skills.

Step 5: Testing and assessments 🔗

After interviews, many organizations administer one or more pre-employment tests before making a decision. According to the Human Resources Management (2nd Ontario Edition) open textbook, these can include cognitive ability tests, personality assessments, physical fitness tests, and drug screenings – depending on the nature of the role.

In agriculture, physical demands are real and relevant. A role involving heavy machinery operation, livestock handling, or long hours in the field may legitimately require a physical capability assessment. EBSCO’s research overview on employee selection notes that all selection tools – including tests – must be empirically tied to the actual requirements of the job to be both legally defensible and practically effective. Tests that are not job-related can expose an organization to discrimination claims.

Some forward-thinking agribusinesses are also incorporating work sample tests – asking candidates to perform a relevant task (operating a piece of equipment, for example) as a direct demonstration of competency.

Step 6: Reference and background checks 🔗

Reference checks are a step that many employers rush through or skip – and that is a mistake. Conversations with former employers and supervisors can reveal patterns of behavior, work ethic, reliability, and how a candidate performs under pressure. The Pork Information Gateway notes that recommendations from past employers speak volumes and should always be part of the agricultural selection process.

Background checks may include criminal history, driving record verification (especially relevant for roles requiring vehicle operation), and employment history confirmation. Nationwide’s agribusiness hiring guide illustrates this point with a clear example: an employer who skipped a background check hired someone with a theft history – resulting in preventable financial losses. Background checks are not about distrust; they are about protecting the business, the team, and the operation’s integrity.

Social media reviews have also become a common supplementary step at this stage, used to verify that information provided by candidates is consistent with their public professional presence.

Step 7: The hiring decision 🔗

Once the interview, testing, and reference stages are complete, the hiring team – typically the HR manager alongside the direct supervisor or farm manager – evaluates all gathered information and makes the final selection. The decision should come back to the criteria set at the very beginning: who best meets the job requirements, demonstrates the right competencies, and fits the operational culture?

The Pork Information Gateway recommends asking three key questions at this point: Does the candidate have the core skills and competence required? Will they thrive in this specific work environment? And does their background check confirm what they presented during the process? These questions help bring objectivity to what can otherwise become a subjective final decision.

Step 8: The job offer 🔗

The final step is extending a formal job offer. While an initial offer is often made by phone, it should always be followed by a written offer that clearly states the role, compensation, benefits, start date, hours, and any conditions of employment (such as a probation period). As highlighted by Online Manipal’s HR guide, the written offer letter may also include an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) where relevant, ensuring the protection of proprietary operational data.

Once the selected candidate accepts, every other applicant should be notified promptly. This closes the process professionally and maintains the organization’s reputation in the labor market – something that matters particularly in the relatively close-knit agricultural industry where word travels fast.

Why a structured selection process matters in agribusiness 🔗

A well-executed selection process does more than fill a vacancy. It directly reduces employee turnover, lowers training costs caused by poor hiring decisions, and ensures the organization stays legally compliant with employment laws. According to AIHR, early attrition – employees leaving within 90 days – is almost always a signal that something in the selection process fell short. In agribusiness, where replacing a skilled farm worker, equipment operator, or operations manager can be both time-consuming and expensive, getting the selection right the first time is not just good HR practice – it is a business imperative.

The goal is always the same: match the best available candidate to the role in a way that is fair, evidence-based, and aligned with the long-term needs of the operation. Each step in the selection process – from criteria development through to the formal offer – serves that goal.

What do you think? Does your agribusiness currently follow a structured, step-by-step selection process, or do certain stages get skipped under time pressure? And which step do you believe is most critical to getting the hiring decision right – the interview, the reference check, or something else entirely?

References

1. https://www.aihr.com/blog/selection-process-practical-guide/
2. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/hrmanagement/chapter/5-1-the-selection-process/
3. https://www.shrm.org/content/dam/en/shrm/credentials/shrm-certification/teaching-resources/employee-selection-structured-exercises-instructors-manual.pdf
4. https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/html/c1-70.html
5. https://porkgateway.org/resource/recruiting-and-selecting-agricultural-employees/
6. https://www.indeed.com/hire/c/info/employee-selection-processes
7. https://ufppackaging.com/insights/6-effective-strategies-to-grow-agricultural-talent
8. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/humanresourcesmanagementcandianed/chapter/the-selection-process/
9. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/business-and-management/employee-selection
10. https://www.nationwide.com/business/agribusiness/safety-risk-management/resource-library/articles/the-importance-of-hiring
11. https://www.onlinemanipal.com/blogs/selection-process-in-human-resource-management-easy-steps-to-follow