Reflections on Effective Employee Development from New Entrants to the UK Agriculture and Agri-food Sector

In the context of workforce challenges in UK agriculture and agri-food, workplace employee development could be a critical tool for developing human capital that supports individual and organisational success. This research aimed to enhance understanding of how those entering UK agricultural and agri-food employment from non-agricultural backgrounds perceived the employee development that they experienced in their first role in the sector. A mixed methods approach incorporating a survey and semi-structured interviews was used followed by statistical and thematic evaluation. The research found that informal employee development was highly valued for professional development but formal development was perceived to have more impact on performance in role. Participants praised mentoring and opportunities for informal communication, while development processes such as induction and performance review were perceived less positively. Overall, this research shows that supporting managers to develop their own skillset and knowledge on employee development, will help to create workplace environments where new entrants from non-agricultural backgrounds can be individually supported to learn, engage and develop. The article concludes with recommendations focused on mentoring schemes, informal employee development, and guidance for sector managers, which could support employee development in the UK agriculture and agri-food sector.