The busy season is now upon us and with all the panic and stress that unfolds, it’s important to keep the people who are central to the business’ success moving in the same direction.

With over half of all dairy farms in Ireland relying on some level of hired labour, whether it’s as full-time or seasonal help, people skills are now a key component of running a successful dairy business.

A lot of these farm owners or managers may have fallen into the role of a people manager with little to no formal training or experience.

This can be difficult, but taking time to plan and understand what a good employer looks like is critical.

As the owner or manager, that person is the leader of the team and therefore how they act and portray themselves will have a big effect on the rest of the team.

Understandably during the spring months, time is inevitably going to be tight with emotions and stress levels peaking on the back of late nights and early mornings.

As the leader of the team, it’s important to maintain some level of calmness and composure.

Anyone who has ever been involved in any organisation will know, the last thing a person wants is a boss that flies off the handle or swings from one extreme to the other in terms of mood and attitude.

This causes uncertainty and fear and shouldn’t be acceptable no matter what’s going on in any particular day.

Keeping the people in the business informed and up to date on what’s going on is important.

A useful method of keeping everyone on the same page is a weekly meeting. This is particularly useful on any farms with employees.

The meeting can be as long or as short as it needs to be but the key is making sure everyone’s aware of what needs to be done, why it needs to be done and how it needs to be done.

A job that the farm owner might think as simple and straightforward may be more difficult for a new or more inexperienced member of the team.

Therefore it’s important to keep communication lines clear and explain what’s expected.

The ideal time for a team meeting is when all the people in the business are scheduled to be working at the same time.

Avoid break times and lunch for these meetings as that is the employees’ time for themselves.

The meeting is an opportunity for everyone to contribute and feel heard.

Detailing the grazing plan for the week or developing a jobs list with assigned tasks are examples of some of the simple topics that could be covered off in the meeting.

Doing so will ensure all employees are singing from the same hymn sheet.

Developing a fair working roster can be difficult, particularly in the spring when it’s all hands to the pump.

However, it’s important to keep in mind people working in the business are unlikely to feel the same level of responsibility or share the same drive as the farm owner/manager.

For that reason, they shouldn’t be expected to clock the same hours of work or hang around the yard all evening.

A consistent start and finish time is very important to a lot of people and this should be respected.

At Dairy Day 2025, Teagasc people specialist Conor Hogan explained that most people working in a dairy business understand the demands of the job.

On a spring-calving farm, there’s likely to be two months of intense work required but the rest of the year is less demanding.

It was his belief that employees will usually be flexible enough to sacrifice an occasional day off or start a little earlier in the morning, provided it can be made up to them when things calm down.

This comes back to clear communication lines between the farm owner/manager and the people in the business, to come up with a fair plan of action.

For example, a member of the team might end up working a 6/1 (six days on, one off) rota through February and March, with the guarantee of reverting to a 5/2 rota for the remainder of the year.

These extra days worked could be offered as extra holidays once calving has come to an end.

Finding the right balance will depend on the requirements of the team and the requirements of the farm but ultimately it comes back to flexibility, understanding and communication.

Keeping morale and energy levels up are a big part of getting through the spring. Something simple like setting up a tab in the local restaurant so the team can go into the town or village and get themselves a hot meal at breakfast or lunch can go a long way. It will help to break up the day and get people off-farm for a while.

They’ll feel more refreshed coming back and more inclined to go the extra mile when things need doing.

While it might sound simple, giving credit for a job well done or celebrating little successes that occur throughout the spring months can help to keep everyone on the team enthusiastic and tuned in.