NEWS Facilitating Graduate Careers in Agribusiness September 2015 #1 Welcome to our First Edition! Nigel Crawley, Director Welcome and thanks for reading the first of what will be an ongoing newsletter specifically for organisations with a profile on the portal. The goal of the newsletter, which we aim to release 3 times a year, will not only be to let you know of new functionalities and improvements to the site, but also to give you a broader context of trends and factors influencing graduates as they enter the workforce. As an example, in this issue we cover a broad range of topics including some pertinent information from our recently released Rimfire Resources Agribusiness HR Review, salary advice levels for graduates and some trends from the Rural Jobs Index. We have also surveyed over 500 former participants and have tracked the industry and roles they have moved into, which shows some interesting trends. In 2016, will continue to evolve and, for the first time, students in first and second year will have access to the company profiles and industry information. We have chosen to include these students as we believe that the earlier they get exposure to the industry, your company and what you do, the more likely they are to stay engaged and look to work in the sector once they complete their studies. There are currently a small number of students on the portal, however we will fully engage this area of the site from February 2016. To accommodate this change, we have effectively split the site into two student groups Graduates (final year students about to graduate and looking for full time graduate positions) and Students (first and second year - or non final year) looking for work experience opportunities during their university holidays or breaks. Graduates are only able to see permanent roles and Students can only see work experience roles, however both can see the same company profile information, industry news and other common industry information. Once Students enter their final year, we will update their profile and change their status to Graduate. These changes will not alter the functionality of the site, it simply gives them some more options. If you require any further information or clarification on the functionality, please call us at Rimfire Resources, and I hope you get some value from this publication. IN THIS EDITION: What is happening in the Graduate landscape New features on the website Updated info on Rural Jobs trends How much to pay a Graduate? For your Diary: Don't miss our next Networking Events Useful tips around portal News 1
The Graduate Landscape Recent analysis of participants in the program over the past 11 years show some interesting trends as to which sectors participants start their career in and what types of roles they are taking. Also, there is definitely a trend towards more women studying Ag. Even though over the 11 years there is almost a 50/50 split between gender, since 2007, there is an increasing trend towards more female participants in the program, which is also reflective of University enrolment statistics which also show an increase in the number of women studying agriculture/agribusiness. 250 200 150 100 50 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Male Female Total Since 2004 1653 candidates surveyed 49.9% Males 50.1% Females Admin Agronomy Analyst Further Education Marketing On Farm Role Sales Supplychain / Manufacturing Technical Trading University Role Types 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% An analysis of survey results from over 500 participants (minimum sample size of 45 graduates per year) who graduated and entered the workforce from 2005 to 2012, provides an indication of which industries within the sector participants are being employed in, as well as which role types they have been securing. Almost 20% of participants went into Sales roles with Technical, Analytical and Agronomy roles being significant. Only 9% of participants surveyed went into On-Farm Roles. Rural Finance is the strongest sector for participants to be employed, with just under 20% of participants employed Sector Employed Animal Health Consulting Crop/Chemical Family / Corporate Fertiliser Food General Merchandise Livestock/Feedlot Machinery Non Ag Retail Ag Seed Stockfeed / Animal University 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% by banks. Retail Distribution was also a large employer, along with Family/Corporate Farming and. Only 5% of participants surveyed were working outside of agriculture. NEWS Facilitating Graduate Careers in Agribusiness Rimfire Resources Brisbane Melbourne Sydney www.rimfireresources.com.au Mick Hay, Managing Director mhay@rimfireresources.com.au Nigel Crawley, Director ncrawley@rimfireresources.com.au Consultants Sharon Moloney smoloney@rimfireresources.com.au David Compton dcompton@rimfireresources.com.au Ryan Hoiberg ryan.hoiberg@rimfireresources.com.au Design Flavia Brandao News is a periodic publication from Rimfire Resources Ltd. All rights reserved. News 2
Site Update Information Video Job Descriptions Now Available The site now has the ability to include a YouTube video as part of the job posting function on the site. After continuous feedback that video was a really effective tool to outline job opportunities, the recent site upgrade now enables this for job descriptions. As participants have generally not worked in the workforce before, their understanding of job descriptions is limited so the use of video can really help outline the responsibilities of the role, as well as give them an actual view of what environment they could potentially be working in, as well as the people they could be working with. The videos don t need to be a massive or costly exercise, it really is just a quick snapshot into the role, your company and the chance to hear in plain speak what they would be doing. We are more than happy to help you put the videos together so please let us know if you need some assistance. When Should I Post my Opportunities on the Site? Given most graduates will finish towards the end of the year, the job hunt starts in earnest between August and October so we suggest you start posting your job opportunities now. The process can take a little longer than a standard recruitment process and the graduates are experiencing multiple opportunities. The space is reasonably competitive so the sooner you go to the market, the wider the talent pool. Don t leave it too late to engage with the best talent. 40.4% of organisations expect to increase the size of their workforce within the next 12 months** First and Second Year Students and Work Experience As a result of the recent upgrade to the site, companies now have the ability to view profiles for participants in their first and second year of study (non final year students). The reason we have opened up the site to these non final years participants is to give your company greater exposure, as well as give the participants a better opportunity to get connected to industry information and assist them to get job ready a lot earlier. There is also the ability for companies to post paid work experience or holiday work opportunities to participants looking to gain work experience through their degree. Rimfire can contract the participants through our Rimfire Personnel contracting business at an agreed flat rate. When you login, you will see the participants are now split into 2 groups Graduates and Students. Participants in the Graduates tab have either graduated, or are about to graduate within the next 6 months, and are looking for full time graduate opportunities. Participants in the Students tab are in their first or second year and can only see work experience opportunities. We have ensured that only final year students or graduated participants can see full time work opportunities, and only participants in their first and second year can see work experience opportunities. If you would like some more information on the new Student and Work Experience opportunities section, please contact us for more details. News 3
Rural Job Index Information 2014 vs 2015* 1 January through 30 June, comparing Internet advertisements. Trending up Production - Non Management Livestock - Sheep & Beef Seed / Biotech Processing / Manufacturing Production - Management 2014 1627 jobs Steady 2015 1654 jobs Commodity Trading Industry Grower Groups Education Fertilizer Rural Merchandise Farm Machinery Distribution Animal Health / Nutrition Feedlot Crop Protection Dairy Production - Casual Trending down 2013 vs 2014* Comparing complete 12 months of Internet advertisements. Trending up Production - Casual Dairy Feedlot Production - Non Management Production - Management 2013 3503 jobs Steady 2014 3120 jobs Animal Health / Nutrition Education Rural Merchandise Industry Grower Groups Seed / Biotech Fertilizer Processing / Manufacturing Distribution Crop Protection Commodity Trading Livestock - Beef and Sheep Farm Machinery Trending down Source: * Rimfire Resources Rural Job Index, July 2015 ** Rimfire Resources Agribusiness HR Review 2015 Graduate Salaries There is no set rule of thumb for graduate salaries and each business has different starting point remuneration for graduates entering their business. We strongly advise students that salary is not an important factor when looking at which opportunity is best for them, and that graduate salaries vary according often to the sector within agribusiness. In short, we do not advise students as to what they should expect or what an average salary for a graduate is. What we do know, however, is what graduates are paid according to the data from our Rimfire Resources Agribusiness Salary Review. The current median base salary (Exclusive of Super) for Graduates is $50,168 and the average is $52,537. If you would like some more detailed information on salaries, or are not a subscriber to our Rimfire Resources Agribusiness Salary Review, please contact us for more details. succession planning is driving the recruitment of graduates** Updating your Company Profile Remember, you can always update your company profile and information at any time. We are also seeing an increase in students viewing the company profiles and employee/graduate interviews, so if you wish to do some more video interviews or add some to your profile, please contact Nigel at ncrawley@rimfireresources.com.au to have it arranged. News 4
Networking Events Melbourne: 14 October Sydney: 20 October Gatton: TBC will again be running a series of networking events for program partners wanting to interact face to face with Graduates. The events give companies an opportunity to discuss their business, where graduates might fit in and their experiences with graduates in their business. For the Graduates/Students, it is a great opportunity to talk directly with decision makers and influencers who are looking to hire. Last year, there were several graduates who received employment offers directly as a result of attending the networking events and impressing companies face to face. Only Graduates/Students who have applied to are able to attend the event. The dates and venues will be emailed directly to you by 21 of September. Dress is Lounge Suit and the format of the night is a panel discussion followed by drinks. The events will be hosted in Melbourne and Sydney by NAB and we again thank them for their support. For security and catering reasons, we will ask you to RSVP so please look out for the event details in the coming weeks and make sure you RSVP. Please feel free to contact Nigel Crawley at any stage for further info. CONTACT US Rimfire Resources Brisbane 07 3878 3411 PO Box 501, Indooroopilly QLD 4068 Melbourne 03 9645 5200 PO Box 50, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Sydney 02 9006 1214 Tower 2, 201 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 www.rimfireresources.com.au News 5