Onboarding Dairy Employees 2020: Safe, Productive and Engaged from Day One

Onboarding Dairy Employees 2020: Safe, Productive and Engaged from Day One
The first days and weeks on the job set the course for a new farm employee. Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development is seeking dairy farmers to participate in the second year of an onboarding project funded by the New York Farm Viability Institute.
Farms in the Onboarding Project work closely with an adviser to customize a professional and legally-compliant new employee onboarding process, and to improve farm human resource management practices. Well planned onboarding leads to a successful long-term manager-employee relationship with higher employee retention, safety, productivity, and job satisfaction.
Use Employee Onboarding to achieve:
- COMPLIANCE. Basic compliance with regulations and policies.
- CLARITY. Training on safety, work procedures, and expectations.
- CULTURE. Communicate your farm's procedures, values, traditions and norms.
- CONNECTION. Help employees forge relationships at work and find their place to engage and thrive.
Over the next year, the Ag Workforce Development Team will partner with 25 farms in a three-session Zoom series to develop onboarding materials, trainings and methods.
- Onboarding Program Flyer
- Onboarding Program News Release
- Guide for Conducting Employee Onboarding. Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development. Make a good impression and connect employees with the team to retain valued employees.
If your farm is looking for a way to improve employee retention and increase overall productivity of employees, contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator or Richard Stup, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development, at res396@cornell.edu.
Upcoming Events
Boots in the Barn: Cornell Dairy Research Updates
January 13, 2026
January 20, 2026
January 27, 2026
February 3, 2026
February 10, 2026
February 17, 2026
February 24, 2026
Join us for some or all!
Advanced Hoof Health Program
January 15, 2026
Belfast, NY
Who should attend?
- Professional hoof trimmers
- Dairy farm owners or managers in charge of farm foot health
Topics include:
- How to Create a Strategic Trimming Program for your Dairy
- The Latest in Lameness Technology for the Dairy Industry
- Housing and Flooring Design: Its Role in Hoof Care
NY Pork Producers Connection Breakfast - Geneseo
January 17, 2026 : Pork Producers Connection Breakfast - Geneseo
Geneseo, NY
All pork producers are invited to join the New York Pork Producers for a free hot farmer's breakfast, at which they'll catch up on topics including the pork to dairy barn conversion series, NYPP digital campaigns, and 840-RFID tags.
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