For years, one of dairy’s biggest workforce questions has been: where are we going to find the people? It’s an understandable question. Finding good people isn’t easy, and immigration has become an important part of the answer.
In our earlier reflection on DairyNZ’s workforce insights, we asked whether dairy’s management practices had kept pace with its increasing reliance on employees. We also raised the importance of creating farm businesses where good people want to stay, perform and progress.
DairyNZ’s latest Workforce Insights adds another dimension to that conversation. Around one in three dairy employees are non-NZ citizens, and the number of resident visa holders working in dairy has grown significantly over the past 20 years. As they gain residency, they gain greater security and more choice about where they work and what comes next.
That makes the experience we offer people once they arrive just as important as our ability to recruit them. How do we create a workplace where good people want to stay and grow? And that question applies to every good person you’d rather not lose.
What makes someone want to stay?
Pay matters. So do hours, rosters and housing. These are foundations of a good job, and they need to be right. Alongside them sit the everyday experiences that shape what it's actually like to work somewhere:
Do I know what’s expected of me?
Does my manager talk to me regularly, or only when something has gone wrong?
Do I get feedback and recognition when I’m doing a good job?
Am I learning, and can I see a future for myself here?
Do I feel part of the team?
Can I have a life outside work?
For someone who has moved countries, there may be another question too: do I have the support I need to settle into this workplace and community?
None of these questions is surprising. But the answers say a great deal about what it feels like to work for a business. When people weigh up their options, that experience matters.
Good intentions need to show up every day
It’s easy to agree that retaining good people matters. The harder part is making sure our everyday management practices give them reasons to stay. A good roster matters. So does being able to rely on it, rather than having plans changed at the last minute every week. Training matters. So does asking someone where they want to get to, then giving them opportunities to build the skills and confidence to get there. Competitive pay matters. So does having a manager who notices good work, deals with problems fairly and makes time to talk.
And this is where culture comes in. Culture isn’t just the values on the wall or the things we say are important. It’s shaped by what managers role model, what they reinforce, what they recognise and, just as importantly, what they let slide. And development isn't just about sending someone on a course. It comes from giving people the chance to learn, apply new skills on the job, get feedback and keep building from there.
DairyNZ identifies clear agreements, fair rosters, safe housing and farms, good communication, pastoral support, strong leadership and visible development pathways as important ingredients in workplaces where people choose to stay.
None of these things happens simply because we intend them to. They take management skill, attention and consistent follow-through, right throughout the season and particularly when the pressure comes on.
Staying doesn’t have to mean staying forever
There’s another part of this conversation worth considering. Keeping good people in dairy doesn’t always mean keeping them in the same job or on the same farm. Some will move into management, contract milking, sharemilking or ownership. Others will want a satisfying employed career where they can deepen their skills, take on responsibility and earn well, without necessarily owning a business. Both need to be visible and worthwhile options.
DairyNZ reports that 1,750 resident visa holders owned dairy businesses in 2024/25. That’s a useful reminder that people who arrive to fill a vacancy can go on to contribute to the sector in much broader ways.
An individual employer can’t offer every possible next step. But they can help people develop, talk honestly about their ambitions and support their progress. Sometimes success will mean a longer working relationship. Sometimes it will mean someone moving on, well prepared for their next opportunity in dairy.
Start by asking your people
A useful first step is to choose two or three of the questions above and ask your team. Find out what’s working well, what makes their job harder than it needs to be, and what they’d like to learn or do next. Then choose something you can act on and follow through. Those conversations may confirm what you already think. They may also reveal a gap between the workplace you intend to provide and the one your employees experience.
Dairy needs access to people, and immigration remains an important part of that picture. Alongside recruitment, we need farm businesses where people can do good work, be well managed and see a future.
Which leaves a useful question for any employer: If your best employee had plenty of other options tomorrow, what would make them choose to stay with you?
