Southland immigration adviser says treating migrant staff well reaps rewards

Immigration consultant Amy Heenan gave tips on employing migrants when she spoke at a South Island Dairy Event workshop in Invercargill last week. Photo / Shawn McAvinue

A happy, well-settled migrant is a productive employee who is more likely to remain loyal, a Southland immigration adviser says.

Amy Heenan, of human resource business Chile Force, spoke about employing migrant workers in the workshop “How to Be The Best Boss” at the South Island Dairy Event in Invercargill last week.

She and her husband employ 15 migrant staff on their Mossburn dairy farm.

Most of the staff were Chilean and English was their second language.

In winter, staff were bought pizza and given English lessons.

All information on farm systems was provided in English and Spanish.

The names of chemicals used for washdown were also provided in both languages to prevent mistakes.

The national days of migrant staff were celebrated and national dishes were served.

“We know productivity will be low the next day and expectations are even lower.”

She encouraged people to look after their migrant staff.

“Be the best boss, look after your staff. It’s such a timely, costly and stressful process to recruit, you want to stand out from all other employers and I believe this comes down to how we value and treat our staff.”

Employers should learn about the cultures of migrant staff and find out what made them feel valued so each staff member felt like an integral member of the team.

“Different nationalities value different things.”

She had observed Chileans wanted a family environment.

“They hate, hate, hate being yelled at.”

Some other nationalities valued status.

“They want the job title of assistant farm manager, as opposed to herd manager.”

Some migrants were “dead set” on being supported by their employers on a pathway to becoming a resident.

Others wanted to do as many agricultural courses as possible.

“Some chase the money and an easier roster.”

Currently, migrants must be paid at least the median wage of $29.66 an hour and be provided at least 30 hours of work.