Having worked at Poky Feeders, a 73,000-head commercial feedyard in Scott City, Kan., since 1985, general manager Joe Morgan has seen changes, including what motivates the people he hires. “People working for us today have different needs and wants than people I employed 20 years ago,” he says. “It doesn’t all revolve around salary. They’re looking for more of a home.”
He tries to create that work “home” for them by making his company as employee friendly as possible; he also helps address his employees’ needs for actual homes. “One of the other things we’ve done that’s really unique is we built an apartment complex at the yard,” Morgan says. “We’ve found that housing has become a huge issue for a lot of the people we employ. In these small, rural communities, the quality of housing may not be that good, and people often don’t have a lot of money when they’re transitioning from one job to another. They may struggle with getting two or three months rent together.”
In response, the feedyard built two six-apartment complexes on the feedyard property, about 1/2 mile from the main yard, set back among trees. It was a good decision, Morgan says. “It helps bring people to us if they’re coming from away from here,” Morgan says. “They don’t know the community or what’s available, but they can come and stay in an apartment for a few months, get their finances in shape, find a home they really like and move and go on.” It’s another tool Poky Feeders can use to make sure they are attracting the best talent, not just locally, but anywhere.
Communication is key
The company also has a hog division and ranching operations, both leased and owned, in seven states. They employ about 84 people.
With that many people on staff, keeping communication open is a priority for Morgan and his management team. There are quarterly company lunches where employees can mingle — “The feedyard is so active with that many people, so a lot of people see each other but they may never have had time to really communicate with each other.”
There are also quarterly employee meetings that provide another venue to encourage communication. “It’s a way for us to get input from employees and also to give out information: what we’re doing in the yard, what we want to change, company policy questions, all those things,” Morgan says.
