b'Do Your Employees Feel Valued?Keeping employees engaged in a time of pandemic has been a major challenge for many seed sellers. How are companies responding?Jim TimlickENGAGING EMPLOYEES ANDmaking sureabout the work they are performing, Julie explains. theyre aware of how valued their contributions areLeadership has also continued to send out a weekly can be a challenge for companies during the best ofemail newsletter chronicling business highlights from times. Doing so during the COVID-19 pandemic hasthe previous week as well as things proven to be even more challenging. like employee birthdays, engagement A recent study conducted by Ohio State Universityannouncements, upcoming contests bears that out. The study showed that a combinationand funny photos, which Julie says of job insecurity and financial concerns prompted byhas really fostered a sense of con-the pandemic can produce a growing sense of stressnectedness.and anxiety in workers. This can have serious implica- I think communication is even tions for not only an individuals mental health andmore important now, to keep goals wellbeing, but can also lead to feeling less engagedin front of everybody and know at work, according to the studys authors. The goodwhat other teams are doing so you news, the authors say, is that having the right kind ofdont get siloed, she continues.boss or leader can actually help reduce such stress andWhen were celebrating increase engagement. milestones or accomplishments While the problem may not be rampant in the seedwe try to celebrate visibly so that industry, the sector hasnt been immune from it either.people stay engaged.Seed companies across the U.S. have had to considerCarl says one of his com-how to keep employees engaged during the pandemicpanys core philosophies is even while many of them are working remotely fromthat to have employees feel home or elsewhere and have less or almost no per- appreciated, an employer sonal contact with fellow employees and supervisors. has to actually appreciate Seed World spoke with a number of seed retailersthem. That includes listen-about how they are dealing with the situation, whating to what they have to say. they are doing to enhance employee engagement andPeterson Farms instituted an what lessons theyve learned during the pandemic. annual survey for its employ-ees about four years ago Business Not as Usual with the aim of generating While it hasnt exactly been business as usual forhonest feedback that is then Peterson Farms Seed in Harwood, N.D., during theused to help plot the com-pandemic, co-owners Carl and Julie Peterson say theirpanys future.approach to fostering employee engagement isnt aWhen we think about why whole lot different now than it was pre-COVID-19. we exist as a company, sure We had a really strong culture to begin with, awe are here to produce seed. culture of caring for each other. If you didnt have itBut we exist because it pro-beforehand youre not suddenly going to have it duringvides an opportunity for folks the pandemic, Julie says. You need to care aboutto grow and have a meaningful people and they need to know you care about them.place to work. What we care Its got to be part of your companys DNA. about is the people, Carl adds. Engage One thing the pandemic has brought into focus atAnother thing that hasnt changed for theemployees with Peterson Farms is the importance of regular communi- Petersons during the pandemic is making sure employ- fun holidayscation in keeping employees engaged and enthusiasticees have a little fun during their work day. On onelike Pi Day!6/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2021'