Compensation problems often appear late in a search. Let’s change that and save everyone time. A company identifies a strong candidate, spends several weeks interviewing, gets everyone comfortable with the fit, and then discovers the financial expectations on both sides are farther apart than anyone realized. By that point, a lot of time has been [...]

There is a leadership problem brewing in the feed and grain industry, and most companies feel it before they talk about it.It shows up when a mill manager retires, and no one is ready to step in.It shows up when an assistant manager is dependable but not prepared to run the whole operation.It shows up [...]

Every few years, I share the same interview question. Not because I ran out of ideas. Though some days, that would be a fair accusation. I keep coming back to it because after 35 years in recruiting, I still believe it is the best interview question I know. The question comes from Lou Adler, [...]

The Best Hiring Decisions Start Before You Review the First Candidate Every search begins with expectations. Some companies want someone who has spent years in dairy nutrition. Others are looking for a sales professional who already knows the territory, understands the customer base, or has experience with a particular product line. Those are reasonable requests [...]

One of the biggest misconceptions in hiring is that recruiting starts when a position is approved. In reality, it starts much earlier—when an organization clearly defines what success looks like for the role. Too often, recruiters receive job descriptions that no longer match the work the position requires. The title may be accurate, but [...]

One of the most common requests recruiters receive sounds something like this: "We're looking for someone who has done this exact job, in this exact industry, with this exact background." On paper, that makes sense. Hiring managers want to reduce risk. They want someone who can contribute quickly, require minimal onboarding, and make an immediate [...]

One of the lesser-talked-about but crucial dynamics in swine live production is the role of visa-supported employees. In the 2025 Swine Live Production Industry Insights Survey, nearly half of respondents reported that more than 25% of their workforce is on a TN or similar visa. Specifically, 30.6% reported that more than half of their team [...]

We recently asked professionals in our Poultry Live Production Industry Insights survey whether they expect to remain with their current employer over the next 12 months. The topline result looks reassuring at first glance because most respondents lean toward staying. With 66.67% selecting enthusiastic “Yes!” and another 7.69% selecting “Yes,”—a clear majority of respondents seeing [...]

“Uncapped commission” used to be a headline perk. In animal sciences sales today, it’s increasingly just… normal. In our Animal Sciences Sales Industry Insights Survey (2025), a majority of respondents said their incentive pay is uncapped (52.41%), compared with 30.48% capped, and 17.11% with no incentive pay. That’s a signal of what sales professionals are [...]