Article
Alfred Shava

Recruiting Top-Notch Staff is Key to Serving Farmers

Find out how One Acre Fund seeks out top talent to fill our field officer roles.
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Meet Albert Shava

We sat down with Alfred Shava, the senior field director in charge of Kisii and Gucha districts in Kenya, to learn some information about how One Acre Fund recruits the best talent. We also got an inside look into the work of our field officers, who have the most direct contact with our farmers.

Read our interview with Albert below:

What do One Acre Fund’s field officers do?

Field officers are the first line of contact between One Acre Fund and farmers. At the start of the season, they teach farmers about One Acre Fund, and help them enroll in our program. Over the course of the season, they deliver trainings on best farming practices, monitor crop progress on our clients’ farms, and they also collect farmers’ loan repayments.

How are you involved in the field officer recruitment process?

I monitor the whole recruitment process from start to finish. Before the start of recruitment, I hold a session with the field directors to brainstorm on possible challenges that may arise during the exercise and the possible solutions to address the challenges if they arise. I also sit in during the interview process to give my opinion on the best candidates to hire. Our goal is to ensure that by the end of the process, we hire quality field officers to serve our clients.

How does recruitment work?

First, we inform the local residents that we’re seeking applicants. After receiving the applications, we sort through them to select candidates who meet our requirements. Then we invite these candidates to the first interview session. In this first session, they undergo a basic aptitude test.

Based on the results of the aptitude test, we invite the best candidates for the second round. In this round, the candidates undergo practical assessments, which include role-plays and trainings. The successful candidates from the second round are invited to a third round of interviews. In this round, each candidate gets an opportunity to meet a panel of interviewers and answers some questions.

The candidates who make the final cut are then invited to a training boot camp. They are trained on the duties of a field officer and the best ways to carry out these activities.

Albert Shava training field officers.
Albert Shava training field officers.

Why are there so many stages? What are you looking for in each stage?

All these stages are important in identifying the best candidates for the field officer position. The first round is aimed at testing the candidates’ numerical skills. This is because one of the duties of a field officer is receiving money from farmers as they repay their loans. We need people who are comfortable with numbers.

Candidates perform role-plays because we want people who can easily solve problems that may arise in the field. We test to see how well the candidates can communicate with farmers. The presentations are important in identifying candidates who are good public speakers. This is important because field officers spend a substantial amount of time each week delivering trainings to groups of farmers. The candidates must therefore be fluent in the local language, and be able to express themselves clearly.

When the candidates face a panel of interviewers, the major aim is to identify people who are quick thinkers and quick problem solvers. Finding this type of candidate is important because farmers face different challenges and have many questions that need answers. An ideal field officer should be someone who can answer those questions well and come up with good solutions quickly.

In terms of numbers, how many applications do you receive and how many people are successful at the end of the process?

There are many people who want an opportunity to serve farmers, and we normally receive a huge number of applications. From these, we invite three to five applicants from every area we advertise to attend the interview process. After the interviews, we select one of them. The other strong candidates who aren't selected are kept as reserves. When opportunities arise in the future, the reserve field officers are hired without undergoing another interview, though they of course receive extensive training and onboarding before they start.

Why do we need to hire so many new field officers every year?

The number of One Acre Fund clients continues to grow steadily. As we enroll more and more farmers, we need more field officers to serve them.

A lot of the field officers we hire are for new areas that One Acre Fund is expanding into. But a lot of our growth is “inward” as well – meaning that we try to increase the number of farmers in existing areas too. When the number of clients in an existing area becomes more than what one field officer can serve effectively, we split it into two and hire another field officer.

We also develop and promote our staff from within. We promote several field officers every year to become field managers. Then we hire field officers to take up the positions left by the promoted field managers.

Albert Shava training field officers.

What are the requirements for applicants hoping to become field officers?

Applicants are required to have completed their high school education with passing grades. 

What are some of the challenges you face during this recruitment process?

Sometimes there are two or three candidates who all seem great for the job, and I’m forced to choose between them. But I love this challenge because in the end, I’m sure the person I choose is going to be a great addition to the field operations team.

What are the best moments you have experienced during the process?

It is always a great moment for me when I tell successful candidates that they’ve got the job. I love seeing the smiles cross their faces, particularly because to some of them it is their first job. I love making people happy!

Why is the process of hiring field officers so important to One Acre Fund?

It’s simple: we work very hard to recruit the best candidates because farmers work hard and deserve the very best service. When we hire the right candidates for these positions, our clients are more satisfied, and more willing to pay back their loan and re-enroll with us next year!

For information on open field positions at One Acre Fund, click here.