Latest listings on AgJobs Central recruitment page:

• Livestock Facility Manager (Agricultural Appointments client)
• Member Services Registrar (Speckle Park International)
• General Manager Supply Chain – Adelaide, SA (Crop Smart)
• Extension Officer (Precision Placements client)
• Farm Mechanic – Magometon, NSW (Lucas Group client)
• People & Culture Manager – Perth WA (Rimfire Resources client)
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• Operations Mgr – Irrigated Potato & Seed Farm, NSW (DroverAg client)
• Overseer – Angus Stud & Commercial cattle – NSW (DroverAg client)
• Livestock Manager – Sheep Focus – New Norcia, WA (DroverAg client)
• Skilled Station Hand – Backgrounding Cattle Enterprise – NSW (DroverAg client)
• Skilled Station Hand – Cobar, NSW (DroverAg client)
• Station Manager – Trade Cattle Operation, Thargomindah Qld (DroverAg client)
• Livestock Mgr – Beef and Lamb Production, Mount Barker WA (DroverAg client)
• Asst Mgr – Mixed Livestock & Fodder – Merriwa NSW (DroverAg client)
• Farm Hand Mixed Operation – Western Darling Downs Qld (DroverAg client)
• WA/SA Territory Sales & Development Manager (Rimfire client)
• Station Hand – AACo Dalgonally Station (AACo)
• Independent Chair, Australian Livestock Exporters Council
• Non-Executive Directors (Grains Australia Ltd)

Click here to access these and other exciting meat and livestock supply chain jobs currently listed on AgJobs Central.

IN today’s competitive agribusiness talent market, employers are understandably aiming high.

But many hiring briefs increasingly resemble idealistic wish lists: candidates with the drive of a graduate, the leadership of a seasoned executive, and the salary expectations that reflect neither.

This pursuit of the “perfect fit” often overlooks a highly valuable group: professionals with extensive experience, many of whom are aged 50 or more.

Here’s why it’s happening:

Cost-consciousness meets high expectations

In a tighter economic climate, employers want ‘more for less.’ They’re aiming to hire experienced professionals who can hit the ground running, but without paying senior-level salaries. The ideal? Someone seasoned, but still early in their earnings curve — but finding that blend at a mid-level salary can be challenging.

Desire for energy and agility

There’s a perception that younger workers bring energy, adaptability and digital fluency. Employers want these qualities, but they also want deep expertise and leadership maturity — which typically take decades to develop.

Workforce gaps and succession pressure

In sectors like agribusiness, where succession planning is lagging and talent pipelines are thin, employers are hoping to bridge both current and future needs in one person. This leads to hiring briefs that ask for 20 years of experience and 20 years of runway.

The cost of overlooking experience

When experienced candidates are dismissed too quickly, companies can:

• Prolong vacancies and delay productivity gains
• Miss out on leadership that lifts team performance
• Reinforce age bias — a risk for any future leader
• Undermine diversity and inclusion strategies.

This issue is especially relevant in agriculture, where workforce shortages and succession challenges remain pressing.

The value of seasoned talent

Agribusiness, with its complex operations, long planning cycles, and unpredictable conditions, relies on experience. Yet some of the most capable professionals are being quietly screened out, not on merit, but on assumptions around age or perceived overqualification.

What these individuals bring to the table is exactly what many businesses need:

• Decades of practical knowledge in production, logistics, and risk management;
• Proven leadership through droughts, downturns, and market shifts;
• Commercial resilience developed through real-world problem-solving;
• Workforce stability, with often lower turnover risk.

Instead of saying “They may be overqualified,” it should be: “Can this person help us grow, improve, and build resilience into our business?”

Specialist agricultural recruiter, Agricultural Appointments explores this topic in its 2025 Agribusiness Salary & Trend Report, outlining the latest ag sector employment trends and what’s shaping ag workforce expectations. Click here to access