1. Retention Strategy and Implementation
1.1. Equity-Based Compensation
1.1.1. Ownership of the Cause: Align equity stakes with the long-term mission of creating sustainable and profitable agriculture solutions.
1.1.2. Equity Vesting Based on Project Milestones: Tie vesting schedules to the achievement of impactful agricultural initiatives.
1.1.3. Long-Term Impact Vision: Clearly articulate how equity translates into long-term rewards, particularly as the company grows or gains external funding.
1.2. Flexible & Mission-Oriented Work Environment
1.2.1. Work-Life Flexibility: Offer flexible work hours and arrangements, especially for roles involving fieldwork with armers.
1.2.2. Remote & On-Site Blend: Combine remote technology work with field visits to engage with farmers, giving our employees a mix of digital and ground-level exposure.
1.2.3. Autonomy & Field Ownership: Empower our employees to own field projects and make decisions that impact farming communities directly.
1.3. Recognition & Non-Monetary Incentives
1.3.1. Field Success Celebrations: Celebrate successful agricultural projects or farmer engagements with meaningful rewards and public recognition.
1.3.2. Learning in Agriculture & Technology: Offer access to AgriTech certifications, industry training, and mentorship opportunities.
1.3.3. Pathways to Leadership in AgriTech: Provide opportunities for employees to step into leadership roles focused on scaling agricultural solutions.
1.3.4. Farmer Engagement Milestones: Recognize employees for fostering deep, successful partnerships with farmers or agronomists.
1.4. Community & Culture Building
1.4.1. Align on Social Impact: Keep our employees deeply connected to the positive outcomes their work is generating for rural farmers.
1.4.2. Team Bonding through Field Visits/meetups: Organize team trips to farming regions or rural areas to experience first-hand the agricultural challenges and progress.
1.4.3. Cultural Sensitivity: Foster a work environment that values regional diversity, local knowledge, and different agricultural practices.
1.5. Long-Term Team Management & Engagement
1.5.1. Continuous Engagement
1.5.1.1. Ongoing Impact Reviews: Regular feedback loops with a focus on how the individual’s work is driving tangible change in the agricultural space.
1.5.1.2. Career Development in AgriTech: Develop specific career paths in areas like AgriTech innovation, rural development, and social entrepreneurship.
1.5.1.3. Leadership Training: Mentor our employees to become future leaders in sustainable agriculture and AgriTech transformation.
1.5.2. Transparent Communication
1.5.2.1. Field Updates & Business Progress: Provide regular updates on the impact being made with farmers and agricultural communities to build a sense of accomplishment.
1.5.2.2. Transparency in Growth Challenges: We have to be open about funding, business pivots, or regulatory changes that affect the company’s progress.
1.5.3. Employee Wellbeing in Rural Contexts
1.5.3.1. Field Support & Safety: We have to ensure our employees are equipped with the right resources for traveling to and working in rural areas (if our current fund threshold permits)
1.5.3.2. Mental Health Resources: Offer counseling or stress management, particularly for those involved in challenging rural settings or high-impact projects.
1.5.4. Building Trust & Loyalty
1.5.4.1. Clear Path to Success: We have to show how the company’s mission directly aligns with each employee’s career growth, future financial rewards, and societal contributions.
1.5.4.2. Commitment to Rural Impact: Demonstrate leadership’s dedication to improving the agricultural sector and empowering farming communities.
1.5.5. Fostering Innovation & Ownership in AgriTech
1.5.5.1. Agri-Innovation Days: Organize periodic innovation sessions focused on brainstorming new technologies, tools, or approaches to solving farming issues.
1.5.5.2. Autonomy on Ground Projects: Empower our employees to drive on-field projects, making direct decisions to support farmer efficiency and productivity.
1.5.5.3. Employee-Driven AgriTech Initiatives: Encourage employees to pitch new ideas for improving farming techniques, supply chain logistics, or environmental sustainability.
1.5.6. Long-Term Retention Incentives
1.5.6.1. Profit Sharing (Post-Funding): As revenues or funding streams stabilize, we can introduce profit-sharing models tied to development milestones.
1.5.6.2. Future Financial Growth: Once the company scales, we need transition into more traditional salary models alongside equity for longer-term employees.
1.5.6.3. Option to Increase Equity: For long-term employees, we provide the option to increase their equity share as the company grows or reaches new stages of development.
1.5.7. Retaining Talent Post-Funding Rounds
1.5.7.1. Clear Communication of Future Compensation: Once external funding is secured, maintain transparency on how compensation will evolve beyond equity.
1.5.7.2. Transition to Competitive AgriTech Salaries: As the company matures, offer industry-standard salaries alongside mission-aligned equity compensation.
2. Recruitment Strategy
2.1. Build DasVita as strong Brand
2.1.1. Vision & Mission: We must highlight the social impact on agriculture and farmers’ welfare, addressing food security and sustainability.
2.1.2. Transparency: We need to clearly communicate equity-based compensation and future financial benefits as DasVita scales.
2.1.3. Promote AgriTech Innovation: Emphasize cutting-edge solutions we are bringing to the agricultural space.
2.1.4. Showcase Leadership in Agri : Highlight leaders or experts in agriculture technology, farming, and rural development, we can try to get help of such Agri focused leaders/experts.
2.1.5. Impact-Driven Messaging: We can use success stories of improving farmers’ livelihoods or sustainable farming to attract talent passionate about social impact.
2.2. Target Talent Pools
2.2.1. Field Experts: We can seek professionals with a background in farming, AgriTech, HR, digital Marketing, finance, rural outreach, or environmental sustainability etc.
2.2.2. Tech for Good Enthusiasts: Attract engineers and developers who are passionate about using technology for societal good, particularly in the agriculture sector.
2.2.3. Freelancers & Consultants: We can try to engage independent experts in AgriTech, agronomy, and rural economics, with the potential to convert into full-time equity holders until we raise fund.
2.2.4. Local & Regional Talent: Tap into regional professionals who have a deep understanding of local agricultural challenges.
2.2.5. Diversity Focus: Emphasize the inclusion of talent from rural areas, different agro-climatic zones, and agricultural backgrounds. Basically, my home is located amid agricultural area so I can get lot of help from local farmers & can understand the intensity of challenges the farmers are facing on daily basis.
2.3. Leverage Low-Cost Recruitment Tools
2.3.1. AgriTech & Farming Forums: We can participate in AgriTech and farming-focused forums, communities, and conferences to build relationships.
2.3.2. Employee Referrals: Encourage current employees to refer experts from agriculture and technology sectors.
2.3.3. Collaboration with Agri Universities: Partner with agricultural universities and institutes to recruit interns, project staff, or recent graduates.
2.3.4. Agri-Hackathons & Challenges: Host or participate in hackathons focused on AgriTech and invite high-potential participants to join DaVita’s mission.