animal caretaker

repair technician

truck driver

transport driver

hvac technician

Iowa Select Farms

I worked there for over a year. Don't get me wrong, I loved my farm family, the pigs, and I appreciate everything I learned there. HOWEVER, there are plenty of reasons as to why I left. There is no training, we would have people show up on their first day, maybe last a week, and never show up again because they had no idea what they were getting into; mostly because no one told them in orientation and they never get trained until they get to the farm they get stationed at...and at that point try to keep up, don't get hurt, and good luck. They say family-friendly and preach it A LOT but they are not, my team was told that no matter what else was going on in their lives the farm was their NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. There were weeks we put in countless hours, we could easily put in 80 hours in one week, but you are only getting paid for 40 of them. NO OVERTIME and no pay for the weekends you have to work either. They like to pretend they care about their employees but they really don't. I had restrictions (for heath issues at the time) written by a DOCTOR and they REFUSED to follow them. They said that they weren't specific enough and could be for anyone...my doctor reached out to them to see what they wanted instead and they wouldn't tell them or evaded their questions. Those are just a few examples, I could write a book on this place and yet nothing would every get done, I was even told to report them to the state for how they treated their employees and how they conduct certain practices. Also if you want to move up in the company, don't hold your breath; it's not going to happen. I watched people who had been there for YEARS, who were really good at their job and cared more than most, get pasted over to hire someone from a different company or someone with no experience for the position. 

I will say this as for the farm I was stationed at, (side note: they could also transfer you to a different farm further away and you would HAVE to go, no choice, and if you didn't then there'e the door), the people I worked with were amazing. Some of them didn't treat the animals right, we would report them like you're supposed to and they would get a talking to and that's it, so we would have to take into our own hands and stop them (which we shouldn't have had to do, they should've been gone...yet another lie from the company). The majority of them loved their job and the animals and it showed. Others were just there for the paycheck and it showed too. They don't care who they hire, so if your looking for a job, here you go. You got it, literally just like that too. So if you want a job you really have no idea what you are walking into, long hard hours without pay, no life, exhaustion, and being treated terribly, then this job is for you. It pays the bills of course but how much are you willing to give of yourself, because they will take it all.

A typical day is showering in and getting ready. Talking to manager and finding out what's going on for the day. Get all the stuff you'll need and head out to the barns. Once get out their go gather all the rest of you'll need for the job you are assigned to. My job was day one. I went thru the rooms that was new to old with sows. I would count their babies and write on there card how many and if she had placenta behind her, it pretty much showed she was done. There were some sow I had to help farrow because either the piglet was fighting to get stay in or there was two trying to come out at once or just something else in the way. I would give piglets iron and exceed n if the sow wasn't doing good I would give her a shot of the medacation she needed to help her get better. Once got all that done, would just keep doing rounds and watching and looking for new farrows to start and keep an eye on the ones that weren't done. On the days that I didn't have many going I or none at all I would go see who I could help. At the end of the day put everything away and head up to the office. I was in charge of the paper work that needed to be put into computer for daily work. After that was all done we would shower out and go home.

I have worked for other companies doing this same kind of work....and have a lot of knowledge that I learned from each of one....You can grow, as a person and as an employee, by learning new things or by finding different, more efficient ways of doing a particular task....And different companies have there own way of doing things......How frustrating or difficult do you think it is when you can not understand what your trainer is wanting from you....and have no way of letting him know you don't understand.....
How much more frustrated would you be if you had never worked in such a place before......People need to be taught the basics required to perform the job at hand before they are sent off to do it on there own.....Leaves employees confused , unsure of there job, and results in job abandonment.....and in this industry , that could create a very negative image for the company......In my opinion

I worked there for almost a year and never took any time off or called in. Your "salary" but can't leave until a certain time if you have your work and others done but you are forced to stay as  late as they want to keep you. Your treated like the fecees you have to clean up every day. Just when you are at your breaking point and can't take any more they add even more work on your back that you have to do before you can go home. When I finally couldn't take anymore and quit they kept all of my vacation personal and sick pay that I sweat may botton off to earn. Horrible management and when you report them they only pretend to care and do nothing about the constent belittling and degrading behavior the barn manager doles out. Slavery at its finest folks. BEWARE

What is the best part of working at the company?
I know every company out there wants to say that they're one big family, but Iowa Select really is. Everyone here is friendly and helpful, and it is one of the healthiest work environments I've ever seen. Not the greatest benefits, but you will absolutely enjoy working for these guys.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
It can be difficult dealing with the politics surrounding the industry.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Absolutely fantastic! I can't reccomend enough.

I enjoyed working with all my coworkers and my boss at my barn was always willing to work with you and try helping you with your situations. The job itself has challenges with sows and boars being nervous or aggressive sometimes. The farrowing end was not bad but it does get hot in the summer and chilly during the fall. I would recommend buying your own supplies when changing after you shower in like socks and underwear for sure. They were great with you getting your breaks and most were helpful when you needed help.

A typical day at my current job begins at 6:00 am or earlier depending on site emergencies , as I have a company cell phone in which they can contact me on a 24/7 basis. They also provide me with a company vehicle that I drive to each job site daily. On average, I travel approximately 700 miles a week to monitor the quality of work my employees are producing for the company at different job sites to ensure we are maximizing  earning potential and company growth.
The most enjoyable part of this job is being able to help people succeed.

Loved the job and enjoyed the people I worked with how ever my trainer did not speak English at a level high enough to allow them to properly train and teach me the job, this made things incredibly difficult and resulted in numerous issues where I was told I was taught and trained on a topic when in reality I was shown someone doing it with no explanation or anything

Worked there for years with barely any advancement. Pay is terrible for how much work you have to do. If you are a hard worker, you will make it nowhere in this company. They constantly hire people just because they sent an application, not because of previous work experience. Asked supervisor for a raise after 2 years with no pay increase and he laughed in my face if that tells you anything. 

I liked this job and learned a lot, but I had personal issues with how animals were handled and their environment. I don't speak for the company as a whole, as I was assigned to one farm. The hours were flexible when needed. Workman's comp was great if you needed it. The benefits were also great. The company was very big on diversity, which was refreshing for Iowa. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Animal caretaker 99 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Repair technician 15 salaries reported	$52,500 per year
Truck driver 8 salaries reported	$24.75 per hour
Transport driver 4 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Hvac technician 3 salaries reported	$1,560 per month

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