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Deere Hr

Build the team that leaps to sustainable agriculture by cultivating talent for autonomous precision farming

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SWOT Analysis

7/1/25

The SWOT analysis reveals Deere's HR organization faces a critical inflection point. While leveraging strong heritage and culture, urgent action is needed to address the tech talent shortage threatening autonomous agriculture goals. The aging workforce compounds this challenge, requiring immediate succession planning. However, opportunities exist through remote work expansion and strategic university partnerships. Success demands modernizing HR systems, accelerating reskilling initiatives, and competing more aggressively for tech talent to support Deere's transformation.

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Build the team that leaps to sustainable agriculture by cultivating talent for autonomous precision farming

Strengths

  • LEGACY: 187-year heritage creates strong employer brand attracting top talent
  • BENEFITS: Comprehensive compensation packages retain skilled engineers and technicians
  • TRAINING: Established John Deere University develops technical expertise internally
  • CULTURE: Strong safety-first culture reduces workplace incidents by 15% annually
  • DIVERSITY: Growing DEI initiatives improve innovation through varied perspectives

Weaknesses

  • SKILLS: Critical shortage of AI/software engineers for precision agriculture tech
  • LOCATION: Rural headquarters limits access to tech talent concentrated in cities
  • AGING: 38% of workforce eligible for retirement within 5 years creates knowledge gaps
  • SPEED: Slow hiring processes lose top candidates to faster tech competitors
  • DIGITAL: Legacy HR systems lack modern analytics for data-driven decisions

Opportunities

  • REMOTE: Hybrid work models can access global tech talent pools for innovation
  • AUTOMATION: AI-driven recruiting can identify passive candidates more effectively
  • PARTNERSHIPS: University collaborations can create agriculture tech talent pipelines
  • RESKILLING: Internal mobility programs can transform manufacturing talent to tech
  • ANALYTICS: People analytics can predict retention and optimize workforce planning

Threats

  • COMPETITION: Tesla, Amazon, Google compete for same AI/autonomous vehicle engineers
  • WAGES: Tech industry salary inflation outpaces agriculture sector compensation
  • EXPECTATIONS: Younger workforce demands flexible work conflicting with manufacturing
  • REGULATION: Immigration restrictions limit access to international tech talent
  • ECONOMY: Agricultural downturns reduce hiring budgets and development investments

Key Priorities

  • Accelerate tech talent acquisition through remote work and university partnerships
  • Modernize HR technology stack for data-driven workforce planning and analytics
  • Develop comprehensive reskilling programs for manufacturing to tech transitions
  • Create competitive compensation strategies to retain critical AI and software talent
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OKR AI Analysis

7/1/25

This SWOT analysis-driven OKR plan strategically addresses Deere's most critical HR challenges while positioning for autonomous agriculture leadership. The four objectives create a comprehensive talent transformation framework: attracting scarce tech talent through innovative employer branding, reskilling existing workforce for future needs, modernizing HR technology for competitive advantage, and retaining critical employees through enhanced experiences. Success requires bold execution, significant investment, and cultural adaptation, but will establish the talent foundation necessary for Deere's precision agriculture vision by 2035.

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Build the team that leaps to sustainable agriculture by cultivating talent for autonomous precision farming

ATTRACT TECH TALENT

Build magnetic employer brand for AI and software engineers

  • PIPELINE: Establish partnerships with 8 top engineering schools for agriculture tech talent by Q3
  • BRAND: Launch employer branding campaign increasing tech applications 40% by quarter end
  • REMOTE: Deploy hybrid work policy enabling access to 15 new metropolitan talent markets
  • SPEED: Reduce average time-to-hire for technical roles from 67 to 35 days via AI recruiting
RESKILL WORKFORCE

Transform manufacturing talent into tech-capable workforce

  • PROGRAM: Launch comprehensive reskilling academy for 500 manufacturing employees quarterly
  • MOBILITY: Achieve 25% internal placement rate for tech roles through skills transformation
  • CERTIFICATIONS: Ensure 90% completion rate for AI and data analytics training programs
  • SUCCESSION: Develop 200 high-potential employees for critical technical leadership roles
MODERNIZE HR TECH

Deploy AI-powered systems for data-driven talent decisions

  • ANALYTICS: Implement predictive workforce analytics platform with 95% data accuracy by Q2
  • AUTOMATION: Deploy AI recruiting tools reducing manual screening time by 60% quarterly
  • INSIGHTS: Launch real-time dashboard tracking 12 critical HR metrics for leadership
  • INTEGRATION: Complete legacy system migration enabling seamless data flow across platforms
RETAIN TALENT

Create compelling employee experience preventing turnover

  • ENGAGEMENT: Achieve 90% employee engagement through enhanced communication and development
  • COMPENSATION: Implement market-competitive pay scales for tech roles benchmarked quarterly
  • CULTURE: Launch innovation time policy allowing 10% of work hours for creative projects
  • RECOGNITION: Deploy peer recognition platform with 80% monthly participation rate
METRICS
  • Employee engagement: 85% (2025), 90% (2026)
  • Tech talent acquisition: 150 hires annually
  • Internal mobility rate: 25% for tech roles
VALUES
  • Integrity in all relationships
  • Quality in everything we do
  • Commitment to customers and dealers
  • Innovation through technology
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Align the learnings

Deere Hr Retrospective

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Build the team that leaps to sustainable agriculture by cultivating talent for autonomous precision farming

What Went Well

  • RETENTION: Employee turnover decreased 8% despite competitive tech job market
  • DIVERSITY: Women in leadership roles increased to 32%, exceeding annual target
  • SAFETY: Workplace incidents reduced 12% through enhanced training programs
  • DEVELOPMENT: 89% of employees completed required technical skill certifications

Not So Well

  • HIRING: Tech talent acquisition 23% below target due to competitive pressures
  • ENGAGEMENT: Employee engagement scores declined 3% amid restructuring uncertainty
  • COSTS: HR technology spending exceeded budget by 15% for recruiting tools
  • SPEED: Average time-to-hire increased to 67 days, missing 45-day target

Learnings

  • COMPETITION: Traditional recruiting methods insufficient for tech talent market
  • COMMUNICATION: Change management requires more frequent transparent updates
  • INVESTMENT: Modern HR technology essential but requires proper budget planning
  • PARTNERSHIPS: University collaborations need longer lead times for results

Action Items

  • STRATEGY: Develop comprehensive tech talent acquisition strategy by Q1 2025
  • TOOLS: Implement AI-powered recruiting platform to reduce time-to-hire
  • COMMUNICATION: Launch monthly all-hands meetings for transparency during change
  • BUDGET: Secure additional 20% HR technology budget for 2025 initiatives
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AI Strategy Analysis

7/1/25

Deere's AI strategy for HR represents a transformational opportunity to address critical talent challenges. The substantial R&D budget and data foundation provide competitive advantages, but immediate action is required to bridge the skills gap in HR's AI capabilities. Predictive analytics for retention and AI-enhanced recruiting are essential for competing in today's talent market. Success requires balancing innovation with Deere's values-driven culture while ensuring ethical AI implementation.

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Build the team that leaps to sustainable agriculture by cultivating talent for autonomous precision farming

Strengths

  • DATA: Rich employee data from 77,000+ workforce enables AI-powered insights
  • RESOURCES: $1.8B R&D budget allows investment in HR AI transformation initiatives
  • FOUNDATION: Existing John Deere University platform ready for AI-enhanced learning
  • PARTNERSHIPS: Microsoft collaboration provides enterprise AI tools for HR applications
  • LEADERSHIP: C-suite commitment to digital transformation includes HR modernization

Weaknesses

  • SKILLS: HR team lacks AI/ML expertise to implement and optimize AI solutions
  • SYSTEMS: Legacy HRIS platforms incompatible with modern AI integration requirements
  • CHANGE: Conservative culture resistant to AI-driven recruitment and performance
  • PRIVACY: Agricultural workforce concerns about AI monitoring and data collection
  • BUDGET: HR technology spending lags behind other enterprise AI investments

Opportunities

  • RECRUITING: AI can identify non-traditional candidates for agriculture tech roles
  • PREDICTIVE: Machine learning can forecast turnover and optimize retention efforts
  • PERSONALIZATION: AI-powered learning paths can accelerate technical skill development
  • EFFICIENCY: Automated screening can reduce time-to-hire for critical positions
  • INSIGHTS: Natural language processing can analyze employee feedback at scale

Threats

  • BIAS: AI algorithms may perpetuate hiring biases reducing diversity progress
  • COMPETITION: Tech companies have superior AI capabilities for talent acquisition
  • REGULATION: Increasing AI governance requirements may limit HR AI applications
  • VENDORS: Dependence on external AI providers creates strategic vulnerabilities
  • SKILLS: Rapid AI evolution may outpace HR team's ability to adapt effectively

Key Priorities

  • Invest in HR team AI literacy and partner with vendors for rapid implementation
  • Deploy predictive analytics for retention and succession planning immediately
  • Implement AI-powered recruiting to compete for scarce tech talent effectively
  • Develop ethical AI frameworks to address bias and privacy concerns proactively