Over the last several years, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some incredibly sharp operators in agriculture and farm labor. People who don’t just talk about doing things the right way, but actually do it, day in and day out, under pressure, with real consequences if something goes wrong.
Rocio Tinajero is one of those people. She does it all.
As the President and owner of RMT Contracting and Tinajero Contracting, Rocio carries a level of responsibility that most people never fully see. She’s responsible for thousands of employees, providing labor to some of the largest growers in the country, and compliance standards that are constantly changing (especially here in California). Her margin for error is razor-thin, and the stakes are high.
When Rocio talks about a tool she believes in, I listen. And when she says something has made her business better, safer, and more efficient, that carries real weight. That’s exactly how she feels about Harvust's onboarding and compliance software built for ag.
Making the Jump From Pen and Paper Hiring
One of the first things Rocio shared with me was how surprisingly easy the transition to Harvust's digital onboarding tool was.
Anyone who has worked in farm labor knows how deeply ingrained pen-and-paper processes are. Change can be disruptive if it’s not done right. That was one of Rocio’s initial concerns: not whether the technology worked, but whether her team could realistically adopt it without slowing everything down.
What she found was the opposite.
According to Rocio, the transition from pen and paper to Harvust was extremely easy and very manageable for both her and her team. She didn't have to buy any specialized devices, and wait for them to be prepared, and shipped. The software is bilingual, and training her team was easy. After seeing a few workers hired through Harvust, her team intuitively navigated the app and integrated the platform naturally into their existing workflow. When they had follow-up questions, Harvust’s support team stepped in, and because of her location, we were able to offer her on-site support.
Over the last six to eight months, RMT and Tinajero Contracting have hired more than 2,000 employees with Harvust. During that same period, Rocio says that Harvust has eliminated the majority of paperwork errors.
Just as importantly, the time it takes to fully hire an employee — from the moment they say “I want to work”, to getting them onboarded and set up in time tracking — is now essentially instantaneous. Once an employee completes the process, they are immediately active in all systems. This was made possible because of the seamless integration between Harvust and Attendance on Demand. The moment an employee is created in Harvust, it is sent to Attendance on Demand, and the employee is ready to be clocked in. And all their personal information is synchronized, so there are no discrepancies across systems, making payroll runs more efficient and accurate. Integrations are table stakes at Harvust; we make every effort to integrate with your existing ag tech stack.
There is no lag time (driving documents back to the main office), no duplicate work, and no uncertainty. At the end of the hiring process, Rocio knows with confidence that the employee has been hired correctly, all forms have been filled out accurately, and the company is fully compliant with California state guidelines.
Social Audits Without the Stress
One of the primary reasons Rocio decided to bring Harvust on board was due to audits.
RMT and Tinajero Contracting service a large citrus grower that supplies fruit to several major big-box retailers across the country. Because of this, Rocio and her team are subject to random third-party social audits that evaluate whether employees are hired correctly and whether the work environment is safe, compliant, and properly documented.
Before implementing Harvust, preparing for these audits was time-consuming and stressful. Rocio shared that it would typically take her team one to two full weeks to prepare. This meant pulling employee files, organizing paperwork, correcting errors, and ensuring everything was presentable.
Today, that process looks completely different.
Rocio can walk into a social audit, open the Harvust platform on her laptop, and immediately provide documentation for any employee requested. There is no advance preparation needed and no last-minute scrambling. And if they ask for time records, she can pull those from Attendance on Demand too (again, automatically synchronized employee information for fast look-up). Everything matches, is accurate, and is accessible.
That level of preparedness has given Rocio and her team significant peace of mind.
Predictable Costs and Clear Budgeting
Harvust typically invoices at the end of each month based solely on actual usage (no contracts, no minimums), so billing naturally adjusts to our customers’ seasonal needs. For instance, during peak harvest season, when more workers are required, the cost aligns with the increased usage, helping to maintain stable margins. But Rocio wanted to prepay because she values the ability to budget accurately, and know exactly what she is spending to onboard employees throughout the year. In exchange, Harvust provides her (and all customers) a discount for paying upfront, further increasing her ROI.
Furthermore, Harvust doesn’t charge extra for integrations (like with her time tracking system), so she doesn’t have to worry about any surprise invoices.
For Rocio, this structure makes financial planning easier and removes uncertainty from an already complex operation.
Protecting Employees and Clients
Rocio is very clear about her priorities as a business owner.
First and foremost, her goal is to protect her employees. That means ensuring they are hired and paid correctly, and that they work in the safest environment possible.
Second, she is committed to protecting her clients: the large growers who rely on RMT and Tinajero Contracting to do things the right way. To protect those clients, Rocio and her team must operate with accuracy, consistency, and timeliness at all times. The consequences of failing to do things right are huge.
Harvust allows them to do exactly that.
It enables the team to move quickly while maintaining compliance and organization, and it removes unnecessary friction from the hiring and documentation process.
A Strong Recommendation to the Industry
Rocio does not hesitate to recommend Harvust.
She believes it is a valuable tool for any farm labor contractor employing large numbers of workers and a significant benefit for growers who want better oversight of onboarding, training, and compliance.
Whether operating in California or elsewhere in the United States, Rocio sees Harvust as a platform that helps reduce risk, save time, and improve overall operations.
She has already seen an immediate return on her investment and is a strong advocate for continuing to implement tools that integrate (like Harvust and Attendance on Demand) and deliver real operational value.
Good Support = Success
Technology is only as good as the people supporting it. Throughout implementation and ongoing use, the Harvust team has been attentive, responsive, and engaged. We've worked behind the scenes with her time-tracking system’s support team to resolve technical hiccups before they reached her desk. Rocio shared that she has never felt overlooked or stranded and appreciates how Harvust's ensures her team's success.
The Bigger Strategy
Rocio also understands what using modern technology communicates to her clients.
By implementing platforms like Harvust, Attendance on Demand, and Datatech, she demonstrates she is a diligent and forward-thinking business owner, always looking for ways to improve systems, reduce risk, and operate more efficiently.
Her clients rely on her to protect their bottom line, and she takes that responsibility seriously.
Harvust helps her do exactly that, and that’s why she’s not looking back. If you’re ready to streamline your hiring process, schedule a call to learn more.
