The formation of the knowledge economy, the intellectualization of labor, the development of new information technologies, technological changes in production, the demographic crisis contributed to serious changes in the existing mechanism of social development of the agricultural enterprise and necessitated the formation of an effective personnel management system, including all aspects of management, including those related to staff motivation. In the formation of employee motivation, increasing their self-expression in work, a special place is occupied by the social policy of the enterprise. The social policy of an enterprise (organization), as an integral part of management, is an activity related to the provision of additional benefits, services and social benefits to its employees. The factors of the social environment are studied in the article, the directions of making managerial decisions on the social development of the agricultural enterprise are determined, the theoretical aspects are considered and the organizational foundations of the formation of the social development mechanism are identified, the main stages of the process of formation and implementation of the social policy system are identified, the methodology of social development analysis is determined. The developed recommendations on improving the social policy of an agricultural enterprise, consisting in the selection of effective forms and methods for realizing the needs of various social groups and their financing sources, are of practical importance. To improve the work of the personnel service for personnel management in the social policy system, it was proposed to carry out activities such as personnel monitoring, controlling, marketing personnel and personnel consulting.