Recruitment and Furlough, Plans and Futures

The global economy is experiencing a profound revolution. Some sectors are crashing while, ironically, others are growing and full of optimism. If you are on the wrong side of the tracks it’s definitely a time of stress but a niche like food, ingredients and drink manufacturing is doing extremely well right now, but also experiencing some profound challenges from Covid and of course, Brexit.

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak says that not all jobs can be saved

So, I’m wondering how much responsibility individuals will need to take. Retraining and looking at 360-degree career changes must be on the cards for many. But this won’t be the first time in our history that such a thing has happened. If you look at career books written back in the 1990s there is not a sniff at the contemporary jobs, we see today. Let’s consider a Chief Listening Officer or Social Media manager, SEO specialist, blogger, app designer and developer. These are just a couple of suggestions. So maybe it is time to retrain and create work that offers more challenges for candidates. Maybe this pandemic is forcing us to reappraise everything we do and how we do it in a more profound way than local lockdowns, mask-wearing and the rule of 6 suggests.

As a specialist recruiter I have been working in this field for more than two decades.

The shifts that have occurred in the way we find candidates, develop relationships with companies and potential new hires, benefits and opportunities are extraordinary. I have watched how the food and drink industries have embraced new challenges, whether that’s in packaging, meatless technology, reducing sugar and chemical preservatives and exploring countless innovative strategies. Every week I write about exciting news and developments right here on LinkedIn.

I understand this niche requires highly qualified, agile, creative and flexible staff

These people need to be prepared to push boundaries and truly live their role There is no room for passengers in contemporary business and manufacturing environments so it’s my job to find candidates willing to step up to the plate.

Perhaps it’s a tad ironic that I still use some pretty traditional methods to source candidates for the most advanced senior positions. In fact, I even call this ‘The Parthenon Approach’, which may date me somewhat!

Yet this Parthenon approach demonstrates there are many pillars to a successful recruitment strategy

Although I use social media and I am a great fan of LinkedIn, it is not the only way to find excellent candidates. Often, I contact passive candidates – you know those who are not even looking for a new role. I find individuals that don’t appear on conventional radar by utilising my global network of referrals. These people all know who I am and expect calls from me. I even keep an archive of press releases and a database of conference speakers so I know the thought leaders and bright sparks who might just be the right fit for a specific client need. I also have links with universities that produce some bright, creative, out-of-the-box thinkers. Courses such as food science and innovation, brewing and distilling and brewing science, viticulture and oenology and even an alternative meat lab. It is an incredible to witness so much change and the transformation of an industry.

Are we ready to embrace the future?

I know that the longer-term trend is for the food and drink industry to employ candidates with considerable skills and qualifications. In the next couple of years we can expect more jobs in technical & quality control, technical brewing, innovations, manufacturing managers, branding, head of commercial, nutrition and ingredients, advanced warehousing and logistics, robotics, AI head of operations, projects and strategy.

An example of this transformation can be seen in the Firmenich brand

Firmenich is a Swiss giant in terms of flavourings. They have used AI to help their high skilled flavourists to create tailor-made taste sensation that helps to accelerate future product development. A great plus is their beef taste to be used in meat free products,

I am always searching for the most appropriate people

They need to be dynamic enough to fulfil highly challenging but extremely exciting roles like these at Firmenich. That means I winkle out those candidates and then engage, enthuse and encourage them to explore other opportunities. I often find really senior people are not even on LinkedIn. Yes, it’s a great platform but it is just one aspect in a thorough job search. There are many different avenues along which to identify potential candidates. When the pressure is on and when all the fat needs to be trimmed then recruiting talented staff to help your company or organisation move forward is essential. I can help you source talented, highly qualified and experienced people who can bring tremendous benefits. As a thought leader and highly experienced recruitment specialist I make it my business to remain abreast with new developments within my industry and leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding you the exact match for your vacancy.

Why not book a call and talk about your present or future staffing needs? If you are looking for an exceptional standard of candidate, then the search begins right here by picking up the phone.