Yes, that's right, the food and drink sector is absolutely 100% ageist! Or to be correct ageing. Over 25% of management in the Food and Drink industry retires in the next five years and the talent required to plug these gaps is just not coming through. Why is this so? Do people not recognise the food industry as having great future prospects and career opportunities?
To add to this, the number of new entrants onto food related degree courses continues to cause concern as the pipeline for new graduates and talent is disappearing. Not everyone can go into media studies!
Results tagged “Food industry” from Food Job Blog: The inside track on Food Recruitment and Careers
Mike Barnard, 04 April 2007, Milkround.com
Significant opportunities to further careers are more important to food and drink employees than graduate schemes.
The Food and Drink Innovation Network reports recent research conducted by Leading Edge revealed many food industry workers believe that career progression is the main factor in applying for an alternative job.
Nearly half (46 percent) stressed enhancing career opportunities was more important than challenging work or training opportunities and graduate schemes. A total of 79 percent of respondents felt opportunities for career progression are likely to ensure they remain with their current employee and this can be more important than financial rewards and on-the-job benefits.
Leading Edge's business development manager Shanna Ritchie explained: "The rapid pace of change and growth in the industry in the past few years provides previously unthought-of career opportunities.
"The old perception that jobs in food and grocery are simply about stocking shelves is dying rapidly, as the UK's best and brightest minds are attracted by the opportunities to progress," she added
Food manufacturers are slowly starting to recruit again as confidence levels improve, according to recruit agencies specialising in food and drink.
However, while 76% of food manufacturers polled in Food Manufacture's annual reader survey felt more positive about the future of their businesses this year than last year, and 65% predicted profit margins would improve, just 26% planned to take on more staff this year than last year.
The Director of a food and drink recruitment agency told FoodManufacture.co.uk that this apparent reticence could reflect the fact that the survey was filled in during early to mid May, a time of particular uncertainty for employers given the hung parliament and subsequent anxiety over what might happen in the budget.
He added: "It was a slow start to the year but we are seeing steady growth now, although there was a bit of a blip April/May time partly due to the volcanic ash and the political uncertainty."
He added: "We are not back to where we were before [the recession], but I'd say we probably will be in six to 12 months. We're seeing the junior jobs coming in but also gradually seeing more senior roles, which is an encouraging sign."
Focus Management Consultants Director Stephen Jones was also "cautiously optimistic" about the recruitment market in food manufacturing despite the gloom surrounding the economy, not least because the sector had proved its resilience throughout the recession. "There is much more buoyancy in the market now."
A managing consultant at a recruitment partnership said: "The recession for us really kicked in in the summer of 2008, and then things started to pick up mid-2009 after a pretty awful start to the year. Things got a little quiet again in the spring of 2010, but that could have been because of the uncertainty over the election."
The Director of another recruitment agency added: "Things have definitely picked up from this time last year but there was a slight dip around Easter time. Companies are also promoting people internally into more senior roles and then backfilling the more junior roles."
NPD: LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?
But there was more positive news on the new product development front, with companies now recognising that they could only batten down the hatches for so long, she said.
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This also appears to correlate with the results of Food Manufacture's survey, which revealed that 57% of food manufacturers were planning to invest more in new product development (NPD) this year than last year. Last year, the figure was just 45%.
But things were more subdued in operations, claimed the MD at an interim management recruitment specialist. "Expectations were that a hot summer, coupled with a World Cup would bring record levels of production interim managers to cope with demand. What it comes down to is that you can cut corners in operations, people make do with the staff that they have."
However, he had seen an increase in process development roles, which was an encouraging sign that firms were investing in NPD, he said.
Meanwhile technical recruitment remained "pretty consistent", he said. "While you can cut corners in most other areas, you can't do it with compliance."
STAYING PUT FOR SECURITY REASONS
Food manufacturers contacted by FoodManufacture.co.uk presented a mixed picture, with some actively recruiting and others remaining cautious until the economic outlook became clearer.
One interim manager said: "My company will look to reduce numbers overall. There are a few key roles vacant especially in technical throughout the business, but also a lot of people are staying put for security reasons."
Another interim manager added: "Most companies I know are not filling all vacancies and are prepared to leave them open in a 'wait and see' position so the headline vacancy rate in the survey [36% had vacancies in key roles] is probably misleading."
Luckily for the food industry, even in times of a recession, people still need to eat. We may change our diet somewhat, but we will continue to buy food. This is obviously good news for us as the food industry will continue to employ graduates.
The Guardian on Thursday published an interesting article, Graduates who have studied abroad more appealing to businesses, and would be curious to know how relevant food professionals, and graduates of food related courses, feel this is to our industry.
The article tells us that international businesses are increasingly seeking graduates who have a global awareness, particularly those who have the initiative to study overseas as part of their learning. Britain is home to people from many different cultures and nationalities, so should our food industry graduates, even those who plan to take up a career at home, be more culturally aware?
What benefits would the food industry gain if students undertook a period of study, or work experience, abroad? As always, we'd love to hear your views...
With the ever-changing nature of the food industry, brought about by acquisitions, mergers and the increasing demands of the retailer there is a growing need for specialists, particularly among interim managers who are increasingly being deployed to overcome skill shortages.
Interim managers may be needed for technical audits or to write particular customer product specifications. Closures and relocations bring their own resource imbalance, as well as the usual reasons such as: maternity cover and the "interim with a view to permanent" trend (the try before you buy option!).
This can be a very lucrative way to earn a living if you do decide to make it a career choice, indeed some people think that interim managers are overpaid. However, when companies have a skill shortage and their need is immediate, getting someone with a proven track record, who can hit the ground running and bring about a solution quickly is worth every penny. A good interim manager can be a great value option.
What people need to understand is that the life of an interim manager does come at a price for the individual as well. You need to be flexible to potentially work away from home. There could be gaps between assignments and you need to be prepared to establish yourself quickly in a company. The hours could be longer than usual to fit an assignment into a given timeframe and the pressure is really on to deliver.
On the upside it broadens your experience with clients and disciplines immensely and gives you the flexibility to fit work around personal circumstances.
So, as an employer it makes good sense to have a proven interim professional who can bring a wealth of experience with no preconceived ideas or internal politics and who can focus on the demands of your business.
As a candidate, if you are fed up with the usual repetitive routines, need the stimulation of constant challenges and want to be in control of your working life, then interim management is certainly worth considering.
