How to recruit in the FMCG sector?
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:02 am
A few months ago, I had an interesting conversation with a colleague, a manager in the FMCG industry, responsible for hiring employees in his company.
“Who are you looking for?” – I asked him
“Well, a worker.” – he replied
“Okay, what kind of worker?”
“I don’t know… any kind of worker.”
“So anyone is good enough to work for you?”
“Well, yes. All I care about is that they want to work.”
“And how did that employment policy turn out for you?”
(after a short pause) “Honestly, not very good.”
One of my favorite sayings is “if you don’t know where you’re going, every road will take you there.” I’ll be free enough to apply it to the hiring process. In that case, it would read like this: “if you don’t know what kind of candidate you’re looking for, every one will seem good to you.” With an emphasis on the word “seem.” If we don’t know who we’re italy whatsapp data looking for, honestly, every candidate can seem like a good choice for us at first. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for an employee and employer to part ways due to a wrong decision made in an unstructured selection process. The latter has only wasted valuable time and resources.
We are all aware of the situation on the labor market – there is a chronic lack of qualified and reliable candidates, and not only in the FMCG sector. This is no longer news. I often jokingly tell my clients, when they come to me for advice with some problem, that we can either sit down and cry, or get up and see what can be done. And something can always be done – no matter how impossible it may seem at first.
So, let's start in order. What does your company do? Who are you looking for? What are the jobs in your company that are "hard" to fill? Are they salespeople in your stores? Maybe factory workers? Are you lacking managers with quality business negotiation skills? Or do you just need sales representatives? You'd be shocked at how many managers don't know the exact answer to these questions - and because of that, they lose their competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting new employees right from the start. Your employees, HR department, or company directors can certainly help you answer these questions - depending on the size and dominant activity of your company.
Once you have defined the positions you want to fill, let's take it a step further - who is your ideal employee? It may seem ridiculous at first to look for the "ideal" employee in these difficult times for employers. Some companies struggle to find "any" employee. However, it doesn't hurt to sit down with the key people responsible for hiring in your company and think about the answers to the following questions:
What occupations should a candidate for the desired positions have?
How much work experience should you have? What industries should you come from?
Do I even need someone with experience, or is someone without experience okay?
Is it necessary for the candidate to have certain education, certificates, etc.?
What positions is it desirable for the candidate to have worked in?
Does he currently work for one of the competing companies.
“Who are you looking for?” – I asked him
“Well, a worker.” – he replied
“Okay, what kind of worker?”
“I don’t know… any kind of worker.”
“So anyone is good enough to work for you?”
“Well, yes. All I care about is that they want to work.”
“And how did that employment policy turn out for you?”
(after a short pause) “Honestly, not very good.”
One of my favorite sayings is “if you don’t know where you’re going, every road will take you there.” I’ll be free enough to apply it to the hiring process. In that case, it would read like this: “if you don’t know what kind of candidate you’re looking for, every one will seem good to you.” With an emphasis on the word “seem.” If we don’t know who we’re italy whatsapp data looking for, honestly, every candidate can seem like a good choice for us at first. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for an employee and employer to part ways due to a wrong decision made in an unstructured selection process. The latter has only wasted valuable time and resources.
We are all aware of the situation on the labor market – there is a chronic lack of qualified and reliable candidates, and not only in the FMCG sector. This is no longer news. I often jokingly tell my clients, when they come to me for advice with some problem, that we can either sit down and cry, or get up and see what can be done. And something can always be done – no matter how impossible it may seem at first.
So, let's start in order. What does your company do? Who are you looking for? What are the jobs in your company that are "hard" to fill? Are they salespeople in your stores? Maybe factory workers? Are you lacking managers with quality business negotiation skills? Or do you just need sales representatives? You'd be shocked at how many managers don't know the exact answer to these questions - and because of that, they lose their competitive advantage when it comes to recruiting new employees right from the start. Your employees, HR department, or company directors can certainly help you answer these questions - depending on the size and dominant activity of your company.
Once you have defined the positions you want to fill, let's take it a step further - who is your ideal employee? It may seem ridiculous at first to look for the "ideal" employee in these difficult times for employers. Some companies struggle to find "any" employee. However, it doesn't hurt to sit down with the key people responsible for hiring in your company and think about the answers to the following questions:
What occupations should a candidate for the desired positions have?
How much work experience should you have? What industries should you come from?
Do I even need someone with experience, or is someone without experience okay?
Is it necessary for the candidate to have certain education, certificates, etc.?
What positions is it desirable for the candidate to have worked in?
Does he currently work for one of the competing companies.