Since the Journal last reported on the state of recruitment in the fresh produce industry, little seems to have changed.
The sector seems to only want ready-qualified, experienced workers, but industry insiders are realising that a dependence on this kind of instant-talent could be dangerously short-sighted. Many smaller companies are finding that there is not enough fresh talent to go round as Colin Stopher, owner of fresh produce recruitment consultant Orchard Recruitment, illustrates: “There’s a big gap in the recruitment market. If half a dozen good quality controllers contacted me today I could find them all jobs in a week, but those people just aren't available.”
Peter Hunt, co-owner of the recruitment agency More People, says demand varies, but the main problem is often the time it takes to find the right employees for companies: “It depends, the pickier the companies are, the more difficult it becomes. It’s like buses, there will be nobody available and then two will come at once.” He adds one of the main problems encountered is finding people for the more traditional roles: “Many companies want traders with contacts that can buy and sell - and these people are scarce.”
David Macaulay is a recruitment consultant at Redfox Executive Selection, an agency that specialises in the food, fresh produce, hospitality and catering sectors. He explains that the practice of only employing experienced workers is not a result of lack of foresight on the industry's part, but instead, the result of specific pressures within the sector: “In a technical, unforgiving industry, demands on time and resources mean that produce companies need defined skills from employees. Companies can’t afford to invest in graduates, they don’t have any time and they're having their margins squeezed by retailers. They want someone to do the job now and are prepared to pay higher salaries to secure them into the business.”
Stopher agrees. He says that in a unique market, where production and supply is often driven by weather patterns, retailers and promotions, urgency in recruiting skilled workers is key: “For a lot of positions, companies want people who are able to hit the ground running. There’s a certain amount of caution about engaging a lot of new staff because of the uncertainty the supermarket industry creates - there’s no certainty that companies are going to have the same volume of business from year to year. Immediate operational positions have to be filled, but this inhibits developmental positions. Because product demand can be mercurial this can in turn affect staff needs. For example, quality issues are enormously important and the worse the quality, the more time and people it takes to meet specifications.”
Hunt also thinks that the multiple retailers have an impact on why the industry wants to employ experienced workers. The sector’s evolution means companies need employees to be geared-up: “Its very nature is fast paced and geared increasingly towards the supermarkets and the 24/7 economy - something a lot of new entrants can struggle to come to terms with. In the past many have been many family-based companies and their inherent skills have been built up over time. Today with consolidation of suppliers and a concentration in retail power, many of the older relationship-based trading structures of the past are losing their relevance. Product knowledge and strong relationship skills are still key areas but perhaps the nature of these relationships require different skill sets. There is no short cut to the ‘knowledge’ that these companies and individuals have built up over the years,” he says.
The situation is intensified by the fact that young people are notoriously moving away from the sector in pursuit of more glamorous careers. Dwindling numbers of students interested in joining the industry means colleges are less inclined to put on relevant courses. The lack of interest in these courses is reflected in the fact that some of the leading agricultural educational establishments are shifting focus towards areas like garden centre management and are no longer as active in things like fruit growing and marketing.
So what are the industry’s options? For many of the smaller companies, investing money in training can be seen as too risky. The perceived danger is that it might encourage a transient new workforce that will move to other companies as soon as they have some experience under their belt. However, Macaulay says the risk of this happening can be avoided with the right kind of treatment. As in any industry, looking after employees properly means they will be less likely to leave: “This is the danger of bringing in good graduates,” he says, “but the successful companies are retaining the good graduates through personal development plans. Now companies are realising that they can counter staff turnover through investment into employee development - this area of business is growing rapidly.” And Hunt suggests that perhaps there could be a compromise found if ‘on the job’ learning was simply supplemented with specific management training.
But for the companies without the inclination or resources to invest in this kind of training, the future looks uncertain. This short-term approach to recruitment may cause significant problems in the industry over the next five years as the well-established veterans retire. Although Hunt says that a shift in priorities could be the answer: “At a company level there is a need to approach people issues with the same focus as other company resources.
Both Macaulay and Stopher agree that the main focus should be publicising opportunities within the industry. They say it’s up to the sector itself to encourage new talent into the industry by targeting colleges and universities directly. By communicating with potential fresh produce workers more efficiently, they could convey how rewarding working in the industry can be. Macaulay says this kind of publicity needs to be done by the companies themselves to create the right impression to potential employees.
“The industry as a whole is pretty bad at selling itself as a career option,” says Stopher. “Most people find themselves in the fresh produce industry by accident - from people who join gang labour agencies for pure economic necessity, to those who make career or lifestyle change decisions.”
Macaulay agrees. He says that more people would be encouraged into the industry if they knew how lucrative it could be: “The industry needs to educate graduates about the potential career a young person can achieve in fresh produce and in my mind; these far out-weigh the sexier careers like advertising or marketing. For example an experienced 28 year-old can earn between £40,000-£50,000, plus all the executive benefits. After just three to four years’ experience and hard work this is a very significant package for any industry. Industry as a whole is not representing itself to graduates. Traditionally they target universities like Reading and Harper-Adams - but the quality of students is in decline and the industry must target graduates from the likes of Newcastle, Manchester and other leading business schools.”
But Hunt says there is more than just pay cheques at stake, as job positions evolve, the industry needs to realise that employees want more from their job titles: “The labour market as a whole is increasingly competitive and money alone is not going to attract the best talent. People are becoming increasingly focused on their own personal development and lifestyles - the increasing number of people taking ‘travelling breaks’ being one manifestation of this.
Stopher says: “People today are looking for work that will be stimulating and enjoyable rather than just financially rewarding. The industry needs to show that it can be interesting and fun.”
The general sense is that the apparent lack of self-promotion could once again boil down to money; Stopher says it probably goes back to the fact that companies are unsure of the stability of customer orders. With limited resources the emphasis is on increasing sales of the product rather than increasing the size of the payroll.
The feeling within the recruitment sector is that without a solution, the industry could suffer serious recruitment problems when, in five years, the well-established veterans retire.
The few candidates that have the right qualifications will be able to demand even larger salaries because of the lack of competition. Without structure, the future of recruitment in the fresh produce sector could see a ‘war on talent’ with companies fighting for the few experienced employees. The problem is that none of the smaller companies seem to be willing to make the first move and take a risk on innovating recruitment in the sector.
Stopher says that another solution would be to follow the example of so many other industries and set up a generic fresh produce training body: “A logical step would seem to be for the establishment of an industry training board to set standards and encourage industry-wide recruitment. But who would pay? Suppliers, with their margins constantly being eroded, would be unlikely to welcome additional cost for some possible long-term benefit when there is annual uncertainty over volumes and prices. Besides, schemes like this often become wasteful and inefficient. Competitive advantage is everything and perhaps in this industry, attitude and enthusiasm is more important than qualifications,” he says.
Macaulay also advocates a drive for fresh talent, and is sincere in thinking that if young people only realised the benefits, there wouldn't be a such a problem: “The industry dictates that you will need to work hard but as long as you have the right people skills and the ability to align yourself with the leading companies, the experience and rewards will be worth it.”
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