Why is there a lack of flexibility within FMCG recruitment?

Across a number of industries, businesses are needing to broaden their hiring requirements to fill niche roles or source in-demand skill sets. In FMCG, we have noticed that due to the candidate-shortage, organisations are finding it harder to fill roles and find professionals with the right experience to propel their business forward. So, why is there a lack of flexibility within FMCG recruitment, and how can you hire the best people to your organisation by broadening your scope?

There is a shortage of quality FMCG candidates across the entire spectrum, particularly senior brand managers, brand managers, consumer marketing managers, and category managers. In the Midlands and North-West, it is also difficult for employers operating outside of major cities to attract FMCG candidates, as business headquarters are spread out across the country, often without strong transport links.

Generally, marketing departments in FMCG businesses are looking for a very specific skill set, which broadly includes having product, NPD, and creative marketing experience, alongside brand management, activation, and communication experience. There aren’t many, if any, other sectors which will seek candidates with this specific exposure. In addition to this, the pace and the demands of the changing landscape, shopper and consumer trends, and the intricacies of dealing with the multiples and convenience, is something that hiring managers prefer candidates to have experience of. 

How is this affecting recruitment processes within FMCG businesses?

As a result of the lack of flexibility within the FMCG space, processes are affected in several different ways. 

  1. Unsuccessful hiring processes. If the first fails, the next step is to involve more agencies or advertise a second and third time. 
  2. Recruitment processes are extended as it takes more time to find enough people with the right skill set to form a shortlist. As a result of this, candidates spoken to at the beginning of the process find roles elsewhere, or lose interest and drop out of the process.
  3. Salaries are increased to entice candidates who have more than one offer, as they are in high demand.
  4. Interims are hired to plug a gap that can’t be filled quickly or easily by an individual on a permanent contract.

Allowing more flexibility in the hiring process 

There are many benefits to being more flexible within your recruitment process, especially if you are finding it difficult to fill a role within your organisation. Having more flexibility undoubtedly offers more choice, and thus a quicker and more efficient process of hiring. Not only this, it would bring people with a different set of skills, a fresh approach, and fresh thinking into the sector.

What are the key transferable skills?

Here are some of the key transferable skills that you should be looking for when recruiting, as they can benefit your business in a number of ways.

  • Understanding brands
  • Marketing to consumers
  • Insight and data experience
  • Product management capabilities

What jobs should you be more flexible on?

Understandably, some roles are more difficult to hire for than others in FMCG businesses. There are certain roles that you should be more open to being flexible with, in terms of skill set and experience level, as they can be filled by a whole range of individuals, such as category management and consumer marketing managers. Due to the fact that the skills required to fill these roles are trickier to find, if you had more flexibility in your hiring process then you would have more success in filling the positions faster. 

What areas could you be recruiting from?

Unsurprisingly, there are certain areas and sectors that better match with FMCG than others. So, if you are looking to expand your talent pool and attract more professionals to your roles, depending on the role you are hiring for, you could look to hire candidates with experience or a background in the below sectors:

  • Retail
  • Consumer durables 
  • Leisure 

There are many excellent, passionate, and driven marketers in other sectors who would relish the opportunity to secure a role in FMCG. It is important to broaden your reach, if you can. By restricting your talent pool and not allowing candidates the opportunity to interview, it could mean that many hiring managers don’t know what they are missing. 

If you are interested in recruiting for top talent to your FMCG business, why not get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today? Alternatively, submit a job spec, and we will be in touch with you. 

Claire Pierce
Business Director, Michael Page