News
Developing talent in the consumer sector
The fast moving consumer goods sector has always been a core area of focus for Orcid – our Chairman and two founding Partners spent much of their early careers with Mars, RHM, Sara Lee and Northern Foods.
More recently we have started helping this sector develop their talent agenda in sales and marketing. Both these functions have been affected by significant changes in recent times which have led to increasingly intensive competition for high calibre people and difficult choices for aspiring executives.
Clients are focusing both on developing and retaining their high potential associates, as well as managing external recruitment effectively. This is done through a number of external, in-house, tactical and pipeline strategies.
From the candidate’s perspective, it is a very ‘noisy’ marketplace. It can be difficult for individuals at Senior National Account or Brand Manager level to make the right strategic decisions about their careers when it seems easier to focus on maximising short term income. However, in doing so, there is a risk that they ultimately limit fulfilling their longer-term potential.
For all parties, the big win seems to be moving external recruitment from a transactional, cash-based decision – often done in a crisis – to a longer-term and more strategic process. This needs to help individuals maximise their career aspirations and potential by moving into the right organisations, roles and support structures. It is in all of our interests that the quality of the ‘talent pool’ within FMCG is strengthened, and that more of our high potential talent reach leadership roles in the sector – rather than moving outside of FMCG to get the progression they are looking for.
Our solution is to focus on identifying and supporting these high potential individuals. We then work in partnership with a small group of clients on their talent agenda at this level. This enables us to offer an executive search based solution with minimum ‘off limits’ considerations. This way we can find candidates who are a strong fit and will thrive and develop in the culture of the clients’ organisations. The ‘holy grail’ in this area we believe, is about moving external recruitment from crisis transaction to proactive engagement and we are working hard to bring this vision to life.
If you would like to understand more about this approach, or to discuss some of the talent challenges in this sector, please get in touch with Louise Gatenby on 01244 571678 or Peter Kearney on 01244 571702
Posted 23.01.2012