What’s Hot? Food & Beverage Recruiting Trends for 2015

December 15, 2014 in Career and Job Search Tips

 

 

Throughout 2014, Kinsa has watched executive food & beverage recruiting really heat up.

What are today’s employers looking for? How can you secure the new position you want in 2015?

Recently, we asked these two essential questions of Kinsa Vice President, Laurie Hyllberg. Below, she explains 4 hot food & beverage recruiting trends, including what employers want most when hiring executives and professionals for key roles:

  1. Decent job tenure. Some experts say that “job hopping” can help you rise through the ranks quickly, but our clients tell us that longevity is key. So even if you get a call from a former boss who just has to have you back, or a recruiter calls to entice you with a 10% salary increase, evaluate any potential move very carefully. If you haven’t been in your current position long enough, changing employers may end up hurting your career in the long run.
  2. Recognition and advancement. Have you been recognized as a rising star? Have your contributions been rewarded with awards and promotions within your organization? If so, you have a leg up on the competition! Highlight your recognition and career progression on your resume, because these two factors clearly signal superior performance to a potential employer.
  3. Product expertise. In technical food & beverage positions such as R&D, regulatory, quality assurance and engineering, specialized experience matters. Today’s food & beverage hiring managers seek knowledge of, and experience working with, their products (or ones that are very similar). And the more technical the position is, the more important specialized product expertise is. When applying to a position, customize your resume to include experience, skills and keywords relevant to the organization’s products.
  4. Connections and experience with similar customers. Seeking a new sales role? Then you probably understand why a food & beverage employer considers experience calling on similar customer contacts so important:
    1. For retail sales positions, our clients only hire candidates who have called on major US retailers in their LAST role.
    2. If the position is in industrial sales, employers seek candidates who have called directly on R&D and purchasing managers at other food processors to sell items used as food ingredients.
    3. Foodservice sales professionals often need contacts either at major foodservice distributors OR at key national chain restaurant accounts.

Looking for your a better opportunity in 2015?

Get started with Kinsa today. Email or upload your resume, or search executive food & beverage jobs here. And from all of us at Kinsa Group, Happy New Year!