“Trends,” the inevitable word you see plastered on every fashion magazine or next gimmick. Instead of thinking about purses and catwalks consider how trends are affecting your CPG recruiting. The trends in hiring and how you anticipate them determine the future talent you hire in your business. Staying on top of trends not only makes you appear as a thought leader to colleagues and your employees but also helps you remain relevant for potential recruits. What CPG hiring trends should you begin implementing in your business? Read below to see what is new for food industry recruiters in 2016.
Technology
Let’s face it, in 2016 technology is a very important buzzword that has massive implications for your business, but it also affects your hiring process. By staying on top of the latest technology trends you can be on top of qualified candidates' minds. After all, who wouldn’t prefer to work for a company who appears “with it” when it comes to technology, versus a company that seems to have been left in the dust?
Video is a paramount hiring trend in 2016 CPG recruiting. Online there is no end to web pages and job ads screaming for attention. In order to get views, new elements like video must be implemented to stand out from the crowd. Approximately 55% of people watch videos online every single day and more than 80% of senior executives watch more videos online than they did a year ago. This video infatuation is only expected to grow and now is the time to utilize this technology for your hiring process.
Since job candidates may only skim your job ad for a few seconds to decide if the position is a good fit for them or not, consider using video to keep them interested in your posting longer. An employer branding video can give them an inside look at your company, the day-to-day culture, and even positive word of mouth from our current employees. Try asking people why they love working for you, or what makes your business different. An ideal video is anywhere from one minute to three minutes; this is more than enough time to engage potential employees.
Also, make sure your job ads are user-friendly on mobile devices. More people are using their phones to job search than ever before and not being readily accessible on mobile will hurt your chances of finding the right person for the job.
Blind Interviewing
It’s hard not to judge a book by its cover. We all have individual biases that affect our hiring behavior, or at least how we perceive strangers. Kick biases and unfair judgments to the curb with the new trend of blind interviewing. By not seeing a photo of the candidate, or often even their name, companies are finally acquiring a more diverse workforce. This trend has been appearing in CPGs as well as professional symphonies and even massive enterprises like Google. Instead of being swayed by the fancy college degree they have, blind interviewing allows you to focus on skills and personality.
So, how does it work? When reviewing candidate resumes omit unnecessary information like name, address, college name, GPA, and other inconsequential biographical information. Think about it, what matters more? The school they graduated from or their work ethic? Eliminate visual biases by conducting phone interviews or try the orchestra audition trick and place candidates behind a screen, out of view. Removing visual biases will help combat homogeneity in your workforce. Remember, a diverse workforce will grant you more unique opinions, which will help you generate new ideas and products. Blind interviewing allows you to cut flawed interviewer opinion out of the equation and analyze what is genuinely important about an applicant: their skills.
Recruiting
Back in the day hiring seemed simple but now, especially in CPG companies, the theme holds strong that it is much easier to find talent than it is to attract it to your business. Think about LinkedIn. You could log on right now and search for your perfect applicant and find them easily. The problem is selling your business to that applicant who has so many opportunities elsewhere.
What does this trend mean for you? It means you need to step up your job descriptions, utilize technology, and have food industry recruiters you trust. Generally, your CPG recruiter is your first point of contact with an applicant so make sure you know you recruiter has a track record of bringing innovators and utilizing market insights. Hiring innovators is key to CPG success. To remain competitive make sure your recruiter is not using outdated methods to gather your talent pool. It’s now common to work with a recruiter based on their selling skills due to their being a lack of CPG potential employees in the market. A good recruiter is going to have to "sell" your company to potential candidates.
Recruiting has taken a shift from the present needs to future predictions. While hiring your next employee, consider their ability to be high-potential to keep a talent pipeline going for leadership positions in your CPG. The next time you need to hire an executive, you should have employees who can be promoted internally that will succeed due to being identified as leadership material in their initial interview. This is an attractive hiring trend because employees who are promoted internally are better prepared and already are part of your company's culture. This removes the sometimes tricky onboarding process of an executive.
The hiring process is constantly evolving, and as technology advances so will the hiring process. For now, these trends will help you stay relevant in the CPG recruiting world. Remember that fads and trends may seem like just fashion jargon, but staying on top of new trends will help you remain at the forefront of your industry. Since employees have ample opportunities, selling your business is imperative. It’s crucial to utilize market insights and trends during your hiring process. By adding technology such as video to job ads, implementing blind interview characteristics, and working with a trusted CPG recruiter, you can ensure you are on top of your "interviewing game" for 2016.