A job that offers a good salary, the chance of promotion, a challenging and rewarding career, often with the option of travel, ticks the boxes on most people’s dream job list. And that is exactly what many positions in the fresh produce industry can offer. The sector is vibrant, fast-paced and can be very lucrative indeed. So why is there such a shortage of suitable candidates?
The problem, many feel, is split: on the one hand technical industries cannot find potential recruits of a high enough calibre to fulfil high-specification roles, and, on the other hand, many are finding it difficult to compete with other industries for new graduates. A high proportion of these graduates may not have considered a job in fresh produce simply because they do not know enough about it.
“[The sector is] very energetic and vibrant - every other manufacturing sector is in decline,” says Paula Widdowson, commercial director at Improve, the food and drink sector skills council. “The food and drink industry is hugely successful and we need to start yelling this from the roof tops! Everyone knows about cows and farming and they know about the retail side, but it’s the bit in the middle that is hugely important and which reacts to consumer demands and world politics,” she says.
Without action, an employee shortage threatens to become more significant over the next few years. The industry is currently facing what can only be described as a demographic problem. As a nation we have an aging population and this is translated in the fresh produce industry’s employment profile; attracting young people to take over more traditional roles is sometimes a struggle. This is exacerbated by a general industry shift away from family-based businesses, which have traditionally been the lynch pin of the sector. A prime example is the wholesale markets: while many, more senior wholesalers have been living in an inverted time frame for the majority of their lives, many of today’s young recruits do not seem able to see past the fact they have to get up and 1am and go to bed at 5pm on a daily basis.
Inside the food and drinks sector, figure show most employees are aged between 30 and 45. In fresh produce specifically, many of the more ‘skilled’ positions are filled by middle-aged people and older, with a large proportion of ‘senior’ players aged at 50 plus. Given that UK citizens are going to be working until the age of 70, some could argue that the shortfall of people filling these positions is a time bomb waiting to explode.
But the good news is that some key fresh produce players have foreseen disaster and are embarking on new approaches to rejuvenate the sector.
Peter Hunt, a joint director at fresh produce and horticultural recruitment agency More People says learning and development is where the real shortage lies: “There is a lot of focus on training. We see training as something you do to gain a specific skill such as how to use a particular IT package. Where real shortfalls have been are in areas of learning and development, which are some of the most important areas of learning that an organisation needs to get to grips with if it is to equip its people with the skills to function intelligently,” he says.
Backing this up, the company is currently focusing on its Leadership Development Programme through its training arm, More Performance. Delivered one day a week over a 12-month period, the course is designed to help attendees add value to their business. It covers issues such as project management, finance, and managing within the law.
So successful is the course, a major UK retailer has expressed interest in commissioning the company to deliver the programme to improve the efficiency of its supply chain.
But not all businesses are as keen to invest in their own workforce, it seems. Many think the recruitment sector’s skills gap is partly down to the fact that many do not have the time or capital to throw at employees. Max MacGillivray, director at Redfox Executive Selection, a recruitment specialist in the fresh produce, hospitality and catering sectors, says HR and training is sometimes overlooked: “The industry moves at such a commercial pace that HR and training are relegated way down the list of priorities,” he says. “The better businesses that employ standard practices such as an employee handbook and Personal Development Plan (PDP) get better staff retention and better company results.”
But in practice, the nature of the industry can dictate long hours from employees in many sectors, and while it may be a good idea in the long-term, time off for training and personal development can be scarce.
Improve is trying to implement a different approach in this area. As well as undertaking extensive market research to identify skills gaps and deliver a plan of action, it has started, in other sectors, to change the training format. Recently, it has reorganised the framework for training apprentices in the bakery sub-sector, so that more learning can be undertaken in the workplace rather than having to spend valuable time travelling to colleges. It is also working to break-down large qualifications into smaller bite-sized formats so that formal training is more forgiving of time and other pressures of the workplace. “This isn’t dumbing down,” Widdowson insists, “It’s just making it more flexible. We’re giving employees what they want: targeted, focused training.”
She says that on the back of the scheme’s success, Improve is looking to implement it in other areas, and have plans to undertake similar projects with fresh produce businesses in the east of England later this year.
But while this aspect of training evolves, it seems there are still fundamental problems with generating interest in the sector. For example, figures show food and drink manufacturing has among the lowest apprenticeship uptake out of any UK industry.
Attracting fresh blood is a challenge. To combat this, Improve is working with Connexions, the government learning information body, to help improve the awareness of jobs in the food and drink sectors by conferring with in-school career advisors.
It is also doing similar work with the Learning Skills Council (LSC) in job centres across the UK
Low levels of interest has meant some universities and colleges seeing poor up-take levels for horticulture and fresh produce-related courses. The knock-on effect has been a dwindling number of commercial horticulture courses over the years.
However, it seems things could be on the change; Warwick HRI is actually expanding its repertoire to include two new courses: MSc Enterprise in Horticulture and MSc Plant Bioscience for Crop Production. Commencing in October, both courses can be completed over a 12-month fulltime or 24-month part-time period.
But getting bums on seats for a lot of these courses is not always easy. MacGillivray says the industry can be seen as tough: “The sector is not seen to be exciting and involves long hours with lots of pressure. Employees may not treat their staff in the best way, but [the shortage] is more because of the fast-paced nature than anything else.”
Hunt agrees. It seems the pros of a career in fresh produce are also the cons: “A big downside for many is what goes with the pluses of a challenging industry that operates 24/7; to meet ever-increasing customer demands, there is the need to be available to meet those demands. This often means, even for commercial people, working some weekends. There are many people out there for whom this is something they are not willing to consider.”
But, the numbers of generic university graduates has spiralled in recent years, suggesting some people do want to throw themselves into a rewarding but challenging career. The problem seems to be the lack of awareness of the industry’s pluses. With fresh produce aisles expanding and the health buzz becoming increasingly widespread there is a terrific sales pitch on offer: “The products themselves offer a very positive image,” Hunt says.
There are many graduates from more mainstream degrees such as geography or business studies with transferable skills, which are finding it increasingly hard to reach the first rung on the career ladder. Widdowson thinks the industry should consider attracting these candidates and offer them an easy transition into the food industry. Improve is working with learning organisations Foundation Degree Forward and universities to facilitate offering graduates an extra 18 month training program to become food scientists.
“There is not enough being done,” says MacGillivray. “There is no group message. The industry’s representative body has not updated its website in a number of years and that should be a gateway for the sector. The PMA in the States is completely the opposite - it promotes the right career path for individuals.”
And it takes the right kind of individual to succeed in the business. While many of the attributes needed mirror that of other careers, there is a certain pro-active quality required, says Hunt: “Prima donnas and people looking for lots of management frills need not apply,” he says. “Not just graduates but anyone who wants to work in produce has to be resilient, practical and hands-on. Above all else, the produce sector is one that attracts and rewards doers. To get things done you need to be able to work and possibly lead a team of people. At all levels and across all disciplines, people who are pro-active, positive and persistent will generally succeed.”
But while there is a lot of enthusiasm being ploughed into rejuvenating the HR and training sector, specialists in this area are united in the belief that businesses need to start committing to this drive financially.
Widdowson says her ideal vision for the next five years would see a lot more money being devoted to training workforces: “What we would love to see is people invest in their employees the same way they invest in their capital equipment. They spend so much on their equipment - why not see employees in the same way. If you invest, everybody becomes more profitable and employees stay longer.”
Hunt agrees: “Hopefully companies in our sector will start to see it not so much as an expense but more an investment cost in the calibre and quality of their people.”
GHS GOES NATIONAL
GHS recruitment, a consultancy specialising in providing businesses with trained staff for the food sector, is launching its services on national level following success in the eastern counties.
GHS offers high specification training to workers in the food sector using a two-day learning module. Learning programs range from those aimed at packers and stackers to forklift truck drivers and are all delivered by training manager Jacqueline Rogers. Rogers has extensive experience in the sector including food safety, food quality and health and safety management. She is also qualified in HACCP, ISOH and advanced food hygiene.
On enrolment, GHS offers clients a password giving them access to an online database featuring staff records, which are constantly updated. They can then access employee records on health and training at their will.
Oliver Dale from GHS said: “As the UK supermarkets continue to look closely at how their suppliers ensure that the whole supply chain delivers an open and full picture of staff training and welfare, our service becomes increasingly important and essential in delivering that picture and the security that it provides.”
Launched two years ago, GHS has been steadily building up a portfolio of clients, and for the last 18 months has worked with Turners PPL, packing operatives based in Newmarket. The company currently supplies them with 80 per cent of Turners’ temporary labour requirements and drives many of its staff training and development programs.
Dave Bateman at Turners said: “We’ve monitored productivity over the period and seen gradual improvements in efficiency and quality. We’ve retained key staff from among GHS’s pool and by agreement, some of them have moved onto our books. GHS has delivered on its promise to keep the same staff with us when we want them.”
SIX USEFUL TIPS TO TURN ON YOUR TEAM
One of the most frequent questions I am asked when I am running training events is, “How can I motivate my team?” Motivation is an over used word and misunderstood concept. We think that by treating everyone equally and giving our teams the same reward we will win. Think again. It is natural that people will blow hot and cold sometimes, but a prolonged cold spell needs some action on your part. Motivation is about inspiring people and bringing energy and creativity into the work environment.
Take some genuine interest in the people working alongside you - what makes them tick? The answer to motivation lies in just that. Make it your mission this week to find out one new fact about each member of your team. Small things matter - people like to be asked what they did at the weekend. There are many books you can read about motivation but here are six practical and cost-effective motivation tips to try out:
• Team membership motivates - people like and need team meetings. Keep them dynamic, focused and lively - every day or once a week. Change the format around and share the airtime - it is not a chance for you to get your soap box out.
• To motivate you must participate - find out what your people really think and listen. Teams like to see senior managers getting stuck in on the shop floor and will tell you things you would otherwise never hear. Don’t get stuck behind your desk - go out there and mingle.
• Think about introducing suggestion boxes with a reward for good ideas or employee of the month/year schemes. Motivation requires lots of individual recognition - people tell me all the time how they would like their boss to notice more what they do and achieve. Don’t get used to excellent performance - keep noticing and appreciating what people do and tell them. Progress and success motivates - it is the outputs that count.
• Don’t encourage presenteeism and a long hours working culture. People have lives outside of work. Encourage a fast working pace and achievement of goals. Practice what you preach and go home on time when you can.
• You must be motivated to motivate. This is a business of long hours and commitment. But you are no good to your team if you are tired, stressed and lack the energy to inspire. Look at your work/life balance. Make the time to do what you enjoy outside of work. Find out what your team likes to do as a hobby or to relax and encourage your team to make the time for themselves.
• Motivation, once established, does not last forever - your mission will be to continually seek out new ways of turning your team on.
So what is the payback to the business? Motivation increases your team’s performance and energy levels, decreases staff turnover and absence levels and improves communication upwards. So try it out and see for yourself. Remember, “you cannot make a seed grow but you can provide the right conditions for it to develop into its full potential”.
This article is the first in a series of HR and Training Tips for managers written by Daryon Eldridge, human resources and training services manager at Redfox Executive Selection.
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