Recruiters are desperately looking for candidates in the fresh produce sector at graduate level, while flat management structures are holding employees back, according to leading industry figures.
Despite the traditional New Year rush to review job positions, fresh produce recruiters report a static market with few suitable graduate candidates and mid-level employees constrained by fear of unemployment.
Max MacGillivray, md of recruiter Redfox, told FPJ there are two periods of “resolutions” for employees and employers alike during the year - one in August and September after holidays and one in January.
But he revealed that a buoyant market for employers has been undermined by a lack of talent coming through. He said: “People are definitely looking to bring in intellectual horsepower at the moment and we have a lot of roles we are looking to fill but there is a shortage of candidates. The college and university systems are not feeding in good people for graduate or management positions and holding businesses back.”
MacGillivray said flat management structures in produce have created a “clash of ambitious individuals and businesses that can not offer opportunities as margins are so tight and they do not have the fat to have large senior management teams”.
MorePeople md Guy Moreton reported a similar situation with a flurry of clients but a tough market for candidates. He said: “There is still a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace which means that we do not have the numbers of candidates that have the right experience and skills. A lot of people do not mind ‘putting their career on hold’ to ensure they have a job in a company they know well.”
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