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As we continue to evolve and strengthen our finance function, it’s vital to understand what today’s finance professionals are truly seeking in their roles. The market for commercial finance jobs, particularly within FMCG finance, is highly competitive. Attracting and retaining top finance talent requires aligning with their evolving priorities and expectations.

Here’s what’s top of mind for today’s finance talent—and how employers in the commercial finance and FMCG sectors can stay ahead:

Purpose-Driven Roles in Commercial Finance

Finance professionals are looking for more than transactional work. They want to be seen as strategic business partners, contributing to direction, forecasting, and data-led decision-making. In both commercial finance jobs and FMCG finance, candidates value roles where their insight directly impacts commercial outcomes.

Career Progression & Skills Development

Professionals seek clear progression routes and opportunities to upskill- through leadership development, financial qualifications (ACCA, CIMA, ACA), or hands-on exposure to FP&A, transformation, and commercial finance projects. This is especially important for those building long-term careers in FMCG finance or aiming for senior commercial finance roles.

Flexibility & Trust in the Finance Function

Hybrid working models, autonomy, and respect for work-life balance are now baseline expectations. Forward-thinking employers offering flexible working environments are more likely to attract and retain skilled finance professionals.

Smarter Finance Tools

Finance teams want to work smarter, not harder. Automation, ERP systems, Power BI, and real-time data analytics are key in reducing manual work and increasing strategic focus. This is particularly relevant in FMCG finance, where fast-paced decision-making is critical.

Collaborative & Inclusive Culture

Cross-functional collaboration is a must – especially in budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning. Inclusive, communicative cultures where finance is valued as a business driver are essential in commercial and FMCG finance jobs.

Total Reward Matters

Salary alone doesn’t seal the deal. Candidates assess total compensation – including performance bonuses, pensions, study support, wellbeing benefits, and job security. These factors are especially important when evaluating commercial finance roles within FMCG businesses.

Broader Exposure & Role Variety

Many finance professionals move on due to lack of development or exposure. From Accounts Assistants stuck in repetitive tasks to Management Accountants seeking their next step toward becoming a Financial Controller, the desire for a broader scope is clear. In FMCG finance, where rapid progression is possible, offering variety and challenge is a key differentiator.

To win the war for talent in commercial finance jobs and FMCG finance, businesses must offer purposeful roles, continuous development, flexible working, modern tools, and inclusive cultures, backed by a competitive total reward package. Finance professionals want more than a job; they want a meaningful career path where they can make an impact.

I enjoy assisting ambitious businesses with their recruitment requirements. One notable example is my collaboration with the award-winning MarTech brand.

Below, I outline how I aided their dynamic team in securing three pivotal hires, ranging from Manager to VP, within an 8-week timeframe.

The Problem

Amazon’s third-party seller business now accounts for over 60% of sales on the platform, with consistent YOY growth of around 20% for every quarter in 2023.

Unsurprisingly, the competition for talent has matched this relentless growth over the past few years. While the market has cooled slightly since the heights of 2022, it can still be challenging to find the right people.

I’ve pulled together a quick run-down of some of the main areas that we see top Amazon talent coming from, with the pros & cons of hiring from them.

Directly from Amazon:

Look out for job titles such as Partner Managers, Marketplace Consultants, and Team Leads.

Pros:

• The robust hiring process ensures the recruitment of top-tier talent.
• They possess strong ‘insider’ knowledge of how Amazon 3P operates.
• Process-driven, strong problem solvers, analytical.

Cons:

• Can be expensive, with base salaries in line with the wider market but often supplemented by very strong share packages.
• The Partner Management program provides top-line exposure to 3P but may not require individuals to be hands-on operators.
• They may struggle to adapt to cultures that are less process-driven than Amazon.

CPG brands:

Look for job titles such as Marketplace Managers, Amazon Advertising Managers, Heads of Marketplace, and National Account Managers.

Pros:

• Strong operational experience, often required to be very hands-on inside seller central.
• Scrappy and able to work at pace, particularly from smaller brands that have scaled successfully on 3P.
• Can offer good value for money, especially in SMEs where there is undervalued talent.

Cons:

• Those from larger businesses might not have been ‘hands-on’, with lots of resources to handle operational work.
• Strong 3P operators who have been very hands-on may lack stakeholder management experience or struggle to adapt to larger corporates.
• Individuals from larger brands often come with strong packages including car allowance, bonus, pension, and shares.

Agencies:

Look for job titles such as Client/Account Managers, Client/Account Directors, Amazon Advertising Specialists, and Marketplace Consultants.

Pros:

• Agencies foster the most up-to-date knowledge of winning on Amazon.
• Exposure to multiple clients allows individuals to see the successes and failures of different strategies.
• Can offer good value for money compared to brands, Amazon, AdTech, or aggregators.

Cons:

• May lack true ownership of Amazon accounts, involved with some elements but not complete ownership.
• Some may struggle with stakeholder management and ‘politics’ when working for larger brands.
• May lack strategic insight.

Network media agencies:

Look for job titles similar to those in agencies.

Pros:

• Strong media and PPC knowledge, with an understanding of the retail media landscape.
• Used to working with big brands and big budgets.
• Strong process and stakeholder management skills.

Cons:

• Not as Amazon-centric as specialist agencies, potentially lacking constant learning.
• Generally not required to be as hands-on with running accounts.
• Lack of ownership, responsible for one piece of a larger puzzle but not for making decisions.
• May lack commercial acumen when evaluating the impact of advertising on the bottom line.

Other options – AdTech, Aggregators, Amazon FBA business owners:

There are increasingly more AdTech platforms with a specialist Amazon focus, offering strong talent, particularly in PPC & DSP. While aggregators have not been hiring as aggressively as during the 2020-2022 period, they often have exceptional talent. Individuals who have built and run their own FBA businesses can offer great value for money, having been involved in every decision from NPD to sales to marketing to finance to supply chain management.

What are some noteworthy hiring trends observed in 2023?

We conducted an analysis based on data from 85 hires made by our team between January and June 2023, spanning various fields including eCommerce, Performance Marketing, Brand Management, National Accounts, Analytics, and Supply Chain. Here are the key highlights:

Average Base Salary Increase: 6.7%
Pay Cuts: Surprisingly, 21 out of the 85 individuals took a pay cut, with an average decrease of 8.2%.
Salary Increases: 48 out of the 85 individuals enjoyed a salary increase, averaging at 14.5%.
Consistency in Salary: Interestingly, 16 people changed roles without any change in their base salary.

A striking observation here is that nearly one in four individuals experienced a pay cut. This phenomenon can be attributed to a combination of factors, including redundancy, market corrections in sectors that had witnessed substantial wage growth in 2021/22, and individuals prioritizing work-life balance over financial compensation.

Most frequently cited reasons for changing roles include:

Career Advancement/New Challenges: 29%
Redundancy: 20%
Desire for Remote Work Flexibility: 10%
Relocation: 10%

While the “career progression” category lacks specific details, a recurring theme is companies freezing internal promotions or being unable to provide assurances regarding the timing of internal transfers, prompting individuals to explore external opportunities. Although redundancies have not impacted the consumer sector as profoundly as the tech sector, they have played a significant role in shaping the talent market this year.

Turning our attention to broader trends and observations:

Undoubtedly, the talent market in 2023 has not been as dynamic as it was in the preceding years of 2022 and 2021. However, this shift was anticipated, as the unprecedented growth and activity of those years were unsustainable. Factors such as reduced venture capital funding, decreased consumer spending, ongoing challenges related to iOS14, and rising input costs have collectively contributed to a more cautious approach toward expanding headcounts across industries.

As the balance of power in hiring has tilted away from job seekers towards employers, we’ve witnessed a trend of more rigorous interview processes and heightened expectations from hiring entities. Gone are the days when candidates could entertain multiple job offers after interviewing for several roles within a short period.

In terms of the types of businesses that have been actively hiring, there seems to be a lack of consistency in terms of size or industry. Whether it’s established blue-chip companies, venture capital-backed startups, self-sustaining direct-to-consumer (D2C) startups, Software as a Service (SaaS) firms, or agencies, businesses in all these categories have seen both growth and reduction in their headcounts. However, a common thread among successful hirers is their proactive approach to understanding unit economics, streamlining operations, and optimising their cost structures in 2022, positioning them favorably for the challenges and opportunities of 2023.

The potential rewards of hiring an apprentice applies to businesses of all sizes across most industries, so if apprenticeships are unknown territory for your organisation you might want to read on to discover the many benefits they can have on your business and people (we’ve listed 7 of the main benefits below).

Considering the impact the pandemic has had on the unemployment rate in the UK and the increase in people claiming Universal Credit, the potential to finding outstanding apprentices has never been bigger. Sadly. And for the same reason apprenticeships are more important than ever.

In short, hiring an apprentice could be an effective way to add manpower to your team and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce, while getting financial support from the government. It’s a brilliant way to open up your talent pool to individuals of all backgrounds and ages and therefore increases diversity, but also a clever way to upskill and develop current employees, which will have a positive impact on staff retention and overall moral.

We at Vertical Advantage have first hand experience of hiring apprentices, and we’ve outlined one particular success story below that might inspire.

First thing’s first – who can apply for an apprenticeship?

Taking England as an example, anyone over the age of 16 (although some workplaces may impose a minimum age of 18 due to health and safety regulations) can apply for an apprenticeship. This means you can employ apprentices at different levels, from school leavers and university graduates, to people who want to further their careers or change career direction completely.

A common factor as to why many young people choose the apprenticeship route is because they are looking for an alternative to going to university and consequently avoiding debt. In 2020, students graduating from English universities will have incurred an average of 40.28 thousand British pounds of student loan debt.

What are the benefits for the apprentice?

Short answer – many.

Long answer – keep reading.

Apprenticeships…

• …opens doors to people of all backgrounds.
• …don’t make people choose between furthering their education and getting a job.
• …don’t get people into an eye-watering amount of debt that usually follows a university degree.
• …can help people accelerate and futureproof their career.
• …allows people to earn while they learn in a sector they’ve chosen themselves.
• …could mean the apprentice starts on a lower starting salary than a graduate, but they start earning much earlier, and don’t have student debt hanging over them.
• …can give people an edge over a graduate applying for the same role, as they already have solid experience and understanding of work culture.
• …gives people invaluable industry experience – while getting paid.

7 benefits of apprenticeships

1. Government funded training. As an employer, you can get funding from the government to help pay for apprenticeship training. An apprentice must spend at least 20% of their time completing off-the-job training, but the style, location and timing varies.

It’s important to note here that you can adapt their training according to your business needs, so the government is essentially paying for some – if not all – of the cost of you moulding your next star employee.

2. Existing staff can be freed up to work on other projects. Although it completely depends on the situation, the apprentice is likely to take on more junior tasks to begin with, which frees up time for other more senior team members. There’s an extra pair of hands in the room.

3. Expand your workforce in a cost effective way. Let’s not beat around the bush – hiring an apprentice is cheaper than hiring a permanent employee.

Salaries are decided by the business, but you’ll need to pay a National Minimum Wage rate that specifically applies to apprentices, and there are different rates of pay depending on age and what year of the apprenticeship the individual is in. Find out more about the rates here.

4. Improve staff retention. Apprentices feel valued in the workplace, they are loyal employees and this improves your staff retention and helps to build and sustain a strong team ethic within your company. On successful completion of the apprenticeship, many firms choose to keep on their young recruits (employers retain around 90% of their apprentices) and help them to progress further.

This promotion from within eases the burden on your future recruitment needs and also means your staff know exactly what is required of them.

5. Upskill and fill skills gaps in your business. Apprenticeships aren’t only suitable for bringing in new employees, they’re also ideal for upskilling or retraining existing employees – of any age, and at any level.

Investing time and effort into developing existing employees creates loyalty and they are far more likely to a) stay with the business and b) become a brand ambassador and speak well about your company to others. Word of mouth might be the oldest marketing tactic in the book, but positive feedback and referrals are still king.

6. Young people can offer a fresh perspective and a new dynamic. Diversity in the workplace isn’t only about cultural, racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation, disability etc. Age is also a key differentiator for businesses that value diversity.

7. In a time of need, do your bit. Attitudes towards apprenticeships are undoubtedly changing and they are increasingly seen as a dynamic addition to recruitment options for employers. Not only are you doing your bit as a business to help the unemployed, you get access to a huge pool of talent that are generally devoted, committed and extremely willing to learn. Who wouldn’t want their brand to reflect this?

According to a recent government study:

• 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation
• 78% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity
• 74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service

One thing to bear in mind is that many of the difficulties faced with apprentices are due to them being picked up early in their development cycle. Bear in mind that this rawness and ability to be moulded is also one of their biggest strengths.

Our own apprenticeship success story

We couldn’t write this article without highlighting one of our own success stories – Selina.

Selina joined Vertical Advantage as an Associate Consultant at the end of 2019 as a 180 recruiter with candidate management being her main focus. She started off by making a placement in month two, and ended up being our top performer for several months the following summer, in the midst of a global pandemic and serious economic downturn.

Offering her a permanent position in July, a few months before her apprenticeship was supposed to finish, was a no-brainer. To mark the occasion our team surprised her with a virtual graduation party (pink gown and cap for her – ‘Selina’ themed fancy dress for the rest of us…) via Zoom.

We can’t stress enough how valuable it can be to open up your potential talent pool to young individuals and add someone to your business who’s consciously made the decision they want to work, learn, are committed, and ready to prove themselves.

The business that helped us find Selina was LDN Apprenticeships, so we can definitely vouch for the quality of candidates they have access to. If you’re keen to find out how they might be able to help your business visit their website or get in touch with our founder David Jenkins and he’ll make the introduction (david@vertical-advantage.com).

I’ve recruited into the drinks industry for over three years now and have spoken to some fantastic people within the business, many of who are still close contacts of mine.

No one knew how disruptive and deadly this virus would be, and I’m sure no one thought it would make its way around the globe at the pace that it did. The global economy has been hit massively and there’s been a distressing amount of deaths caused.

I wanted to highlight the effect this has had on the drinks industry in this blog and share it.

On-trade

In summary, this has been devastating on businesses that rely on on-trade business. The closure of bars and restaurants has seen cash flow effectively come to a standstill for on-trade suppliers which could, unfortunately, put many out of business.

Off-trade

On the contrary, suppliers who supply into the off-trade sector are seeing a rise in sales. The spirit and mentality of us Brits never cease to amaze me – Global pandemic? Let’s booze at home and on Zoom to our mates (I’m very guilty of this).

Non-alcohol businesses that supply into the off-trade are also profiting, in particular mixers and soft-drinks.

Relevance to Supply Chain?

Forecasting will be a big issue in the future for businesses in both the on-trade and off-trade. What will businesses do in the coming years? Do they completely write off this year’s forecasts? It seems that in the on-trade it’s the most sensible thing to do as bars, hotels and restaurants should be back to normal in 2021.

Yet, from an off-trade point of view sales seem to have increased during this lockdown period, making it easier to predict next year’s sales compared to on-trade.

Market Insights / Trends

One of the main trends during this lockdown has been the increase in consumer spend across E-Commerce channels across all industries. Within the drinks industry, I spoke to Julie Buckley who is Head of Buying at ELICITE, an online premium wine merchant. She said customers are spending more on their products, this includes an increase of sales in Dom Perignon and Tignanello, Megan Markle’s favourite wine and fondly known as The Tig which would usually set you back around £150+ in a restaurant.

It seems that people who would usually go out and eat at restaurants or drink at wine/cocktail bars are finding they have more disposable income and are willing to treat themselves at home.

For now, it seems that having an online presence and a delivery service is a key factor in driving sales across all industries, and I suspect we will be seeing more businesses offering an online service moving forward.

As recruiters, we’ve focused a lot of how you ​can attract, hire and induct talent in this current time, but what about your existing team?

How do you ensure you continue their development and that their learning curve isn’t ‘paused’ for the next (insert your best guess!) however long?

During this time there is probably more (free of charge!) development available to you and your teams than there ever has been. So many fantastic experts are offering their time and services for no cost – make the most of this!

At Vertical Advantage, we are offering interview/ CV advice and are also giving time to clients to help them resource plan​ and are offering all sorts of benchmarking and support (including how to hire WITHOUT using recruitment agencies).

There’s plenty of other companies and experts doing the same – don’t be shy to take them up on their offer – it’s worth making the most of their amazing expertise whilst you can – here is a site we highly recommend; https://register.gotowebinar.com

Other practical steps you can take to continue your progression and development;
1. Share information virtually

Set up Slack/Teams channels so it is easy for people to find information or read about other people’s experiences.

Often in a sales environment, people assimilate information from those around them – at least certainly in our office when someone sat nearby has a situation (or makes a mistake – we do make them!) we all learn from it.

As we are a close-knit team, we all go through this process together and there is a shared learning experience for all of us.

To ensure we keep this, we’ve proactively made a point of ‘shouting’ (virtually) about these scenarios to ensure other team members are aware of what is going on. This has been invaluable to keep us together as a team, but also to ensure we are sharing best practises and learn​ing together.

2. Listen to external advice

Although it’s a unique external cause, we have seen markets dip a couple of times in our lifetimes and it’s a perfect time for people who have experienced this before to share what they have learned.

What did they have to adapt? What made the biggest impact? What resource did they need?

We’re lucky to have a NED​ (Non – Exec Director) who is doing a virtual session with the team to talk about ​what he feels we should be doing to make the most of this time.

3. Online courses

What online courses are available that would be relevant for you/ your team?

When recently talking with a PR candidate, they told me they were completing a crisis comms management course online over the weekend so they could upskill and keep up with the demands of their current role. This is a great way to learn, and these are often interactive and enjoyable sessions.

 4. Review development plans and objectives

With people at home, it’s a great time to pull out development plans and objectives that have been set and review them.

Are they still SMART in the current climate?

If not, take time to talk to your team members about what needs to be adjusted in order for them to succeed and work with them to create new goals.

For more help on setting SMART objectives see https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm

We’re aiming to help our communities as much as we can.

Sure, we’ve got a business to run and generally speaking we make our money from placing candidates but that’s only going to be with businesses that really want/need to hire so there’s little sense in trying to force a square peg (or NAM!) into a round hole. (can we split this sentence?)

We’re providing market updates, content and commentary on a near-daily basis to those who are interested in receiving it.

So if you would like to keep up to date please take a look at our blog for more content.

Based on all the posts I’ve been seeing; I take it you get the picture of how to effectively work from home. Plot twist, this is NOT about working from home. While working is definitely important (Andy paid me to say that), I think it is equally important to stay engaged with your team; outside of virtual morning meetings and have a bit of fun.

Now let’s take it back to 8:30am on yesterday’s sunny Wednesday morning. I made my coffee, buttered (peanut buttered) my toast, and switched on my laptop. I peeped a calendar invite named “Team Night Out”, and thought it was a bit ambitious to already be planning this but rolled with it. Before I could click accept, I noticed it was for 6:00pm next Wednesday! I won’t lie, my initial reaction was, “how on earth…and really?! That’s the start of my 8-hour Netflix binge!”.

After reading the message saying, “Virtual team night out, go grab yourself a bottle of wine, expense it, and let’s have a boogie” (in my own words), I thought this was absolutely brilliant!!! Enjoying each other and the reason we are part of this company is critical during a time like this and is a great representation of why our values are drive, own, nurture and in this instance; enjoy.

We are all sat here focused so much on how to effectively work, how we are going to keep our jobs, how we are going to keep our candidates engaged, and focusing so much on the future. However, I haven’t seen anyone discuss the reality of still needing a work-life balance (besides afternoon yoga). I don’t know about you, but we sometimes enjoy a cold pint to wrap up the day in the office. It was so refreshing to see my managers still thinking about what makes Vertical Advantage, well, Vertical Advantage. Besides our services to clients and candidates; it’s our internal company culture (and one of the reasons I joined).

If your company isn’t doing this,  you can still get connected with millions of people around the world through virtual pub quizzes, virtual dance parties, and house party.

Working from home doesn’t have to be all work, work, work; we can still engage with our team and have a bit of fun in a time that doesn’t seem so fun. It is such a wonderful feeling to see my managers focus on something outside of just “business” and do something to bring the team together We are small but mighty.

As the days go by, it appears I am going crazy (crazier). But with crazy comes creativity and the need for a laugh. My days have started to blend into one, but one thing is for sure, I pass that fridge about 100x a day and open it even more. While I sit here speaking to candidates, clients, and my colleague’s day in and day out, I’ve come to realize…recruitment is like my fridge!

1. Even after the £60 shop, there isn’t much food in there

I’m sure everyone is feeling this right now…extra hungry, two breakfasts, dessert before dinner. I’m also sure many people are seeing a lack of jobs, especially in the world of recruitment. Candidates are coming in fast, but jobs are slowing down a bit. It is easy to open the fridge and think “nothing is in here, boring”. However, you can also open the fridge, get your creative cap on, and use that broccoli to make some soup. I personally immediately think of Deliveroo, but my pots and pans have seen the light of day over the past few weeks and it’s been a nice change. This (thankfully) leads me to my next point…

2. You need to (try to) make something out of nothing

I’ll say it once I’ll say it again, we need to stay positive and get creative (hence this magical post) in the current situation. It is easy to fall into the hole of anxiety and negativity, but while we may not be placing as many people in jobs right now, or speaking to as many clients with hot roles, this is the time to network, to gain trust, to show our expertise (go crazy and use that mayo and ketchup together) and educate ourselves on what is really inside that fridge! Staying ahead of the curve, finding that new hot sauce, and continuing to build our relationships is crucial.

3. The Condiments always save the day

I love condiments. Ketchup, mustard, mint mince, soy sauce, hot sauce…you name it. Avocado and cream cheese, marmite and butter, yum! I like to think of condiments as candidates. Sometimes we are so focused on the main course, we forget about what really gives us the flavour! While recruiting for jobs is essential for us to do ours, without the candidates, we wouldn’t be able to do anything, and everything would be so plain. Our candidates provide us with market knowledge about new roles, new companies, changes in the market, and most importantly – trust us to represent them. Sometimes it takes a few days to build this trust (a green banana that turns ripe 2 days later). Candidates are the peanut butter that holds the bread together…

4. It gets warm if you leave the door open

Being proactive is essential in recruitment, especially right now. So many times I stand in front of the fridge staring into the glorious light and then “beep beep beep”, it’s getting too warm and I have to close it for a minute. By being open to new conversations, learning about new markets, speaking to hiring managers, candidates (junior and senior), and “leaving our doors open” (good one, I know), we are building these foundations, and it will pay off.

Now to provide some insight and give you a bit of clarity, I have created an appendix of different types of candidates, ergh, condiments below!

To be serious for a second, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask…what condiment are you? Feel free to mix them together and create your own! If I don’t hear from you, I’ll assume you’re NOT miracle whip.

As we approach the end to the quarter and also, the end of the financial year for many businesses its really not the normal feeling of assessment of where the business is, where it is going & is the path we’re on the right one? Generally, there are lots of questions at this time of year but in 2020, those questions are very, very different. What we know is that the government is helping where it can to keep the wheels of the economy moving – assisting with measures such as furlough for the employed and self-employed, gives a period of greater parity in earnings for many workers who are affected by CV19 but will it be enough?

From a hiring perspective, we need to take a look into our short to medium term crystal ball (maybe it’s just a marble given the timeline!) and consider the impact of taking the ‘wait and see’ approach to the impact of CV19 within FMCG. We know that sales in most categories are up from a grocery / retail perspective and that the impact of fewer holidays, trips to a restaurant or bar, kids not going to school etc will mean it is likely there is more consumption to come over the next few months at least. So as bad as the current times are health-wise, we know some consumer goods businesses are out-performing the market yet, what we have seen in some situations, is some FMCG companies react with hesitancy and fear around hiring – ‘how will we interview?’, ‘will candidates want to take a job during a pandemic?’ or ‘how will we on-board / engage a new starter’, are all valid questions, however, I do think those businesses need to consider the impact of NOT hiring.

Let’s say you were intending to hire a Demand Planner or NAM today because of a vacancy in the team but you decide not to commence the search again until we return to the office & the ‘new normal’ goes back to being the old normal. Best estimates looking at a lot of the data/media on this seems to be a return to the office in June / July – pick a date, nobody knows.

What’s likely is that lockdown will continue in 2 /3 weeks chunks as no governments want to make a full commitment to an extended period of isolation – for social, fiscal and health reasons that just doesn’t make sense. So, we’ve peered back into that marble and we’re in mid-June, people have reacquainted themselves with where the photocopier is and we’re back to hiring – the sun is shining, kids are soon to be off school for the Summer and people have been locked up for 3 months…….. are they of a mind to leave their role now? It’s safe, their business kept them on during a downturn – will they turn there back on the employer who didn’t cut their pay or make them redundant? Sure, some will but many will kick that particular can down the road until September / October as least. So, your traditional hiring process of 4 – 6 weeks, may end up stretching to 8 – 12 weeks with the right candidate potentially on a 3 month notice period……… the maths on this means a job you have today, may well not be filled until January 2021 so then the real question is, ‘as a hiring manager, are you prepared to do the work of 2 people for the next 9 months?’

Back to my main barriers to hiring (above) – all of these things are being dealt with by dynamic businesses and business people across the globe & many, many internal roles / international moves happen via Skype / Zoom interviews outside of these surreal times.

Sure, onboarding remotely is a bit different and not ideal but we can be sure it’s a short term solution and again, if you consider our process – 4 – 6 weeks to hire and then a notice of up to 3 months……. Remote onboarding is unlikely to be an issue.

Lastly and I think this is the most important point – the talent is there now. Straight away. Ready & waiting to take a great opportunity. A business that is hiring today, sends a message of a strong, confident company that is taking the opportunity to hire the best in the market at a time where others don’t make the leap AND in FMCG there should be many more of those than in many other sectors.

Much is made of how opportunities arise in times of challenge – this is the hiring opportunity, are you going to take it or switch back to Netflix?