Why contingent recruitment is failing for mid-level technical roles in food manufacturing (and how to tackle it)
By Jared Turner
Head of Recruitment at Corvin Fox
A quick look on jobs boards like Indeed shows you how in-demand skilled quality assurance (QA) managers are in the food manufacturing industry.
Yet while they’re critical to the safe and compliant running of a food factory, these roles sometimes fall through the cracks when it comes to recruitment.
They’re not considered senior enough to instruct a specialist search-led agency, yet they’re too specialist for transactional contingent recruitment methods which are better suited to lower paid, high volume roles. At a time when the number of recalls has already exceeded 100 this year so far, firms cannot afford for staffing shortages to compromise quality and safety. The question is, how do they quickly secure the right candidates for the job?
As we’ve explained previously, contingent recruitment (or ‘no-win, no-fee’) limits searches to the same active job seekers, and often doesn’t take into account factors like personality and cultural fit, only broad experience and hard skills. Furthermore, any upfront cost-savings can also be wiped out if the candidate doesn’t meet the standard required, especially if it puts the business at risk.
Even if QA Managers don’t command the same salaries as senior leaders or executives, there’s a strong case for taking a specialist search-led approach to recruitment, as we explore in this article.
What do Technical management shortages mean for food manufacturing?
QA teams manage everything from compliance to audits, product safety and quality – so any vacancies that remain unfilled could impact any of these areas. In the most serious cases, it can lead to product contamination and recalls, with the financial and reputational damage they bring, as well as delays, wastage and other operational problems. The symptoms of under-resourcing include:
- Compliance risks: Gaps in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) logs, delays in raw materials being approved and incorrect product specifications.
- Failed audits: Factories need to be prepared for a retailer or BRCGS audit at all times. If any information is missing, it could result in a failed audit and the loss of certification/contracts.
- Under-resourced teams: There’s a human cost to QA shortages, including burn-out if workloads become too heavy. Supervisors may also be forced to step in to carry out day-to-day work, leading to delays elsewhere.
While more general roles might sometimes be absorbed or put on the back burner while you wait for candidates to apply on job boards, QA manager roles cannot be left vacant. They require people with specialist skills and time to ensure processes are fully completed and documented.
Why doesn’t contingent recruitment work for mid-level roles?
In the past, contingent recruitment might have been perfectly adequate for mid-level roles.
Candidates were actively seeking new opportunities, so you could draw up a short list relatively quickly. Now a number of factors have conspired, resulting in significant shortages in the sector. For a start, the complexity of compliance has increased, with more regulations and scrutiny from retailers. These demands, coupled with long-standing negative perceptions about the manufacturing industry itself, mean that it’s increasingly difficult to attract the next generation of talent, so the pool of suitable candidates is diminishing.
Other reasons the market is stagnating include:
1. QA managers are staying put
Candidates are generally more risk-averse than they used to be, partly because of volatility in the jobs market. Although their skills are in high-demand, news of layoffs at some of the UK’s biggest food brands may have spooked them, so they’re tending to stay put. The last thing they want to do is navigate the uncertainty of a probation period, especially if they have an opportunity to progress with their current employer. Contingent recruitment agencies rely on jobs boards to fill roles – but candidates aren’t responding, so you’re unlikely to receive a shortlist of fresh applicants.
2. Rise of counter offers
Linked to the above, we’ve seen a notable rise in the number of firms offering counter offers to retain their talent, including QA managers. It demonstrates just how much demand is outstripping supply, and is obviously frustrating for firms who’ve spent time interviewing candidates only to lose out at the final stage. While we can’t change the market, a specialist recruiter is generally better-placed to mitigate the impact of it by carefully selecting candidates who demonstrate the most commitment to finding a new role, and matching them with a company that aligns with their expectations.
3. Generic communications don’t work
Specialists who are in the market for a new choice have their pick of employers. To successfully attract their attention, recruiters must demonstrate a deep understanding of food manufacturing and the reasons why a candidate might be looking for a new opportunity. However, contingent recruiters may only have a broad knowledge of the industry, which means their communications fail to resonate with QA managers.
4. Speed over quality
Contingent recruiters are all fighting to be the one who secures the candidate and earns the fee. But that can lead to short-termism – sending over CVs for people who tick the boxes for hard skills but may not be the right cultural fit for a company. Increasingly, it’s the soft skills that are critical in technical roles: the ability to communicate and collaborate with internal teams and retailers, and remaining calm in high-pressure situations.
How a search and select model can help
Put to one side how much a QA manager actually earns and ask yourself how valuable they are to your business. You might not think twice about instructing specialist recruiters to fill a C-suite, executive or head of department role, but remember the fee for a mid-level role will be lower because it’s based on a percentage of their salary.
Taking this approach – known as search and select – means that the candidates you’re presented with have been actively identified and vetted. Here’s why it works.
1. Recruiters actively map the market
You can’t just post an ad and hope that candidates will respond. As we’ve seen, fewer are looking for roles and those who are receive plenty of opportunities. Working with a specialist partner like Corvin Fox, on the other hand, means you have someone mapping the regional and national market. We’ll approach people in similar QA roles and tell them about your opportunity in a highly-professional and consultative way, ensuring that they’re the right fit for your company. Only when we have gauged their interest, capabilities and personal qualities do we put them forward.
It means you have access to a fresh pool of engaged candidates, instead of the same ones responding to ads on jobs boards.
2. Deep knowledge of the food manufacturing industry
One of the reasons big UK food brands choose specialist food manufacturing recruiters over general agencies is their deep understanding of the industry. These specialists vet candidates based on the rigorous standards expected by manufacturers, retailers and regulators, reducing the risk that candidates will under-perform or leave. They don’t rely on generic job ads, vague keyword matching on CVs or AI to process hundreds of applications.
3. Simplifying and de-risking recruitment
Working with multiple recruiters can become a hidden cost within your business. You might not need to pay a fee until you have secured someone, but getting to that point can mean hours of sifting through the same candidates and sending emails. Then, if a hire doesn’t work out, you have to start again and account for the loss of productivity while they’re in their role. The search and select model, on the other hand, gives you a reliable talent pipeline of highly-skilled and engaged candidates, effectively taking much of the risk out of recruitment.
At Corvin Fox, we also have a deep pool of continually-updated ‘podium’ candidates, or Most Suitable Candidates (MSCs), who are vetted and ready to start in their next role though not always active on the job market. That means you can move at speed, without compromising on the quality of your candidates.
Get in touch to find your next QA manager
With more than 15 years’ experience, Corvin Fox can help you fill your QA and technical roles using its select and search model. To find out more, including how we map the market and who’s on our list of podium candidates, get in touch.
