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Employers get creative
as talent gets scarcer

The growth of U.S. labor force will continue to slow in the next 10 years, according to projections just released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And that means that companies will have to get creative to attract new employees, especially in highly skilled specialties.

“The increased demand for skilled talent is just starting,” says Michael Carrillo, president of CPGjobs, the consumer packaged goods industry’s leading recruiting service. “As the retirement of the Baby Boom generation increases, the need for replacement workers will become critical. Smart companies are not waiting -- they are addressing the problem now by looking at new methods to win the war for talent.”

“The big Internet job boards introduced in the 1990s were supposed to be the magic bullet for finding new talent, but they turned into ‘resume spam,’” Carrillo says. “They produce too many candidates and too many unqualified candidates. Corporate websites are better, but companies cannot be sure they are getting all the best candidates,” Carrillo says. “There needs to be something to ensure maximum outreach without generating more work for companies -- and there is.”

New solutions

CPGjobs, creators of CPGjoblist, is “uniquely positioned to find the best and most diverse talent,” according to Carrillo. “We know the industry, we know the companies and we know the candidates. We have a nationwide network of recruiters. And we have powerful technology that brings employers highly qualified job seekers,” he says.

“As the only recruiting service exclusively serving the industry, CPGjobs is continuously adjusting its recruiting solutions to meet the demands of CPG employers,” Carrillo says.

The company recently launched CPGhrjobs.com to expand its national network of professional recruiters. “Our new network gives companies access to thousands of highly qualified, hard-to-find candidates in sales, marketing, operations and research,” Carrillo says. “This will enable employers to look for highly qualified candidates not currently looking for work or not currently looking at the CPG industry. That’s important in today’s highly competitive job market. As the labor shortage intensifies, it will be critical.”

You’ve got options

Last year the firm introduced its Guaranteed Hire service. "Employers base their recruiting return on hiring metrics, and our new Guaranteed Hire program makes that easy," Carrillo says. "You know that you're going to hire someone and what it's going to cost you right up front," Carrillo says. "Mega job boards can't promise that you will hire someone at all, and traditional recruiters can't tell you what you're going to pay if you do. Our Guaranteed Hire solution guarantees a candidate, and our upfront pricing gives you the budgeting and metrics you need."

In addition to its Guaranteed Hire solution, CPGjobs has two other service levels to serve employers: Pay-per-Post and Professional Recruiting. “Pay-per-Post is self-explanatory -- it’s the traditional method of seeking talent online and it’s still a very popular option,” Carrillo says. “Our Professional Recruiting is also what the name suggests, but with one major exception,” Carrillo says. “Our professional recruiting services are fee-based instead of commission-based. Our fees are lower than traditional recruiting commissions, and because they are known upfront, they’re easy to budget for.”

In addition to new pricing, CPGjobs is offering new services and outreach. This includes an updated candidate Job Alert that lets candidates see all active jobs from 10 of the firm’s leading employers by just clicking on their logos, Carrillo says. The twice monthly email also allows candidates to quickly cross-reference the CPG industry’s Top 10 jobs in Marketing, Sales, Operations, Trade Marketing, Human Resources and Market Research. “It’s a great response device that will pull in more candidates -- and more qualified candidates -- on to our sites and into our clients in-boxes”

Also new is a resume search function that allows candidates and companies to network better than ever before. “People Finder enables pre-screened candidates to check off which companies they are interested in and then allows employers to search these lists on a subscription basis,” Carrillo notes.

Here comes diversity

In addition to growing more slowly, the U.S. labor force will become more ethnically and racially diverse, the Labor Department report said. CPGjobs has emphasized diversity since its inception. “We know how important it is to a company’s competitiveness. Diverse teams produce diverse thinking, and that makes them better adapted to reach today's multicultural markets and lead today’s increasingly diverse workforces.”

“We reach out to traditionally under-represented communities, support diversity efforts in our industry, and offer direct diversity support to employers,” Carrillo says. "In addition to personal and active candidate outreach, CPGjobs provides clients with diversity support through direct consultation, diversity news and advice on our website, in our monthly newsletter, and more. Our industry experience and personal knowledge of our candidates provide our clients with a diverse pool of qualified executives and helps ensure that the strength of diversity is built into every CPGjobs search.

“CPGjobs supports organizations that support business diversity, enabling us to reach the best talent inside and outside the CPG industry. We are a founding member of the California Diversity Council (part of the National Diversity Council), a corporate sponsor of the Network of Executive Women, and a member of the National Black MBA Association, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and the Society for Human Resource Management. Our association with these and other organizations enables us to represent you in the diverse communities that increasingly lead our industry.” He added that "diversity in leadership is something we take great pride in. It is rooted in our corporate belief that diversity of culture, heritage and thought are building blocks to innovation, growth and excellence.”

Carrillo said CPGjobs is committed “to providing a diverse candidate pool to our clients because our clients want it, because it’s right, and because it is the smart thing to do. “Ask your CPGjobs customer support specialist for more information on how we can help you reach your diversity goals,” he says.

A sharper instrument

Employers and candidates are tired of “blunt instruments like mega boards,” Carrillo says. According to a study by Forrester Research, industry-specific sites like CPGjoblist are more effective than giant job sites like Monster and Career Builder. An article in BusinessWeek says "anecdotal evidence suggests niche sites are growing rapidly--with users drawn by their manageable size, better quality listings and community feel."

You’ll get no argument from Carrillo, whose company took the principle one step further last year by introducing 12 new sites that focus on specific job specialties within the industry. These category sites include www.CPGmarketingjobs.com,
www.CPGcategorymanagementjobs.com, and www.CPGsalesjobs.com (for the complete list see our August 2007 issue).

“Unlike mega job boards that promise all things to all people, CPGjobs specializes in one thing -- connecting highly qualified CPG candidates with high quality industry jobs,” Carrillo says. “The proof that it works is in the more than 100 top CPG companies we represent,” he said.

For more information on what's new at CPGjobs and to help map your 2008 recruiting strategy, contact Tami Page at (626) 535-0143.

Michael Carrillo is president of CPGjobs, the CPG industry’s leading candidate recruiting service for employers and recruiting agencies. You may contact him at Michael@CPGjobs.com or call (626) 535-0143.

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WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
FEB. 19: CPGjobs is sponsoring the inaugural Women in Leadership Symposium, February 19, at the Marriott Los Angeles Downtown. Top area diversity leaders will address the event, including: Apalia Chopra, partner for O’Melveny & Myers; Kelly Edwards, vice president, talent development, for NBC Universal; Renee White Fraser, president and CEO of Fraser Communications; Barbara Pollack, vice president, legal, Space and Airborne Systems, Raytheon; Patti Rockenwagner, vice president, Time Warner Cable L.A. region; and Antoinette Salvadori, director of diversity for the Walt Disney Studios. The event is presented by the California Diversity Council -- for more information visit their website.

WELCOME ABOARD: CPGjobs welcomes Boston Beer Company, Inc., Brown and Cole Stores, Consolidated Container Co., Perficient Consulting and Sweetriot to its growing roster of CPG clients. For the complete list visit CPGjobs.

HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE: The top trends affecting consumer food purchasing are health concerns, an increased desire for premium products and a demand for increased variety, according to the 2008 North American Food & Agribusiness Outlook just released by international business bank Rabobank. “With the increased media attention on obesity and associated health problems, consumers are trying to eat healthier foods, placing an increased focus on items such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains,” the bank said. “Additionally, as household disposable income increases and free time diminishes, consumers have an increased desire for better quality and more convenient products that command higher prices. One of the results of this trend, the survey reported, is the increase in sales of specialty items such as fresh-cut fruits and vegetables,” according to the report. Between 1997 and 2006, fresh-cut produce sales increased by nearly 170 percent and reached an estimated $13.4 billion in sales.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: For the New York Home Textiles Market Week, Jan. 31-Feb. 7 in New York; the International Home and Housewares Show, February 2-4 in Chicago; the Western Association of Food Chains, April 5-10; All Things Organic, April 27-29 in Chicago; the Natural Products Expo West, February 13-16 in Anaheim, Calif.; and the Fancy Food Show, April 27-29 in Chicago. See CPGjob’s Calendar for more events and updates.

ON THE MOVE: General Nutrition Centers, Inc., has named Beth Kaplan chief merchandising and marketing officer. She will report to CEO Joe FortunatoValassis announced the election of Wallace Snyder, American Advertising Federation president and CEO, to the Valassis board of directorsEinstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc. appointed Thomas Mueller to its board of directors. Mueller previously served as the president and chief operating officer of Wendy's International...Remy Cointreau USA named Vincent Duhem vice president, marketing. He will work directly with France and Remy Cointreau USA's spirit agency partners on the creation and execution of marketing strategiesJames Harris will become the chief financial officer for Charlotte, N.C. based Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated...PepsiCo announced the appointment of Dr. Mehmood Khan to the newly-created position of chief scientific officer, reporting to CEO Indra NooyiSend your company news to editor@CPGjoblist.com

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