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How to fill the talent pipeline:
Solutions to the HR squeeze

Second of two parts

Job One for human resources departments is recruiting the best people for their companies. But too many HR people are tied up doing paperwork instead of building the diverse talent networks their organizations need to compete, experts say.

"There are solutions," says Michael Carrillo, president of CPGjoblist. "Increased authority and access can give recruiters better insights into current and future hiring needs. Increased pay can reduce HR turnover. Better tools and training can increase HR's productivity. Outsourcing and technology can free HR departments from the burdens of bureaucracy. What HR managers need most are the resources to build candidate networks for the long haul."

Recruiters should emphasize the human in human resources, says Jane Leader, a former senior recruiter for Georgia Pacific and a client partner at Staff Financial Group. "Take every call. Ask everyone you talk with, 'Who do you know?' That is the best way. And, don't be afraid of intimacy in your conversations, within professional boundaries, of course. That's where life is, and that's what makes professional networking enjoyable."

Suzanne Baugher, former recruiting manager for ACNielsen Spectra now working at Nova Recruiting, agrees. "HR has traditionally been measured by transactional metrics, and while the two eventually go hand-in-hand, [the job is] more than just filling requisitions. HR needs to get the bigger picture to come up with something creative and think outside the box. How do you spend that time unless you have [networking] built into your strategy?" she asks. "You need to get five or ten other referrals" from every lead, Baugher says.

Carrillo is also passionate about "the referral ripple effect." He notes that "every application is the beginning of a network. They should never be thrown away. That's why CPGjoblist believes in full candidate ownership, which means companies can use any candidate referred by us as long as they want. This brings more candidates back to you in turn, filling your talent pipeline through the power of networking."

The long term

Recruiters need time and resources to build long-term referral networks instead of darting from requisition to requisition. Old-fashioned job boards are little help, Carrillo says. "They produce unqualified applicants and more inside work."

"People are still the best technology, especially when you are targeting those passive executives," Baugher says. "I think there's going to be an evolution in job boards -- they're going to relationship-based versus electronic-based."

Carrillo says CPGjoblist is already there. "We expand your networking by combining our own candidate networks with time-saving technology and personal support. We data mine submissions so you don't have to. Bottom line, we offer strategic tools that allows hard-pressed HR departments to extend their candidate networking -- and when it comes to recruiting, networking is the name of the game." He notes that more than a hundred leading industry companies use CPGjoblist to "fill immediate candidate requisitions and build their candidate networks for the future."

Diversity key

Diversity in the talent pipeline is critical, according to Leader. "Train all employees on strategic diversity management and behavioral diversity. In doing so, companies will broaden the inventory of candidates and ensure retention of hard to find candidates. And, companies will be better prepared to address future candidate shortages as we move to attract and retain Gen X and Gen Y," she advises.

Diversity is a top priority among CPGjoblist clients, Carrillo says. "Diverse teams produce diverse thinking, and that makes them better adapted to reach today's multicultural markets and lead your increasingly diverse workforce. We understand how important it is to the hiring process. Which is why we provide clients with a diverse pool of talent, reach out to traditionally under-represented communities, support diversity efforts in our industry, and offer direct diversity support to our clients."

Diversity management has evolved beyond race and gender to include factors like ethnicity, age, religion, education, physical ability, sexual preference, work experience, income, geographical location and job specialty, he says. "CPGjoblist helps you combine these variables and create diverse work teams that give your company a competitive edge."

CPGjoblist is 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 notes.

Other solutions

"Using value-added networking tools is one way to ease the HR squeeze," Carrillo says, "but other HR functions can be outsourced too." Last year DuPont signed a $1.1 billion, 13-year HR outsourcing deal with Convergys, transferring all of the chemical firm's transitional and administrative functions for 60,000 active and 102,000 retired employees. The deal frees DuPont's HR managers to do the real work of finding and managing talent, according to SHRMonline.org.

In addition, don't forget to give your HR people the pay and respect they deserve. "Pay your 'people people' what your money people make," Carrillo says, "and make sure the head of HR is a vice president or above, reporting directly to the CEO. This will not only ensure that you recruit and retain the best human resource executives, but it will send a powerful signal to the entire company that your HR department is trusted and valued."

Concludes Carrillo: "Strategic access and outside resources can transform human resources from transaction factories to networking machines, giving your organization the talent it needs to compete now and in the future."

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

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DIVERSITY NEWS: Wal-Mart has announced the establishment of its Employment Practices Advisory Panel and the appointment of the panel's first two members, with one or two yet to be named. Wal-Mart spokesperson John Simley said the full panel would start work "very soon." While internal diversity councils are common, DiversityInc. notes that only 30 percent of its Top 50 Companies for Diversity have external diversity councilsHispanic or Latino? While some use the two terms interchangeably, there is a difference, says Answers.com. The term Hispanic can refer to Spanish-speaking people and culture in both hemispheres, while Latinos refers exclusively to those of Latin American descent. There are nearly 42 million Hispanics in the U.S.; 64 percent are of Mexican descent.

WELCOME ABOARD! CPGjoblist welcomes American Express, Cardinal Nutrition, Morton Salt and Weyerhaeuser to its growing roster of CPG/retail clients. For the complete list visit CPGjoblist.com.

RETAIL ROUNDUP: Moves by Wal-Mart and Target to offer dramatically discounted prices on hundreds of generic drugs "signals a potential turning point" in how much uninsured U.S. consumers pay for medication, Newsday reports. Wal-Mart is offering the discount in its 65 Florida stores but plans to spread the program nationwide by the end of 2007Ahold NV of Amsterdam may get a CEO appointed by Brussels-based Delhaize Group if the two companies agree to a merger, Progressive Grocer reports. Sale of Ahold’s U.S. operations is still being discussed, according to PG sourcesThe National Retail Federation predicts total holiday retail sales will rise 5 percent from last year, with consumers spending $457.4 billion. While the growth is higher than the average gain over the last 10 years, retailers were hoping for more, according to MarketingDaily. Experts cited weakness in the housing market for the relatively soft sales forecast.

CONSUMER-CENTRIC: Merchandising activity has declined in more than half of all CPG categories as CPG marketers "begin to recognize that more is not always better with respect to merchandising," according to a September report from IRI. The CPGjoblist client said "competition for shrinking grocery display space is intensifying for several categories. With nearly one million individual consumer packaged goods CPG itemsretailers and manufacturers must begin to cut through this clutter by simplifying the shopping experience," with a consumer-centric approach, IRI said.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: For the National Association of Convenience Stores, Oct. 8 in Las Vegas; Nightclub & Bar Food & Beverage Expo, Oct. 10 Atlantic City; Supply Side West, Oct. 18-20 in Las Vegas; IDF World Dairy Congress, Oct. 20 in Shanghai; InterBev 2006; Oct. 23-25 in Las Vegas; National Society of Hispanic MBAs Conference and Career Expo, Oct. 26-28 in Cincinnati; the Pack and Process Expos, Oct. 29-Nov. 2 in Chicago; Americas Food & Beverage Show and Conference, Nov. 8-10 in Miami Beach; and the Private Label Manfuacturers Association Private Label Trade Show, Nov. 12-14 in Rosemont, IL. See CPGjoblist’s Calendar for more events and updates.

ON THE MOVE: Miller Brewing CEO Norman Adami will take a new post as head of SABMiller Americas. He will be succeeded by Chief Marketing Officer Tom Long. Nick Fell has been named group marketing director for Miller. The brewer also announced the appointment of Mark Green as its new head of diversityInformation Resources Inc. has named Andrew Salzman executive vice president and global chief marketing officer. Prior to joining IRI, Salzman headed corporate marketing at Siebel Systems...Lands' End named former Gap, Inc., executive Gerard Cunningham chief marketing officerAlain Barbet has been promoted to president and chief executive officer at Pernod Ricard USA...Beam Global Spirits & Wine has named John Muller interim global chief marketing officer while the company looks for a successor to Beth Bronner...Send your company news to editor@cpgjoblist.com.

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