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CPG Revolution wants your news and views! Submit personnel changes, company news, article ideas and letters to editor@cpgjoblist.com. We will incorporate them in future issues of our monthly newsletter. Don’t wait to hire -- train
your own specialists now
 Companies are facing critical shortages in key marketing and research specialties such as consumer insights. But employers don’t have to sit passively waiting for the perfect candidate to become available, says CPGjoblist President Michael Carrillo.
“Cross training people with the right skill sets or hiring outside your channel can enable you to fill these critical positions without delay while providing you with wider options,” Carrillo says. “It’s a way to turn an imbalance in candidate experience into an opportunity.”
“Looking for the candidate with perfect experience can hamstring you,” Carrillo says. “When there is a candidate shortage, recruiters should consider people who can be trained to fit the bill,” according to Carrillo. “The candidates may come from specialties where there’s an over abundance, enabling you to save money and have a wider selection.”
“A good example is the hot consumer insights specialty,” he says. “There is a shortage in this relatively new field. There are plenty of candidates in related fields or other industries who can be trained to be productive CI managers for your company now. If you wait for a consumer insights manager with experience in your channel, you could wait a long time or pay more than you planned.”
More motivated
Traditional HR thinking maintains that the only sure way to motivate employees is through compensation or benefits. But research shows that monetary rewards and perks soon lose their incentive value as executives take them for granted.
Moving new or veteran employees into new specialties vertically or even laterally has benefits beyond filling a job opening. Cross training, or retraining, reduces stagnation, builds morale, leads to better group coordination and teamwork, and increases retention, performance, and productivity, experts report.
“Instead of a narrowly focused specialist you get a two-fer, or even a three-fer,” Carrillo says of retrained executives. “You get executives who are energized as they master their new specialty, and who bring a complementary knowledge base from their previous industry or specialty. Executive retraining is not new,” he says, “but it is increasingly important in today’s fast-changing business environment.
“New marketing and research disciplines and sales channels are being created every year,” Carrillo points out. “You can’t afford to wait for the academic and job pipeline to catch up, but you can move now by training the specialists you need yourself. After all, who knows better than you the skills you need?”
How to do it
Pairing a new executive with an experienced mentor is one of the fastest ways to ensure smooth training and knowledge transfer, according to Carrillo. “Many employers are surprised at the speed and agility that experienced managers bring to this process.
“There is a myth that the more experience an executive has, the harder it is for them to learn new skills. In point of fact, these executives have already undergone many changes throughout their careers, and the fact that they are still successful is proof of their ability to adapt.”
Job splitting is another option to consider when hiring for a hard-to-fill position, Carrillo says. Some jobs can be broken down into two positions, each with a specific focus. “The benefit of this strategy is that you can often hire a less senior candidate and train up.”
The key, Carrillo says, is flexibility. “Search for executives who are highly qualified and highly trainable instead of a narrow range of specialists. You will benefit by getting a wider pool of candidates who can bring fresh insights and fresh energy to your company now.”
Michael Carrillo is president of CPGjoblist, the CPG industry’s leading candidate referral system for HR professionals and employers. You may contact him at Michael@cpgjoblist.com or call (626) 535-0143.
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NOTES
from the revolution
THERE’S STILL TIME to participate in CPGjoblist’s benchmark survey of diversity practices in the CPG industry. Participating executives who reply by December 9 will receive a free copy of the confidential findings. The study is being conducted in cooperation with the Center for Workforce Excellence, and is designed to help employers recruit and retain diverse management teams. To participate in the confidential survey, and receive your free diversity report, contact Michael Carrillo at (626) 535-0143.
WELCOME ABOARD: CPGjoblist is welcoming more new clients this month: Wilton Industries, Mass Connections, Hamilton Beach/Proctor Silex Inc., Kimberly-Clark, Pacific Natural Foods and Alder Foods. Visit their websites and learn more about these industry leaders today.
WAL-MART, ELECTRONICS TOP SALES. Steep discounts, rebate offers and expanded hours drew huge crowds to the nation's stores over the Thanksgiving holiday. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and electronics retailers were identified as early winners; apparel chains did not perform as well. Analysts listed video games, high-definition TVs and digital cameras among the hottest sellers.
THE SEASON TO GIVE: CPGjoblist client Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced a cash contribution of $20,000 to support relief efforts in the wake of the southern Indiana tornadoes. As a leading employer in the tri-state area, Kimberly-Clark is directing the donation to Habitat of Evansville's "Operation Home Again" programMass Connections is assisting the Salvation Army with hurricane disaster relief fund-raising. The CPGjoblist client distributed envelopes to nationwide retail shoppers that are pre-addressed to the Salvation ArmyThe Church & Dwight Employee Giving Fund, Inc., announced that it will contribute approximately $285,000 in cash to charitable organizations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Gulf Coast region beginning this month. More than 50 different organizations will receive donations. The company has already donated $70,000 in cash and roughly $1 million of Arm & Hammer products to charitable organizations working in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: For Marketechnics 2006, Jan. 30-Feb. 1 in San Diego; the Hobby Industry Association, Feb. 2, in Las Vegas; National Grocers Association, Feb. 7-10 in Las Vegas; Reinventing CPG and Retail Summit, February 27-March 1 in San Francisco; the International Home and Housewares Show, March 19-21 in Chicago; Nutricon, March 22-24 in Anaheim; and the Natural Products Expo West, March 23-26 in Anaheim. See CPGjoblist’s Calendar for more events and updates.
ON THE MOVE: Chevron Corp. has announced that Charles Williamson, an executive vice president at the company and the former chairman and chief executive of Unocal, will retire effective Dec. 1The Tetra Laval Group has named Dennis Jonsson president and CEO of Tetra Pak, effective January 1. The appointment follows the retirement of Nick Shreiber after five years as president and CEOConsolidated Buying Company LLC has named Scott Konya national wholesale accounts managerRemy Cointreau USA has appointed Thomas Jensen president and CEO. ...The Terlato Wine Group has named Tom Steffanci chief operating officer for Paterno Wines International...Bacardi Ltd. has appointed Facundo Bacardi chairman of the board. Bacardi succeeds Ruben Rodriguez, who will remain on the boardRockwell Automation has announced that Mike Jamieson has been named vice president of its beverage industry initiative. Send your company news to editor@CPGjoblist.com.
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