Food Job Blog: The inside track on Food Recruitment and Careers

Why do so many recruitment consultants ignore data protection?

In this world of litigation its amazing that a recruiter hasn't been prosecuted for breaking the law. So many will present candidate details with no regard for the legal position or indeed the morality of representing someone they have never spoken to or discussed the vacancy with. Some time ago we looked at joining rec whose mission statement is admiral but then you look at some of the members and you know who you are and you think why would we associate ourselves with them.

They cheat lie and do anything for a fee or and break the law.

I think we all deserve better and we should name those who do this... What do you think?

The Recruiter online this week warns of the dangers of putting your firm's reputation on the line through the inappropriate use of Social Media.

When social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube first started gaining relevance in the recruitment sector, it was candidates who were warned that their internet reputation or 'netrep' was at risk.

Nowadays organisations of all sizes have to accept that they will be routinely rated - and berated - across the web as forums, comparison sites and other online spaces empower employees, customers and third parties to pass judgement on a company's goods, services, performance behaviour and more. Just recently, the UK has seen the launch of Judgethejob.com, a website which allows jobseekers to review experiences of working with a particular company.

Paul Harrison, managing partner at Carve Consulting, which works with clients to develop social media strategies, says the major mindset problem for recruiters is that they still only see such sites as a recruitment channel or job promotion tool rather than fully recognise the impact it can have on reputation. "It takes two minutes to set up a Twitter feed to say 'I hate a particular brand'," he says. "No matter what size of organisation you are, listening to the social dialogue and having a framework in place to deal with things is critical.

"Your social dialogue cuts to the heart of everything you do," says Harrison. "So you need to create a working group with clear delineation of responsibility. It is important to have a community manager or someone who is 'on point' to listen to what is being said and is then able to direct what needs to be done." He adds that the key to extracting maximum value from the process is "active listening", which can help recruiters and employers map talent and communities of talent, and better understand how to improve an organisation's reputation and perception as an employer. "Active listening allows us to identify key influencers and trust agents who can promote our message and opportunities," he says.

Stephen Jones, managing director of Focus Management, a recruitment consultancy dedicated to the food and drink sector, uses a mixture of Google Alerts and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) readers to monitor its brand and it also enlists the help of Carve. As well as its brands, Jones explains that it also monitors the social dialogue around the names of key consultants, clients and competitors. "We also monitor buzz around industry events and so forth," he says. "We're always surprised by the volume of conversations taking place and the number of our candidates and clients using platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook."

Focus has been active in the social space for some time and says negative feedback has appeared rarely but if it does the company leaves the comments in the space they were made and makes sure they respond in an appropriate way. "On these rare occasions where criticism has been posted, we always follow up internally," says Jones. "Was the criticism valid? Do we have a breakdown in our processes? Is there a training issue to address? What could we do differently or better?"

As Harrison says, a mechanism for dealing with any negative activity must be in place beforehand. "It's no good saying 'who do I have to talk to in corporate comms as we're getting a kicking on YouTube'." Experts also agree that it is important to respond in the space where the comments were posted: so if it happens on Facebook, respond on Facebook.

Key Facts for Monitoring Your Online Reputation:

• Carry out an audit of the social space to find out what is being said about you and where. Until you do this, you can't put together an effective social media and monitoring strategy.
• Have a framework in place to support the monitoring and this must define how negative feedback will be dealt with
• Engage external help but don't abdicate responsibility or ownership of the process as your reputation is too important
• Respond to any incidents or negative comments in the same online space as they happened. The response should be prompt but well thought through. Avoid knee-jerk reactions
• Carry on listening to the online conversation and adapt your strategy to take in new channels - monitoring is an ongoing and everchanging process

Due to the ever-so-slight return to economic growth so far this year, the number of distribution centres and warehouses being opened has started to increase after falling dramatically in 2009 when occupier confidence was at its lowest.

However, one of the UK's biggest supermarket chains, Sainsbury's has started to pave the way for an upsurge of new distribution ventures by opening a new distribution centre in Kempston, Bedfordshire; a decision that is expected to create 300 new food jobs for the Kempston area.

Located in the Marsh Leys Distribution Park in Kempston, Sainsbury's will be taking a twenty year lease on the former Woolworth's warehouse, vacated by the failing company just last year. They will be joining the likes of Asda and Argos by opening a new distribution centre in this up-and-coming area, giving great hope to distribution food job hunters and expanding distribution companies alike.

This is surely a good sign that the food retail industry is in good shape despite the recent economic recession. What's more, it demonstrates to those looking for food jobs that there aren't just opportunities in front-of-house retail available, but more interesting 'behind-the-scenes' warehouse and distribution work as well.

In an £80 million greenhouse complex on the Isle of Thanet in Kent, cucumbers are being harvested as we speak. This is unusual because the month of January is completely out of season for harvesting crops such as cucumbers, but using state-of-the-art technology and sustainable growing techniques, the innovative project named Thanet Earth manages to grow crops such as these nearly all year round.

Amongst other crops, Thanet Earth is able to grow a steady supply of cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes, which are ready for harvesting any time between January and November. This is because of the hydroponic growing technologies employed at Thanet Earth, who use a computer-controlled drip feed system, outstanding light levels, and the considerable height of the giant greenhouses to ensure that crops are both safe and of high-quality. These techniques also mean that crops are ready for harvesting only a month after they have been planted, an unprecedented growth time.

This exciting project is a major leap forward in the field of food technology, a development that will be welcomed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), who recently expressed serious concerns over food shortages in the future.

These concerns have led to a concentrated focus on sustainable growing techniques in order to meet future demand, which will in turn to lead to a wealth of new food job opportunities opening up in the fields of food science, food technology and agricultural development.

The creation of loyalty cards has allowed the Retailers to gain an amazing insight into our daily and weekly shopping habits. This week Tesco is launching a quarterly food magazine and this will be accompanied by an insight initiative to help advertisers see the impact of ads on shopper behaviour, led by the creator of Tesco's Clubcard loyalty scheme, Dunnhumby.

Marketing is all around us and it is the companies that are able to get a real handle on the consumer and their shopping patterns and behaviours that can capitalise and shape their business strategy.

Therefore excellent Marketing Managers, Brand Managers and Communications Managers are worth their weight in gold.

The unique nature and fast pace of the food industry makes it one of the best sectors to work in if you want to get ahead in whatever food job you choose. In many cases, career progression can be achieve through time and experience, working your way up the ladder acquiring new skills as you go.

However, this is not always the case, and you may find that you need extra training or qualifications in order to get where you want to be, especially if you have an unusual or difficult personal situation. But how do you accomplish this?

The following are a few examples of the many excellent career development opportunities available at present:

Learning grants and loans - These can be the best way to learn whilst still earning enough money to support yourself. For example, the Adult Learning Grant will pay you up to £30 a week to help support you whilst you study for your first Level 2 or Level 3 qualification. There is also the Career Development Loan, the Educational Maintenance Allowance and many other Learner Support Funds.

Scholarships - Both undergraduates and postgraduates can apply for scholarships, mainly available for those aiming for engineering and manufacturing food jobs.

Train to Gain - If you're employer is involved in this Learning and Skills Council scheme, you as an employee can benefit from priority training in the specialist skills needed to do your food job effectively, as well as from help progressing in both the organisation you work for and your career.

After a long struggle over planning permission, the supermarket chain Aldi have finally been given the go-ahead to open a new store in Newbury, a move that could create a number of new food jobs for the area.

Aldi's original planning applications were initially refused by Berkshire Council planning officers, because they believed the supermarket company weren't offering enough of a financial contribution to efforts to minimise the harm the new development would do the region's roads. However, this controversial decision has now been marked down as a mistake, with council representatives saying that the application should have come before committee councillors as well as planning officers. Aldi were persuaded to resubmit the planning application, and Berkshire Council have now approved it.

The new 975-metre-square store will be located at the site of the former Renault dealership on London Road, and is expected to not only provide the area with a high-quality, low-cost supermarket, but also create a considerable number of new food jobs.

Supermarkets and other food retailers are increasingly becoming some of the best places to get food jobs, whether you have existing experience in food retail and can apply for a managerial position or are a graduate looking to take advantage of the many graduate schemes and apprenticeships offered by supermarkets such as Aldi.