With the ever-changing nature of the food industry, brought about by acquisitions, mergers and the increasing demands of the retailer there is a growing need for specialists, particularly among interim managers who are increasingly being deployed to overcome skill shortages.

Interim managers may be needed for technical audits or to write particular customer product specifications. Closures and relocations bring their own resource imbalance, as well as the usual reasons such as: maternity cover and the "interim with a view to permanent" trend (the try before you buy option!).

This can be a very lucrative way to earn a living if you do decide to make it a career choice, indeed some people think that interim managers are overpaid. However, when companies have a skill shortage and their need is immediate, getting someone with a proven track record, who can hit the ground running and bring about a solution quickly is worth every penny. A good interim manager can be a great value option.

What people need to understand is that the life of an interim manager does come at a price for the individual as well. You need to be flexible to potentially work away from home. There could be gaps between assignments and you need to be prepared to establish yourself quickly in a company. The hours could be longer than usual to fit an assignment into a given timeframe and the pressure is really on to deliver.

On the upside it broadens your experience with clients and disciplines immensely and gives you the flexibility to fit work around personal circumstances.

So, as an employer it makes good sense to have a proven interim professional who can bring a wealth of experience with no preconceived ideas or internal politics and who can focus on the demands of your business.

As a candidate, if you are fed up with the usual repetitive routines, need the stimulation of constant challenges and want to be in control of your working life, then interim management is certainly worth considering.

Potential clients often ask me the question: What should I look for in a good recruitment consultancy? Short of the tempting, if facile reply: "Look no further!" I thought it would be useful to provide a checklist of my personal views on the subject. Here goes:

1. Check out the consultancy's reputation across similar businesses and sectors - do they have strong testimonials from past and present clients and candidates?
2. How willing are they to invest in a long-term relationship with you - will they take the time to really understand your business and its recruitment needs?
3. Are they up to date on the latest trends in your market sector?
4. Are they growing and therefore able to keep up with your resourcing needs and ahead of their competitors?
5. Look at the calibre of their consultants and their specialisations across your industry sector. Also, how long have they been with the consultancy? A high turnover of consultants should sound an early alarm bell.
6. Research - do they have a dedicated research team to keep abreast of the movers and shakers in your specific sector?
7. Are they able to work to your processes and timescales? Can they deliver results on time, every time?
8. Are they up to date and in line with current recruitment laws such as the completion of required documentations, e.g. EAA forms for proof of candidate identity etc.
9. Ask what their standard operating practices are. Will they interview potential candidates face to face?
10. Do they invest in thoroughly preparing each candidate for interview? Will they prepare a role-specific short list of exact matches?

If you have answered Yes to the majority of these questions, then you are on the right path. If No, then take care as your recruitment partners are an extension of your own business out there in the market and they can both enhance or damage your reputation.

Chefs, according to a recent survey by City and Guilds, are among the happiest workers in the UK and that's not because they are earning the most it's because they have an interest in what they do. Not only does a keen interest in the work attract them to the position in the first place but interest is key to them sticking around. Sounds obvious but employers still put too much faith in the pay packet as being the only happiness factor which according to C&G comes fourth in the list of important criteria:

• 57 per cent of us have remained with our present employer as a result of a strong interest in what we do for a living
• 56 per cent stay because of good relationships with colleagues
• 48 per cent of the UK's workforce appreciates their work / life balance
• In contrast, only 44 per cent of us remain in the job as a direct result of salary

There is some good advice for employers in general in the press release from C&G but I would highlight Professor Cary Cooper's tips to introduce variety and flexibility. For me that almost defines the job of a development chef.

One of the main reasons for chefs to leave the hospitality sector is to balance their home / work life - after years of working split shifts, doing 14hr + days, struggling to find skilled staff, striving for rosettes and stars, keeping up to date with food trends and issues, most still love cooking, working with produce and ingredients. It becomes so much more than just a job. It's a lifestyle, which demands a huge amount of personal commitment. Many will not have had a Christmas at home for years; will have missed children's birthdays, school parents' evenings and wedding anniversaries. Transferring those well-developed craft skills into a new environment - New Product Development - can be a refreshing, brings new challenges and develops personal skills outside of a normal kitchen remit. It may also just be the passport to a better work-life balance. Chefs love a challenge and most raise their game and thrive. NPD keeps them close to what they love - Food - but offers new career options beyond conventional kitchens.

It would appear, according to Jay Rayner's recent article in the Guardian, that you can't move in the Aldi car park for Chelsea Tractors whose owners are hooked on discount foods. Seems we can save big money by adopting a "mix and match" approach to our weekly food shop.
If this trend continues and we see a shift of Waitrose aficionados stocking up on budget priced central European brands how does this affect our recruitment clients and candidates and what are the opportunities?

If, as suggested, the discount retailers increase market share it will have a knock on effect on the supply base. At Focus Management we are already working with a range of food manufacturing clients who deal with these emerging retailers and we are starting to see requests for candidates coming through to fill key roles as the sector matures. This applies equally to our Carrus graduate recruitment side as well as our Check On division who specialise in development chefs.

Could it be a credit crunch munch bunch panic move or a permanent trend? I will be watching the sector with interest and would appreciate any views of how our readers see things developing.

When you changed jobs for a 10 or 15% increase in pay you could understand that it was worth trading some security for the added revenue but with people moving for as little as 5% these days other considerations come into the equation. What's the point of all the upheaval of relocation for a hike that's little more than inflation, if you move to a company that is about to fold?

So the challenge for candidates in the food manufacturing or food product development or food management sectors is; do your homework. Don't be fooled by flashy offices or smart suits. Look at the last year's accounts. For a few pounds you can get hold of the company's accounts from www.companieshouse.co.uk. Read the trade press and ask around. Most of the firms that are on shaky ground are well known to industry insiders like journalists.

Like in any other negotiation there will be some other variables that may be important to you such as the opportunity for flexible working, pensions and fringe benefits like gym membership or private healthcare.

Also check out how they behave towards suppliers, employees and their local community. You might not want to work for a firm that doesn't share your own ethics.

If you are a food sector employer you might want to take on board the fact that candidates will be checking you out for financial stability and corporate social responsibility (the two usually go together.) Make sure you get the message out there that you are well run, well financed and profitable, with a realistic vision for the future. Time to get HR and PR working together.

With all the interest in food miles and the need to source food locally, where possible, it's only a matter of time before the issue of locally sourced food-employees becomes an imperative. With petrol prices on the way to £6 a gallon, a 20 mile commute could add anything up to £50 per week to travel-to-work costs.

What's more the option of re-locating is becoming increasingly unrealistic with stagnation in the housing market. So people are going to value the opportunity to get the right job on their doorstep. Who knows, we could see Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury's re-branding locally sourced produce and extolling the virtues of "Lincolnshire potatoes packed by Lincolnshire folk."

The challenge for the employer is to maintain high standards in recruitment while at the same time shrinking the geographic catchment area. For all concerned it will be worth the effort.

So the interview sessions on BBC The Apprentice last night - what do we think? I know it's just for TV but does anyone seriously think that those questions were destined to elicit anything other than a sweaty top lip and trembling chin?

It is enough to put you off even considering venturing onto the job market if you thought that the interviewing technique was going to be so one-sided and aggressive. Had to laugh when they complained about the candidates not listening - as if any of those interviewers seriously listened to the answers they were given or gave the candidates any opportunity to develop a line of response with evidence etc.

It is such an old-fashioned approach starting an interview process with the sole purpose of catching the candidate out - the "Let's find out what they did wrong!" school of questioning. I'm sure we hope that perhaps more enlightened interviewers would give candidates the opportunity to show what they are good at, where they could add value to an organisation and shine.

I'm not saying that "deliberate oversights" like Lee McQueen's manipulation of college dates can be let to pass unchallenged - of course not, and as a Recruitment professional it was a definite own goal for him to do such a thing - but the job interview process needs to allow both sides to get their message and requirements across.

But, hey it's only telly and they edit it heavily obviously! However, people do believe what they see on the 32" plasma so we need to be careful what image we portray at times otherwise the candidate populace will be gearing themselves up for a 10 round fight rather than a balanced presentation of their skills and achievements.