Increasingly restrictive practices, pressure on supply companies to cut costs and critically low levels of graduates, mean the UK food and drink industry is now facing a major talent crisis, according to recruiter The Illingworth Partnership.

Recruitment director, Mark Smith, says: “We are seriously worried about developments over the last two or three years regarding the volume of new talent entering the sector, the poor image the industry now has amongst the best candidates and the increasing ‘commoditisation’ of the recruitment process.

“The advent and standardisation of the preferred supplier process within recruiting fast moving consumer goods organisations means while senior commercial line management has a mandate to ‘raise the bar’ with every placement, the remit of procurement appears to be entirely about driving down cost, resulting in an increasing commoditisation of recruitment, with the end result being lower calibre recruits entering the industry,” Smith adds.

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