Natural products continue to experience a boom, serving as the engine for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) growth and outpacing the sluggish pace of traditional grocery categories. The newest trend making headlines is the emergence of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD/hemp) products. The breadth of product categories incorporating CBD seems limitless. CBD is appearing as the “miracle” ingredient in… Read more »
CPG Capital Chases Innovation in Natural Products
Natural Products Expo East and West are living, breathing examples that capital continues to chase innovation even as the natural products segment is maturing. Disruption is the “new normal,” and larger Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies are finished losing ground to nimble innovators. They are competing more fiercely than ever with private equity investors to… Read more »
Hemp and CBD Take Center Stage in Natural Products World
Opportunities and challenges for the hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD/hemp) market are off and running as a new driver in the consumer packaged goods industry. Food and beverage, personal care and a host of manufactured goods incorporating hemp are going into mainstream distribution. Private equity firms find it extremely interesting being on the ground floor of a… Read more »
Study: CPG industry supports 20M U.S. jobs, contributes $2T to GDP
The findings from the study show that the CPG industry supports 20.4 million jobs that generate $1.1 trillion in labor income, and contribute $2 trillion to the nation’s GDP. The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry supports one in 10 U.S. jobs, and is the largest manufacturing employer in the United States, according to a new… Read more »
Fill the Void in Consumer Insights: Six Things Leaders Can Do Now
The C-Suite demands real time, predictive insights that give them the confidence to make smart investment decisions ahead of the market and competition. Leaders are awash in data and information from a rapid and relatively inexpensive proliferation of sources. But they are often surrounded by people and systems ill-equipped to effectively extract, interpret, connect and… Read more »
Key Take-Aways from Natural Products Expo
Winds of Change Keep Talent Demand High in Natural Product Segment Hurricane Florence dampened plans for many travelers to Natural Product Expo East, but the smaller crowd made it easier to navigate and spend quality time to promote their businesses, gain inspiration, share innovation and discover new ventures to buy or invest in. Large… Read more »
Natural Products are Transforming CPG – or Vice Versa?
Natural products represent the wave of the future for the consumer packaged goods industry, as companies of all sizes strive to leverage Millennial trends, growing environmental awareness, improving health and wellness education and greater demand for transparency. Transformation in Full Force In an already competitive talent market, the transformative stage of the natural products industry… Read more »
Natural Products Expo: East Meets West
Natural Products Expo: East Meets West At the Natural Products East and West Expo events, the demand for talent in the fast-growing natural and organic product space is clearly on display. The industry’s biggest events keep growing every year and evolving as the industry matures. NPE provides a great opportunity to observe and listen… Read more »
Natural Products are Transforming CPG. Are you Transforming your Team?
Natural products represent the wave of the future for the consumer packaged goods industry, as companies of all sizes strive to leverage Millennial trends, growing environmental awareness, improving health and wellness education and greater demand for transparency. Transformation in Full Force At Natural Products Expo West this year, the energy level was off the charts,… Read more »
Here’s to Hiring Great People in 2017
If “making better hires” tops your list of resolutionsfor 2017, the philosophy of hiring great people attributed to Netflix will resonate with you: “the true enabler of their high trust culture, is the fact that they do better hiring.” That is often easier said than done in the highly competive CPG industry. But it does… Read more »
For Your CPG Job Search, Location is More than a Place on the Map
Merriam-Webster defines “location” as “a particular place or position.” But if that were a complete definition, your CPG job search would only require a job board with a Google Maps app. The fact is: location is a many-layered thing! As you deploy your job search strategy in the consumer packaged goods industry, consider the criteria… Read more »
Election Year Hiring Slump? Not for CPG Executives
In an election year, the word goes out: hiring is in a slump. But for consumer packaged goods companies seeking top marketing and market research talent, the election year hiring slump appears to be a myth. And, a dangerous one, at that! True, reports about election year paralysis make headlines. Bloomberg News cited the Duke… Read more »
10 Key Differences between Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile
Both your resume and LinkedIn profile are powerful tools to help you on your career journey. But, are you wondering if there should be differences between your resume and LinkedIn profile? The answer is YES! While both must be equally professional, effective and accurate in showcasing your experience, skills and accomplishments, they serve different objectives…. Read more »
Time for a Job Change? Look – at the CPG Market – Before Leaping
You may feel that a job change is be imminent and necessary. But, how do you know the right time for a job change and how to best manage your job transition? Look before you leap. Know the triggers that are driving the job change, and determine whether your skills are relevant enough to command the… Read more »
Five Simple Rules for Interviewing
Interview preparation is perhaps the single most powerful investment you can make to ensure you achieve your number one objective: “to get an offer” by presenting yourself as the best person for the company and the role. Your interview will go better if you follow five simple rules for interviewing. CPG companies and other consumer-driven… Read more »
Degrees of Success: Will Help with Student Loans Differentiate Your Opportunity?
There appears to be no end in sight to the rising level of debt Americans incur from a four-year degree, let alone the cost of earning an MBA from top business schools. But, that challenge may present an opportunity to hire the front-running candidate for your marketing or market research job. Business schools have… Read more »
Looking for the Best Possible CPG Candidate? Meet Your Marketplace
More U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs than at any time since 2005. According to the recent survey by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 88 percent of employees said they were satisfied overall with their job. With low unemployment and high job satisfaction, the recruiter’s challenge to find the best CPG candidate should… Read more »
The CPG Recruiting Market Has Changed. Have You?
The latest Business Roundtable survey hints that hiring may soften as this year goes on, as the economy performed below potential during the first quarter. But business is cyclical – and a bump like this one does not change reality when it comes to recruiting the best consumer packaged goods talent: Top candidates will always… Read more »
Recruit People, Not Paper
You may recall the iconic Dragnet detective, Sgt. Joe Friday, who asked for “just the facts, Ma’am, just the facts.” That’s as much as a resume delivers: a reasonable indication of a person’s skills and experience. A well-written resume will even give you an appreciation for how consistently the candidate has converted their potential to… Read more »
Why Behavioral Interviews for CPG Recruiting Fall Short
The classic behavioral interview concept asserts that people’s past behavior is the best predictor of their future behavior. However, behavioral interviews for CPG recruiting have a foundational premise with an inherent and significant flaw: it presumes humans do not learn from their experiences. The rapidly changing CPG industry requires marketing and market research professionals who apply… Read more »
Veteran CPG Recruiter Admitted to The Pinnacle Society
ST. LOUIS — The Pinnacle Society, the premier consortium of 80 industry-leading recruiters, has admitted Kris Holmes, Principal and Recruiter at O’Connell Group. The Pinnacle Society is an influential group of executive search professionals, representing fewer than 1% of producers in the country. Members have a demonstrated track record of excellence, documented experience and tenure in… Read more »
You Are Both a Buyer and a Seller in the CPG Recruiting Process
One of the most common reasons for recruiting failure is losing sight of the real purpose: Getting the BEST to say YES! But there are other advantages to always consciously acting as both a buyer and a seller in the CPG recruiting process. In every interaction with every candidate, you must consciously integrate deliberate efforts… Read more »
Leverage Three Consumer Marketing Trends for Recruiting in 2016
The consumer packaged goods (CPG) recruitment environment in 2016 has reached a new pinnacle of speed and competitiveness. Most of the top candidates are quickly gone from the market within 10 days or less. For hiring managers in consumer-facing companies who are seeking talented professionals, the bar is high. But, you can leverage key consumer marketing… Read more »
CPG Marketing and Research Candidates Can Effectively Cross the “Generational Divide”
CPG companies that market to consumers in every age demographic must effectively balance and blend their teams’ skills and experience. That’s good news for talented and agile professionals – whether you are a Millennial, Gen-Xer or Boomer. Your success in competing for a consumer packaged goods marketing or market research job depends more on your… Read more »
Stop Measuring Cost Per Hire! Focus on Value of Best Hire
Does your consumer-driven organization view talent, and talent acquisition, as an investment or an expense? Organizations commonly reference “human capital,” to imply their investment in people, who represent their organizations most “valuable asset.” Yet, when it’s time to build your staffing plan and budget, the message is loud and clear: “human capital” is considered as current… Read more »
Consumer Insights and Analytics: To Generalize or Specialize – That is the Question!
Dixon Smith and Virginia Roher recently represented O’Connell Group’s consumer insights and analytics recruitment team at The Market Research Event. They share their observations based on conversations at this leading market research industry conference. Attending The Market Research Event (TMRE) once again provided us with the opportunity to step away from the recruiting desk… Read more »
Holidays: Prime Time for Both Hiring and Hunting for Marketing and Market Research Jobs
No one likes stormy weather during the holidays. But, the last months of the year create a positive “perfect storm” for job seekers looking for marketing career opportunities — as well as employers seeking to fill jobs in consumer marketing and market research. In 2016, demand will remain high for professionals with valuable marketing skills… Read more »
