​2020 was a challenging year for everyone, with many businesses having to quickly adapt to new ways of working. As a recruitment expert for the food, fresh produce, horticulture and agricultural sectors, the MorePeople team had to react to the changing needs of clients and implement innovative solutions to keep the recruitment process moving. We delivered a fantastic 2020 in spite of the challenges – Q4 in particular was very encouraging and bodes well for 2021. Like everyone we want to be optimistic about the year ahead and looking forward to a return to normality following the demise of Covid-19. Our first success of this year has been strengthening our team with the addition of three new starters. Richard Hanwell joins MorePeople as Business Director, a new role that will focus on continuous development of client relationships, pursuing new opportunities and helping the team to reach their potential. Richard began his recruitment career in Stamford back in 2005 in the fresh produce and food sectors. He has since held managerial recruitment roles in the UK and internationally, both in and out of the food industry. Aidan Finn supports Morten Andresen and Tom Edmondson-Matthews in the Commercial recruitment team, working on sales and procurement roles. Aidan began his career with Morrisons, learning about all aspects of the supermarket supply chain. He then moved into business development for both the off trade and on trade industry in beers, wines and spirits. Tom Merriman takes over the reins in our Financial team. Tom worked in sales before moving into recruitment where his remit was temporary financial roles. At MorePeople, his focus is on permanent recruitment for all levels of finance positions across the food and agri supply chains. Our Managing Director, Andrew Fitzmaurice, is delighted to welcome them to the team: “It’s fantastic to have new faces in the business. Growing MorePeople and having the capacity to deliver more to our existing (and new) clients is why we are here. 2020 was tough, but we have some strong foundations to build on. I am thrilled to have three high calibre people join us.” “Aidan is already flying along the on-boarding journey and he will be able to put all his experience in FMCG to use. He is quickly picking up great recruitment habits. Tom brings a wealth of recruitment (in particular finance recruitment) experience to the team, and he’s off to a great start in an area where we have a track record in placing senior finance candidates and there is so much more opportunity for us to do so. Having led teams and worked extensively in food recruitment, Richard brings a wealth of talent, credibility and expertise to the MorePeople team. He’s another hugely dynamic addition to help us realise the massive potential at MorePeople.” To find out more about any member of the MorePeople team, click here or call us on 01780 480530 to talk about how we might be able to help you or your business.

​2020 was a year we’ll never forget! And one that forced huge changes in consumer behaviours when it comes to food and drink. We’re all in agreement that life will never quite be the same again, but what big shifts can we expect to see in 2021? Market research and insights experts Mintel and Kantar make their predictions every new year, but this time the trends they identified were driven by a very abnormal year. Three key themes are expected to dominate in 2021 – Health, Value and Identity: Health and WellbeingHistory shows that health is often de-prioritised in times of crisis, but Covid has put health firmly at the top of the agenda and is expected to be a major driver for consumers going forward. Consumers will be looking for food and drink products that support mental and emotional wellbeing or create a new foundation for healthy eating. The challenge for brands will be in offering affordable nutrition products to expand access to healthy foods. ValueValue scrutiny is expected to rise, but this is not necessarily about being the cheapest. Consumers will be seeking a return to the ‘essentials’ and looking for brands that can demonstrate trust and quality. The focus will continue to be on spending time at home, creating opportunities for more Out of Home experiences like restaurant quality meal kits or premium quality coffee to match coffee shops. There will be a lot more interest in the ingredients, processes and people that are involved in producing food. Identity People are united by shared experiences of eating and food is often used as a form of escapism. As the Mintel report* explains, in 2021 ‘food, drink and foodservice companies will encourage people to use their brands to express themselves and reconnect with their pre-pandemic identities.’ Whilst we will start eating out again, the most successful brands will be those who focus on creating online as well as physical spaces to bring consumers together. Covid has highlighted the importance of communities and people can be united by the food they eat, regardless of where they live. A couple of other trends that were sidelined in 2020 are also expected to be re-prioritised. Sustainability, particularly in terms of product packaging, is still at the top of people’s minds and manufacturers can’t afford to ignore it. New product innovation also declined in 2020, but will be needed more than ever in 2021 to match the lockdown sales peaks of last year. We look forward to seeing how our clients adapt to these insights and the new types of job roles that they create. Let’s make 2021 memorable for much better reasons! * https://www.mintel.com/global-food-and-drink-trends

​MorePeople has been in business for 20 years! As part of our celebrations for hitting this milestone, we’re asking some of our valued clients and candidates from over the years to look back at some of their highlights and challenges and make predictions for the next 20.Next up in our interview series is Ian Craig of Fresca Group. Ian was Group Chief Executive of Fresca Group from 2014 to 2020 and now has responsibility for the development of strategic projects.1. What do you see as your biggest accomplishment of the last 20 years? Becoming Chief Executive of the largest privately owned fresh produce company in 2014. The heritage of the Fresca Group is unique in the sector and because our colleagues can own a part of the Group, being seen and available to everyone has been a very satisfying element of my responsibilities. 2. What has been your most memorable career moment of the last 20 years? Without doubt it was turning Thanet Earth around from a situation in February 2010 when this fabulous concept had lost £6m in the first year of trading and had enough cash to last just one more month. I arrived with an overnight bag and 25 years of experience of fresh produce supply to UK retailers and motivated a fine leadership team to establish a sustainable future for a business that is held in high regard by customers and competitors. 3. What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in the last 20 years? Same answer as 2. Which meant working 150 miles from home and the dreaded weekly commute using the M25, M11 and the old A14! 4. If you could go back to the year 2000, what one piece of advice would you give yourself? When an opportunity is available to take control of your own destiny, then take a risk and go for it. There will be many obstacles, some negative advice, but the last twenty years has proved that being in control is very rewarding. 5. What do you predict will be the big trends in the food/fresh produce industry in 20 years’ time? Government guidance and incentives will drive a varied diet to include more fruit, salad and vegetables and we will all have several meat-free meals in our weekly consumption. More of these products will be grown in the UK with innovative growing technology. 6. What do the next 20 years look like for your business? The future looks good for the Fresca Group; the mixed nature of our businesses as customer facing, importers, wholesalers, growers, service providers and varietal developers gives the Group access to the entire UK market and the increasing consumption of healthy fresh produce. 7. What is the best piece of advice you could give to a 20-year-old candidate just starting their career in the industry? Make sure that your employer allows you to experience all the functions of a fresh produce business from customer management to operations to technical to finance. You will become a specialist, but the early year’s understanding of the other functions will be invaluable. 8. How long have you been a client/candidate of MorePeople? I may be corrected but I think that it is the full 20! 9. Where/how did you meet MorePeople? I knew Guy from before MorePeople as we were both hungry young managers sitting in reception at Stamford House waiting to sell flowers and potatoes to a certain retailer based just south of Blackfriars Bridge. 10. In 20 words or less, how would you describe MorePeople? A successful, professional and skillful recruitment organisation with a style that continues to reflect the founders. Read more Q&A's: - Peter Durose- Christine Tacon - Steve Maxwell - Steve Murrells - Nigel Trood - Tony Reynolds - Guy Moreton

​The results of a recent annual survey show that, despite 2020 being dominated by Covid and fears of a recession, employers are continuing to attract, select and hire graduates, highlighting the importance of the next generation of talent to the workplace. The student recruitment survey carried out by the Institute of Student Employers (ISE), an employer association for student and early years recruiters, showed only a 12% decline in graduate recruitment in 2020. The survey revealed two main findings: 1. Student recruitment is down, but it has certainly not collapsed. 2. Recruiting in a pandemic is difficult, but employers have risen to the challenge. Candidate attraction For many employers, the process of attracting graduates to work for them in 2020 would have started pre-pandemic, so they are now faced with the challenge of recruiting for 2021 with the majority of this engagement taking place either online or in a socially-distanced manner. The pandemic has put a stop to some of the most effective methods of attracting graduates – careers fairs, open days, visits to universities and handing out printed materials. The most proactive employers have, however, adapted their methods and focused on improving the graduate experience on their company website, utilised external job boards and invested in social media marketing. Many universities have taken their careers activities online. The MorePeople team have been involved in several university virtual careers sessions this autumn, receiving great feedback about the more interactive question and answer format. Morten Andresen, from our Commercial team, has been on the panel of some of these. He explains further: “The main message I get from graduates is that they are all looking for their own way to stand out from the sea of people around them. With competition for roles getting fiercer, this is more important now than ever. We’ve had a brilliant response to the student presentations we have made this year and look forward to handing out more advice in the coming months.” Whilst virtual careers fairs have also been hosted by some universities, employers have noticed less benefits than traditional face-to-face careers fairs, mainly the lack of opportunity for catching any passing trade. Graduate salaries Despite the pandemic, 97% of graduate positions were filled this year. The typical graduate salary was £29,667 with the average graduate salary in the Retail and FMCG sector not far below this at £28,800. The majority (90%) of employers in this sector said that they ‘almost always’ found the quality of graduate hires that they needed, which was higher than most other sectors. Andrew Fitzmaurice, Managing Director of MorePeople, feels positive about these findings: “For a long time it feels like our clients have complained of a dearth of talent, so it’s no surprise that there’s still demand for good people to come into the industry at graduate level. The pragmatism and resilience of our sector in 2020 is great to see – yet another reason why it’s a fantastic industry to be a part of.” Future skills The survey asked for predictions of the skills that will be the most important for graduates over the next five years. The top 5 were: 1. Resilience 2. Emotional intelligence 3. The ability to work effectively in a remote environment 4. IT/digital skills 5. Data handling/analysis skills Conclusions Compared to last year’s survey, around 10% more employers said they are worried about the prospect and impact of an economic recession. The ISE remains optimistic, however, that bringing large numbers of young people into the labour market each year will continue to be a priority. The annual survey continues to demonstrate that employers recognise the benefits that this injection of new talent brings. To find out more visit: https://ise.org.uk/

​MorePeople has been in business for 20 years! As part of our celebrations for hitting this milestone, we’re asking some of our valued clients and candidates from over the years to look back at some of their highlights and challenges and make predictions for the next 20. We spoke to Peter Durose, Managing Director of Coregeo, a specialist in taking fresh produce brands to market. 1. What do you see as your biggest accomplishment of the last 20 years? I have been very fortunate to work in some amazing businesses with fantastic teams, so choosing a biggest accomplishment is quite hard for all sorts of different reasons, but would have to say the set up of the Tesco Stores business in Malaysia which is now the leading No.1 retailer in the country and a great legacy business. 2. What has been your most memorable career moment of the last 20 years? Starting my own Produce business with my business partner in 2008 with a clear vision of what we were going to do and how we would work together to build a new business. Running your own business, I think, is one of the most amazing feelings you can have for both the good and difficult times which all companies get at some point. But having worked in some brilliant large corporate giants to go off and set up your own business is a fabulous memory and experience. 3. What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in the last 20 years? My initial thought was of difficult market conditions like 19p per kilo bananas, but I probably go back to Malaysia when I first arrived and was given the layout for a hypermarket in Thailand and asked in my first week what we needed to change for the Malaysian market! It was daunting, but great fun, as was the recruitment of a brilliant local team to work with me in developing the design, layout and ranging for our first store. The day it opened was an astonishing experience with incredible sales, such as the special offer on DVD players which sold 2000 units in the first two hours!! A huge challenge but great fun with a lovely set of people. 4. If you could go back to the year 2000, what one piece of advice would you give yourself? Our first child was born in the year 2000, which was a great start to a new millennium that has been a good one for me and my family. Twenty years on, and with our two daughters already at University, I would tell myself not to sweat the small stuff and make as much time for your family as you can! 5. What do you predict will be the big trends in the food/fresh produce industry in 20 years’ time? - The switch to plant-based foods is still only at the beginning and will become much, much bigger and successful, driven not just by younger age groups - Online has had an incredible surge due to Covid and I think this will make a real change to shopping behaviour that will be for the long term and could result in a massive shift in the proportion of Food and Fresh Produce purchased online - Brands will lead the way online by establishing a direct dialogue and relationship with their customers 6. What do the next 20 years look like for your business? Coregeo is now twenty years on and has come a long way but I believe the growth rates we are achieving now are sustainable. This is because we have great brands that are not near maturity and can continue to grow in the market, and I hope that the really exciting thing will be the discovery of new innovative varieties that will become the brands of the future. 7. What is the best piece of advice you could give to a 20-year-old candidate just starting their career in the industry? Remember the most important people for your business are your growers and your customers. The other key thing is that it is not just what you do that is important but the way you deliver it. 8. How long have you been a client/candidate of MorePeople? Too long!! By which I mean years dates me badly!! 9. Where/how did you meet MorePeople? I met Guy first when he was Commercial Director of Zwetsloots and I had joined Tesco in 1996. I'm pretty sure we spoke very soon after he first set up MorePeople. 10. In 20 words or less, how would you describe MorePeople? Passionate, professional and great people. Read more Q&A's:- Christine Tacon- Steve Maxwell- Steve Murrells- Nigel Trood- Tony Reynolds- Guy Moreton

​Do you feel anxious about speaking in front of a group of people? Ever been overcome with symptoms like sweaty palms, a dry mouth, shaky hands or redness on your neck before, or during, a presentation? Sounds like you’re one of the 4 in 10 of us who suffer from Glossophobia!At the second virtual ‘Women in Food & Farming’ networking event, Sharon Kennett, a branding, marketing and communications professional, delivered a masterclass in how to speak publicly with confidence, beginning with a powerful story about how she spent 15 years being terrified of public speaking before making a speech at her sister’s wedding that literally changed her life. Since this occasion, she has invested a lot of time in mastering the art and, in essence, it all comes down to preparation. Sharon splits this preparation into three elements: Content, Delivery and Mindset. CONTENTAsk yourself, who is in your audience? Why do they want to listen to you? What do you want them to think, feel and do? Being clear on these points will help you to craft a good speech. Think about creative ways to engage the audience, such as storytelling techniques and relatable examples. You don’t have to script your speech, but many people find it helpful to do so. DELIVERYEveryone has their own individual style on stage, whether it’s standing completely still, almost miming with their hands or walking up and down. Find a way to make your quirks work for you – e.g. if you want to walk around, try to make sure you’re walking with purpose! Think about your body language, look just above somebody’s eyes if direct eye contact makes you more nervous and insert deliberate pauses into your script to slow yourself down. And, more importantly, practise! MINDSETYou have the power to talk yourself into feeling positive or negative about anything, so use it! Remind yourself that you’ve been asked to speak so you already have credibility on the subject. This is your chance to own the stage and nobody is going to heckle! If you miss a bit out or get the order slightly wrong, will anybody notice? Unlikely. And finally, always remember that nobody in the audience wants you to fail. As with most things, the more you do the better you will get, so the concluding advice from Sharon was to take any opportunities you are offered to speak in front of a group or even volunteer yourself at work. There are also hundreds of Toastmasters clubs across the UK, which are designed to give you access to regular opportunities to practise and gain tips for improving. The virtual events are being kindly hosted on the Beanstalk.Global platform and the full recording will be available to watch shortly. Click here to find out more about the ‘Women in Food & Farming’ network and how you can get involved in future events.

​Video meetings have become firmly entrenched in daily life as government guidelines continue to ask people to work from home where possible. Typically we’re having at least two video calls a day, either with colleagues, line managers or clients. Even when people do start to return to the office, it’s likely that some face-to-face meetings will be replaced by Zoom or Teams calls as we can all recognise the travel time and cost saving benefits. So, how much effort are you making to the way you appear on camera? There’s more to it than just brushing your hair and putting on a shirt!Recent research carried out by signs.com has some interesting insights on video call backgrounds:Blank wall – over 40% of us deliberately choose to have a blank wall behind us to prevent any distractions for the viewer(s), but research reveals that this makes us appear less intelligent, trustworthy or professional than any other background!Plants – A/B testing of different backgrounds with the same models revealed that people with indoor plants in their background were perceived as the most intelligent, approachable and trustworthy. Bookshelf – Having a bookshelf in your background creates the most professional image, but you need to be aware of the types of books on display as people will look (and judge!)Candles – Whilst better than a blank wall in terms of making you appear trustworthy and approachable, having too many candles in the background doesn’t create the most professional image. Windows and natural light – The majority of respondents agreed that being close to a window to create some natural light on camera really improves your appearance on a video call. It also helps to increase perceptions of trust, intelligence and approachability. So, making a few small changes could make a huge difference to the impression you are making. Look at what’s behind you – can you move to be in front of a bookcase? Is there somewhere you could display a house plant or two? What can you do about lighting? Is there somewhere else in your house that is more aesthetically pleasing for you to take video calls?None of this takes much effort, but it can have a real impact on the people you’re talking to. Go ahead and stage it!

​Lawrence Rayner, a Senior Recruitment Consultant in the MorePeople Operations team, recently became the mental wellbeing ambassador for his rugby club. Lawrence made the transition from professional rugby to semi-pro back in 2017 and struggled with unexpected anxiety around the move and working out what he wanted to do with his life. His new club, Cambridge Rugby Club, offered mental health first aid training to all players and Lawrence embraced the opportunity. Since completing the course, he has realised the potential benefits for his own mental health, his team mates and, equally, his working life. Here, Lawrence explains why talking about mental health is just as important in the workplace as it is in sport. What motivated you to take part in the mental health training course?Having experienced my own issues when stepping down from professional sport, I was keen to support others in similar situations. Competitive sport can be a great relief from stress, but equally it can create stress when you’re maybe not playing as well as you know you can or you’re not being picked for the team. Add this to other life stresses outside of the game and it’s easy to see how you can end up in a difficult place mentally. What were your main takeaways from the training?For me the three key learnings were being able to spot the tell-tale signs that somebody is struggling, knowing how to handle the situation when you witness it and then, most importantly, how to open up a conversation about it. It sounds simple, but there were some real lightbulb moments for me. What does it mean for your rugby club to have you as a mental wellbeing ambassador?Breaking the stigma of men talking about mental health is becoming much more of a priority in society, and we’re lucky that the club is switched on to the need to support players both on and off the pitch. I see my role as essentially keeping an eye on my teammates, being aware of any signs that they may be having a difficult time, whether because of the sport or otherwise, and encouraging them to talk to me about it. How do you see these skills also benefitting your working life?We wrote a blog post back in May 2019 which asked ‘Is enough being done to support mental health in the workplace?’, and this highlighted that as little as 14% of people were not comfortable discussing their mental health worries at work. With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing office workers to work from home for the majority of 2020, this is causing new mental health challenges for many and the figure could in fact now be even lower. Recruitment is all about people, so being separated from your team and not having face-to-face meetings is difficult. It’s typically a fast-paced environment, a rollercoaster of ups and downs, with individual targets and KPI’s that can make life feel very stressful when you’re on your own. We try to use technology to keep connected, but it’s not quite the same. Having the increased awareness and skills that the course has given me can only help. Has playing rugby helped you cope with life during the pandemic?Sport and exercise help support your mental health naturally anyway, especially team sports or exercising with others. Unfortunately the two lockdowns took away this pleasure and it was sometimes hard to find the motivation to exercise on my own. I love the routine of team training two nights a week with a match at the weekend, so am very much looking forward to getting this back asap. How has the rugby club tried to keep the team engaged during lockdowns?The club has been really proactive at keeping everyone together and engaged. A massive social aspect of rugby has been taken away, so trying to keep this going has been the focus. Getting together on Zoom or Microsoft Teams has allowed everyone to chat about how they are feeling with developments and share thoughts on how, when we are out of this lockdown situation, we can kick start the season/efforts where we left off. It’s a real collective effort to keep everyone close and socially engaged with everyone. The social side is a huge part of sport and it’s why we play.Photo courtesy of Chris Fell

​MorePeople has been in business for 20 years! As part of our celebrations for hitting this milestone, we’re asking some of our valued clients and candidates from over the years to look back at some of their highlights and challenges and make predictions for the next 20. Christine Tacon has just completed 8 successful years as Groceries Code Adjudicator. She is also founder of the 'Women in Food & Farming' networking group, which now has over 500 members.1. What do you see as your biggest accomplishment of the last 20 years?Success in my role as Groceries Code Adjudicator. Although this was only the last 8 of the 20 years, it was my experience in all parts of the supply chain that informed how I went about the role.2. What has been your most memorable career moment of the last 20 years?Opening the letter in 2004 awarding me a CBE. I didn’t actually know what it was and my initial reaction was tinged with disappointment it wasn’t an OBE, but that changed when I looked it up.3. What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in the last 20 years?Getting NED roles! I decided to go portfolio when I left the Co-op at the end of 2011 and was very clear on the sorts of things I could do and how they fitted together. In the past I was used to either being headhunted or getting the jobs I went for. Rejection was a new experience, and I couldn’t predict which ones I might get and which I would not. In the end I decided it was a numbers game and just applied to lots of things and justified to myself afterwards how neatly they all fitted together. It is hard to be strategic putting together an NED portfolio but I do try, as there are real benefits to me and the businesses of the connections and learnings.4. If you could go back to the year 2000, what one piece of advice would you give yourself?To have left the Co-op role earlier! 11 years it too long in the same job, even if you are really enjoying it. 5. What do you predict will be the big trends in the food/fresh produce industry in 20 years’ time? Large fresh produce businesses getting larger, increasingly international and working ever closer with their customers, once they have understood Brexit implications. And there being a lot more niche businesses with innovative products and new routes to market.6. What do the next 20 years look like for you? Doing things I really enjoy and where I can make a difference. I expect I will be in the food industry for a while yet! And I want to spend more time on Women in Food and Farming, a network of about 500 so far: we have just started monthly virtual events which I hope to continue alongside the three times we have met per year for the last 10 years. MorePeople support me with the admin in doing this, for which I am most grateful.7. What is the best piece of advice you could give to a 20-year-old candidate just starting their career in the industry?If you want to get into the industry, with or without experience, MDS, which I chair, is a brilliant place to start. We look for leadership potential, irrespective of degree subject, and then give you 4 different roles in 4 different member businesses whilst training you. At the end of 2 years, you are not only very clear what you want to do but are highly marketable within the industry. 8. How long have you been a client/candidate of MorePeople?I have found a meeting with MorePeople in my diary in 2008. I don’t know if that was the first time I came across you, but suspect it was around then.9. Where/how did you meet MorePeople? I first met MorePeople when I ran the Co-op Farms when Peter Hunt contacted me about some training he had got a grant for. 10. In 20 words or less, how would you describe MorePeople?Professional and fun !!!!!! (Punctuation included, specially for Guy).The next Women in Food & Farming virtual event is on Tuesday 1st December at 5:30pm. [Find out more]Read more Q&A's:- Steve Maxwell- Steve Murrells- Nigel Trood- Tony Reynolds- Guy Moreton