​We sat down with Recruitment Consultant, Adam, who operates within the Technical Industry, to gain a better understanding of his first year working in recruitment!

What made you want to get into recruitment, and specifically into the Technical team at MorePeople?

I was excited by the opportunity to help people find new roles and develop their careers. It's greatly rewarding to know that I’ve played a part in that. Technical, Quality and NPD recruitment made the most sense for me. There was, and still is, so much to learn, but having to essentially start from scratch in terms of industry knowledge made it a great opportunity for personal development as well.

What were your first impressions of the food/technical industry when you joined?

My initial impression was that it was very daunting, so many different products, businesses, sites, roles and people with different skillsets. On top of that, the roles within Technical, Quality and NPD all required very different skill sets and I soon became accustomed to their requirements, but it is this diversity that made the industry so interesting.

How different is recruitment compared to what you thought it would be?

It's about right, the role is tough but certainly rewarding in the impact we can have on the industry.

What have you learned about the technical side of the food industry (quality, NPD, compliance, etc.) that you didn’t know before?

Just how massive the industry is, and yet it's so tightly knit, everyone seems to know everyone! Learning is a big thing in this role. Talking to candidates and hearing about their day-to-day roles is always a good way to learn. I am always curious about what things mean!

What has been the steepest part of the learning curve?

I would say how relentless the industry of recruitment is. But also, opening it up wider to the food manufacturing and fresh produce sectors. From the sheer volume of events we attend and exhibit at is a good indication of how networking plays a key part in our role. There is no better way of understanding our sectors than being fully immersed in what they do.

What have you learned from speaking to clients about their technical teams and candidates about what challenges they face?

For clients, a common theme is the struggle of getting the younger generation into the sector. Organisations like the IFST do an amazing job at supporting young careers, which we are actively involved in. But there still needs to be more visibility. Additionally, I can see a lot of candidates still wanting to work hybrid, despite clients needing people fully on-site.

What's been your proudest moment so far?

Helping many candidates find new roles within the food manufacturing, fresh produce and cut flower industries. There is no better feeling than knowing you've done your bit in securing someone's happiness in their new role.

How has working in recruitment changed the way you think about the food industry?

It has changed massively. It is actually quite exciting and interesting. There is so much in terms of product development that, unless you were talking to industry professionals every day, you would never know about it. It's pretty cool to hear about how various products start their journey from development and testing, to end up on shelves at supermarkets etc.

Are there areas of technical recruitment you'd like to specialise in or understand more deeply?

It would be great to become the 'go-to guy' for NPD recruitment within our industry. Within the business, I'd also like to keep building my understanding of fresh produce around the country.

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