Kinsa Group Blog

Hot Jobs are the open food and beverage jobs that Kinsa Group is actively seeking qualified candidates to interview right now!  You may be the ideal candidate, so apply today.

How To View A Job Description
Copy the job number, click on the job title and  paste the job number into the “job number” box.  Apply on the Kinsa website or choose the “Apply with LinkedIn” feature.

Want to receive weekly “Hot Jobs” notifications? Follow Kinsa Group on Twitter or join our group page on LinkedIn.

While employees may leave your organization for any number of reasons, one thing is certain – turnover is costly.  In fact, according to a recent blog by Maria Valdez  Haubrich, three-fourths of employees plan to quit when the economy improves.

Replacing a senior food & beverage industry executive can easily add-up to tens of thousands of dollars.  To prevent employee turnover from cutting into your company’s profits, use these tips to retain your best people:

Accurately appraise your cost of replacing a manager or executive.  In addition to the direct costs of recruiting, screening, interviewing and hiring, you must also calculate:

• Opportunity costs (time HR and hiring managers could be spending on other productive activities)
• Costs of vacancy in the position (impact on customers and team/department members, lost productivity)
• Costs of replacing knowledge that leaves with the employee

Determine who is leaving and why. To decrease turnover, you must first understand why it’s happening.  Go through exit interviews and question co-workers to uncover:

• Who is leaving. Look for patterns in age, tenure, performance level, sex, department/job category, etc. to see if you can develop a “turnover profile.”
• Where they are going. Are you losing employees to a competitor?  Are they going back to school?  Moving out of town?
• Why they are leaving. Ask co-workers why other employees left.  Additionally, hold a focus group to find out what motivates your existing workforce to stay and what threatens their commitment to your organization.

Create a focused plan. You won’t be able to stop turnover completely, so use the information you gather to create a plan that targets your most costly turnover.  Often, these are strategic jobs with a long learning curve and/or requiring extensive or specialized knowledge.  Focus your retention efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact on your organization’s long-term success.

One of the best ways your organization can guard against turnover’s negative effects is by working with a trusted food & beverage recruitment and assessment firm such as Kinsa.  We offer tremendous advantages to employers:

• A wide range of service options to suit your specific placement needs
• Up-front assessments, by dedicated and experienced recruiting specialists, to ensure the best match for your available position
• Minimal disruption to your organization and no loss of focus
• Value-added services, such as initial compensation ranges, marketplace climate data and position profile development
• Access to the recruitment firm’s extensive candidate database, as well as regional and national recruiting networks
• Satisfaction guarantees

Kinsa Group - A Better Way to Hire Food and Beverage Industry Professionals

Hiring on your own can be an expensive, time-consuming and frustrating process.  So why do it on your own?  Contact Kinsa today.  For over 25 years, we’ve delivered highly qualified professionals and senior-to-executive level management candidates through our unique recruiting process.

Our dynamic staff of skilled recruiting professionals will make your next hire a success – guaranteed.

Hot Jobs are the open food and beverage jobs that Kinsa Group is actively seeking qualified candidates to interview right now!  You may be the ideal candidate, so apply today.

How To View A Job Description
Copy the job number, click on the job title and  paste the job number into the “job number” box.  Apply on the Kinsa website or choose the “Apply with LinkedIn” feature.

Want to receive weekly “Hot Jobs” notifications? Follow Kinsa Group on Twitter or join our group page on LinkedIn.

If you are looking for a job in the food and beverage industry, then you know that using technology in your search process can be both complex and somewhat intimidating.  But while it is only a piece of the whole process of finding a job today, savvy job seekers like you should try to leverage technology’s benefits.  Why?  Doing so can make your job search shorter and more successful.

As a nationwide food and beverage industry recruiter with over 25 years of experience, we at Kinsa Group provide a full complement of technology tools and resources to facilitate your job search.  Here are some of the best:

• Twitter. Looking for a Business Development Manager opportunity?  Searching for the latest VP Plant Operations positions?  Be the first to know about new job postings by following Kinsa on Twitter.
• Facebook. If you’re on Facebook, Search Kinsa Group and Like our Fan Page.  We post select positions on our Wall.
• LinkedIn. Connect with our recruiters by becoming part of Kinsa Group’s LinkedIn network.
• Website. Kinsa Group’s website contains a full complement of technology tools to facilitate your job search.  You can learn about our services for food & beverage job seekers, upload your résumé, search open food & beverage jobs.  Once you’re registered with us, you can update your profile and track your interview schedule right from our website.
• Blog. Kinsa’s blog is updated weekly and contains valuable career advice, job search tips and trends impacting the food & beverage industry.
• Kinsa CareerEdge.  Kinsa CareerEdge™, powered by Kinsa Group, is our FREE online career resource that enables you to: access over 1,000 Job Boards on one site; prepare a résumé or receive a résumé critique; participate in weekly webinars covering job seeker “hot topics,” receive job search advice, and more.
• iHobnob. iHobnob, a niche job board for the food and beverage industry elite, provides an objective medium for you to establish relationships, grow professionally, manage and enhance your career.
• National database. As a Kinsa candidate, our Recruiters across the nation have instant access to your profile.  We actively maintain our database to rapidly match your skills, experience and career interests with potential employment opportunities from coast to coast.

At Kinsa Group, we’re dedicated to making your food & beverage job search search faster, easier and more effective than ever.

I recently read a blog on Omega-3s and Sustainability that referenced the harvesting of krill in the Antarctic.  For those of you not in the fats and oils industry, Antarctic krill are shrimp-like ocean creatures that are one of our planets most abundant species. I did not know that one whale can eat up to 4 tons of krill a day.  Or that whales are not the only krill eaters; penguins, seals and seabirds eat krill too.

I was glad to learn that oceanic scientists do not think Antarctic krill are currently threatened or overfished unlike Atlantic cod. But, scientists and environmental groups are concerned that as more companies use huge factory ships for harvesting, that, combined with climate change could threaten the sustainability of krill and the ocean life that depend on them for food.

Food companies were first permitted to market the benefits of omega 3s in packaging in 2004. According to the website soymega.com, 56% of consumers want more omega 3s in their food and beverages. And while the omega 3 market continues to grow, the question remains as to whether or not wild sourced omega 3s will remain a long-term sustainable option.

Kinsa Group – Your Sustainable Food & Beverage Industry Recruiter
For over 25 years,  Kinsa Group has delivered the high performing food & beverage industry professionals  companies need to compete in today’s competitive and rapidly changing marketplace.  Simply put, food and beverage recruiting and assessment is all we do.  Contact us today to learn more.

What are your thoughts on Omega 3 wild sourcing? Leave a comment.

Are your candidates just “talking the talk,” or can they truly “walk the walk”?

Determining who a candidate really is, and what he can really do, are critical parts of a job interview.  But when it comes to evaluating executive food & beverage talent, résumés and interviews only reveal so much.  As a talent manager, it can be extremely difficult to determine if a candidate is accurately representing himself, and if he can actually perform to the extent his new role will require.

To eliminate some of this uncertainty, many organizations have expanded their selection process to include business simulations.  The following TalentManagement.com article sheds some light on this assessment tool and the role it plays in successful executive hiring.  Here is a brief summary of the article’s key points:

Lead with Questions.

The first step in a proper assessment is crafting a strong interview.  While you may be tempted to jump into what the candidate can or would do in the new position, start by taking a look back.  Choose questions that elicit behavioral examples from candidates, allowing them to explain how they handled similar situations in the past.  Follow-up with questions that reveal the outcomes of these situations.

Make Sure the Candidate is the Real Deal.

Many companies are increasingly looking to business simulations to identify and hire the right executive.  These tailored, intensive, one- or two-day-long programs place executive candidates in fictitious, yet highly realistic situations designed to mimic the challenges of a potential position.

Business simulations go beyond a typical “How would you react?” behavioral question.  Candidates are required to react to actual, unpredicted events that well-trained consultants help play out.  Here is how a typical business simulation is executed:

• A few days before the simulation, the candidate receives a rich case study on a fictitious company.  He is given a job description and role to play within the organization.
• After reviewing the company profile and proposed challenge (e.g., merger, cutbacks, major distribution channel change, product line extension, etc.), the candidate reports to work as if it were his actual daily routine.  While the situation is completely new, he and the consultants (who play fellow executives and/or subordinates) act as though it is a regular day at work.
• Throughout the day, the candidate is inundated with typical workplace challenges (e.g., harried bosses, disgruntled employees, phone interruptions, etc.).  The consultants who play his co-workers observe his reactions to those challenges and the decisions he makes.
• Once the simulation is complete, the candidate reviews his own performance with the consultants.  Together, they identify the candidate’s strengths and development needs.

Value of Business Simulations

Some individuals fare better during a traditional interview process than others.  The candidate who performs best in an interview, however, may not actually be the best person for the job.  For this reason, many organizations now rely on business simulations to assess high-potential executives.  Used in conjunction with interviews and assessments, simulations provide a more complete picture of a candidate’s leadership skills, management style and shortcomings.

Workplace simulations turn the candidate evaluation process into a high-touch development experience.  Once completed, the assessment can be used as the basis for long-term development if the candidate is hired.  This developmental aspect is especially beneficial for internal candidates being considered for promotion.

At the end of the day, interviewers want to know if a potential candidate can exhibit the skills, right now, in situations that reflect the challenges of the available position.  Assessments that use real-world simulations can provide the depth of information talent leaders need to make high-stakes hiring decisions.  While the time and cost of such an intensive process is high, the ability to essentially “test drive” a potential leader make some simulations well worth the price.

Ensure Successful Placements with Kinsa – Food & Beverage Recruiters

When hiring an executive for your food & beverage company, you can’t afford to take chances.  Kinsa’s comprehensive 8-Step Recruiting Process includes a full range of assessment options to ensure the success of your next hire.  Partner with Kinsa today and connect with the industry’s top food & beverage executives and professionals

It’s tough out there.

If you’re not seeing much progress with your job search in the food & beverage industry, here are a few key ways a Kinsa Group recruiting specialist can help you get an edge over your competitors:

• Industry expertise. At Kinsa, food & beverage industry recruiting is all we do.  From operations & plant production management to supply chain and R & D, we understand the ins and outs of your industry.
• Access to unadvertised opportunities. Our recruiters have extensive networks within the food & beverage industry.  We know who is hiring, restructuring and firing.  And in many cases, great career opportunities are available exclusively through our recruiting firm.
• Résumé and interview skill feedback. As employment experts, our recruiting professionals can help you polish your résumé and build your interviewing confidence.  Additionally, they can give you the inside track – providing valuable information on interviewers’ personalities and interviewing styles, further preparing you to perform at your best.
• Keep your morale up. Being out of work can take a toll on you – emotionally and financially.  A recruiter can potentially provide interim contract employment opportunities to help you:
  - Earn money while you search for direct employment;
  - Keep your schedule flexible so you can continue your job search;
  - Network with new co-workers to uncover additional employment leads;
  - Keep your job skills sharp and up-to-date;
  - Avoid gaps on your résumé;
  - Stay positive and productive.

You’re More Than Just an “Applicant”
At Kinsa, you’re more than just a résumé, a degree, or a set of skills.  You’re a critical component of our success.  We want to help you achieve your career goals, by matching you with an opportunity that suits your skills, needs and interests.  Contact us today to learn more about executive and management career opportunities in the food & beverage industry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture changed the implementation date of  Non-O157:H7. The implementation was moved forward 90 days, to June 4, so that routine sampling of six additional STEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145) could  be included.

The USDA reported that the purpose of the extension is to “provide additional time for establishments to validate their test methods and detect these pathogens prior to entering the stream of commerce”.

It is important to note that the original announcement — issued February 8 — inaccurately stated that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)  would also initially sample other raw ground beef product components, in addition to raw beef manufacturing trimmings.  A correction statement was issued on February 10 clarifying that, “FSIS will initially sample raw beef manufacturing trimmings produced domestically and imported, and test the samples for the serogroups”.

On September 13, 2011, USDA announced that if the serogroups are found in raw ground beef or its precursors, those products will be prohibited from entering commerce.

Kinsa Group is monitoring this closely and will report new information as it becomes available.

Hot Jobs are the open food and beverage jobs that Kinsa Group is actively seeking qualified candidates to interview right now!  You may be the ideal candidate, so apply TODAY!

Want to receive weekly “Hot Jobs” notifications? Follow Kinsa Group on Twitter, join our group page on LinkedIn, or both.

It’s so hard for you to watch.

One by one, your food & beverage industry colleagues get promoted while you toil away, month after month, in your current position.  You want to wish each of them well, really, but silently you ask yourself, “Why them, and not me?  Do they know something that I don’t?”

Maybe.  If you want to realize your full professional potential, your boss must perceive you as a viable candidate for advancement.  Your hard work and accomplishments are key, obviously, but playing the personal PR game is just as critical to staying visible in your company.  If you’re looking for ways to make yourself more “promotable,” here are some great ideas to get you started:

1. Assess where you are and where you want to be.  Before you identify specific ways to promote yourself, you need to conduct an honest appraisal of your job, your professional strengths and your goals (if you have a good boss, he may even help you with this exercise).  Take the time to write down:
   –Your current job description
   –Your key strengths, skills and accomplishments
   –A description of the job you want, including the skills and experience it requires
2. Identify gaps between where you are and where you want to be.  Do you need to build your knowledge base?  Develop better management skills?  Learn a new software program?  Conducting this professional inventory will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, and create a roadmap for where you want to go.
3. Seize every opportunity to learn.  Stay on top of new trends in your segment of the food and beverage industry to increase your knowledge and skills in areas critical to your organization.  If you want to be promoted to a specific position, find out everything you can about that job.  Read, take classes or inquire about shadowing opportunities to prepare yourself for stepping into a new role when the opportunity arises.
4. Make friends with higher-ups.  Establish rapport and cultivate good relationships with your boss and his colleagues.  When you attend company gatherings or fundraisers, do more than make an appearance.  Talk with people throughout the company, not just within your team or department.
5. Create a portfolio.  Keep track of your professional accomplishments and contributions by assembling a portfolio that showcases your skills and experience.  When it comes time to make your case for a promotion (with either your company or a competitor’s), your portfolio will prove an invaluable tool.
6. Brag the right way.  When it comes to getting promoted, “who knows you” is often as important as “who you know.”  So do what you can to get onto key executives’ radar screens, without coming across as a braggart:
   –Accept credit graciously.  Instead of shrugging a compliment off, try saying, “Thank you.  I’m really glad my hard work paid off.”
   –E-mail your boss a brief weekly status report, outlining your major accomplishments and upcoming projects.
   –Volunteer to draft your team’s memos to department heads.
   –Present your group’s milestones at the next business planning meeting.
7. Be patient.  Promotions are not always available when you want them.  Sometimes, you have to stick with a company a little longer to get the promotion you deserve.  If you’re working for a good company, keep your eye on the prize and stick it out a little longer.

Here are a few more great tips to help you get the promotion you deserve.

If you’re in the market for a new job, or are just curious about what kind of food and beverage are available right now, please call us today.  As national recruiters specializing in the food & beverage industry, Kinsa Group offers a variety of excellent career opportunities.