• Even if you’re currently employed, you never know when an attractive job opening may present itself.  A current resume can help you capitalize on an unexpected opportunity – before someone else has the chance.
• Over time, your important achievements and contributions may be forgotten.  Regular updating ensures that critical, measurable accomplishments are accurately recorded.
• In many cases, your resume creates a first and lasting impression on a potential employer.  Make sure it’s a good one.  By periodically reviewing and honing your resume, you can create a more powerful marketing tool that accurately and favorably represents you as a professional.

Use these tips to make your resume update simple and comprehensive:

1. Review personal information (address, e-mail, LinkedIn URL, etc.) to ensure everything is up-to-date.
2. Review your oldest job. If it’s no longer relevant, and you have at least 10 years of documented work history without it, remove it.
3. Update your responsibilities and accomplishments. Consider the following:  special projects; new expertise developed or job responsibilities awarded; knowledge or skills enhancement from special training or professional development; awards or other recognition; challenges you faced and solutions developed; measurable results you helped achieved (e.g., eliminating process inefficiencies, increasing productivity or sales, improving staffing or operational performance, etc.).
4. Revist your objective statement. If it is not in line with your current career aspirations, rewrite it.  The statement can be general, but should show some direction toward the field in which you want to work.
5. Reevaluate your references. Verify that these individuals still work where you have noted and that contact information for each is correct.  If you have developed new contacts who can attest to your recent achievements or heightened responsibility, consider replacing them with outdated references.
6. Update your resume format. Check online sample resumes to see if yours looks outdated and revise accordingly.  Additionally, you should create an electronic version of your resume if you don’t already have one.
7. Proofread everything. Sloppy spelling, grammar and punctuation may take you out of the running immediately.  If you’re not proficient in proofreading, ask a trusted friend or associate to help.

Looking for a better career opportunity in the food & beverage industry?  Give us a call or browse open career opportunities.  Or, follow us on Twitter to receive the latest job opportunities we’re recruiting for.

According to Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Workforce Benefits Report (published April, 2011):

• 94 percent of 650 C-level executives surveyed recognize the importance of retaining older employees and the knowledge they possess;
• 98 percent point to the need for younger workers.

To attract and retain these key segments of the workforce:

• 50 percent of those surveyed offer customized work schedules;
• 33 percent provide retirement income and health care education programs;
• 32 percent offer continuing education and development opportunities;
• 22 percent give employees the opportunity to work remotely;
• 21 percent offer extended benefits to older employees.

According to Andy Sieg, head of Retirement Services for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, “Longer life expectancies and baby boomers’ desire or need to keep working are leading to an aging population of American employees that will require more age-friendly workplaces and benefit plans designed to meet the unique needs of multiple generations.”

Employers also feel an increased sense of responsibility for the financial well-being of their employees:

• 59 percent of employers feel greater responsibility to help employees meet financial goals;
• 53 percent feel that responsibility includes providing both financial benefit plans as well as access to financial education and advice.

“If there is one silver lining of the recession it’s this increased sense of responsibility,” says Stephen Ulian, head of institutional retirement and benefit solutions at Bank of America.  As a result, employers are offering a broader range of financial education programs and tools, although getting employees to take full advantage of them remains a challenge.

Kinsa Group – Your Food & Beverage Recruiting Partner

Finding the perfect candidates for your organization requires experience, in-depth industry knowledge and state-of-the-art recruiting and assessment technology.  Kinsa Group combines all of these, including a comprehensive 8-Step Recruiting Process to ensure the success of your next hire.  Partner with Kinsa today and connect with the industry’s top food & beverage executives and professionals.

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s Retirement Confidence Survey (as reported by Workforce.com):

• about 36 percent of respondents cite the poor economy;
• 16 percent say their lack of faith in Social Security is forcing them to postpone retirement;
• 13 percent claim they simply can’t afford to stop working.

As a result, workers say they are more than twice as likely to work up to age 70 or older – a 25 percent increase from just a decade ago.

Rising numbers of older individuals remaining in the workforce creates both challenges and potential benefits for employers.  On the one hand, workers delaying retirement adds pressure to companies already struggling to reduce payroll as profit dwindles.  A glut of older workers also threatens to clog the talent pipeline for organizations who want to bring in new employees – at lower salary levels.

On the other hand, companies for which knowledge loss is a concern stand to gain a welcome benefit from a more mature workforce – less “brain drain.”  Key managers have more time to plan for the departure of older workers, and therefore can be more strategic in retraining or transferring institutional knowledge.

As older workers continue to delay retirement, HR needs to respond by reevaluating the way they manage human capital.  Instead of paying older workers to retire, HR should look for creative ways to take advantage of the shift in workforce demographics:

• Create cross-mentoring relationships. In a traditional mentor relationship, older, more experienced workers share knowledge with their less experienced counterparts.  When it comes to technology, however, younger employees are often more savvy.  Organizations can foster reverse mentorships, in which younger workers share their knowledge in areas like online social networking.
• Find new ways to attract younger workers. In a time when career advancement is likely to become more difficult, organizations should focus on new ways to bring top performers on board.  When HR can’t necessarily offer rapid upward mobility to new talent, they can offer lateral movement.  Lateral moves can help younger employees broaden their knowledge bases, become more valuable to the employer (increasing job security) and become more marketable overall.

Kinsa Group can help your organization proactively manage its professional and executive human capital needs as our workforce changes.  We provide recruiting and professional placement services with a specific focus on the food & beverage industry.  Serving companies throughout the United States since 1985, we are able to recruit and assess candidates for positions in:

• Executive Management
• General Management
• Sales
• Marketing
• Operations & Plant Production Management
• Research & Development
• Food Science
• Quality Assurance
• Food Safety
• Human Resources
• Engineering
• Maintenance
• Supply Chain and Purchasing
• Warehouse Management
• Finance & Accounting

How will your food & beverage organization address the shifts in workforce demographics?  We at Kinsa would like to know.  Please leave your comments below.

–Harold S. Geneen

If you’ve ever managed a single person, then you know that employees make excuses.  They procrastinate, miss deadlines and blame others when they fail.

So how do you get them to consistently perform to the best of their abilities?

Use these smart suggestions to get better results – and fewer excuses – from your staff every day:

Make performance management a daily activity. Annual and quarterly reviews definitely play their part in gauging performance, but nothing replaces the day-to-day guidance you give to your staff.  So talk to them regularly, leveraging every opportunity to improve employee’s efforts:

• give them honest feedback about what they’re doing right – and what they need to improve;
• discuss new projects and the opportunities they present for employee development and growth;
• talk about overdue assignments or project difficulties and how to resolve them;
• reinforce the importance of consistently doing a great job.

Limit excuses. Eliminate the external factors on which employees often blame their poor performance by:

• Ensuring employees have the resources they need to do their jobs;
• Ensuring employees are adequately trained to do their jobs;
• Setting clear, mutually agreed-upon performance expectations for each employee.

Ask the right questions when problems arise. Uncovering the cause of poor performance is the first step in creating a plan to remedy it.  So when an employee is failing at work, ask the following types of questions to diagnose the reasons why:

• What about the work system (e.g., tools, time, training, support) is causing the employee to fail?
• Does the employee know exactly what you want him/her to do, as well as the expected outcome?
• Does the employee practice effective work management?
• Does the employee feel valued, recognized and fairly compensated for his/her contributions?

Make performance goals SMART goals. This goal-setting acronym is still widely used for one simple reason:  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound goals are more likely to be achieved.  So as you work with your employees to set higher standards for the next quarter or year, teach them how to create SMART performance goals that will get them there.

Create a “performance mentality” among team members. Football players won’t play their hardest in a game where nobody keeps score.  Likewise, your employees won’t deliver superior results when they merely see themselves as “doing a job” everyday.  Foster a “performance mentality” by showing your team why their efforts matter – and what’s at stake.  Make sure employees understand your mission, how their jobs fit into the “big picture,” and what they need to do to help your company win.

Fuel Performance with Kinsa’s Search and Assessment Services

The best way to ensure top performance is by hiring top talent.  Kinsa Group Consultants evaluate candidates’ performance in the specialty skills of the available position, results achieved in past positions, and overall predictors of success.  Kinsa has the resources to fuel exceptional performance in your food & beverage organization.  Contact us today to learn more.

It would be easy (and logical) to use this question as a launching pad for a sales pitch.  The true answer, however, is more complex.  What’s right for one employer, under a certain set of hiring, employment and market conditions, is not necessarily right for another.

So how do you decide if you should hire on your own, or partner with a recruiter?  Here are a few critical questions to consider:

Evaluate Your Current Hiring Practices

• How do you typically hire personnel?  Have you always done it yourself, or do you have a good working relationship with a recruitment firm?
• How much do you really spend hiring staff on your own? Be sure to consider HR time, legal costs, management interview time, opportunity costs, vacancy costs and the cost of a bad hire – in addition to the cost of advertising.
• Do your DIY recruiting methods yield enough qualified candidates?

Conduct a Needs Analysis

• Do you have the time and resources available to properly recruit, screen, interview, assess, reference check and follow-up with candidates on your own?
• How much would it cost you to replace a bad hire in this position (i.e., do you need a guarantee)?
• Does your hiring situation require confidentiality or anonymity?
• How quickly do you need the available position filled?

Consider Current Market and Employment Conditions

• What is the current unemployment rate – not just in general, but specifically for the level/type of professional you need?
• How desirable is your location?  Have you had difficulty attracting candidates to work there in the past?
• What are the emerging industry trends which could impact your ability to hire the talent you need?

Consider the Advantages Recruiters Offer

With budget constraints remaining a key concern, you may lean toward a DIY approach for recruiting.  But before you start posting to job boards, remember these key advantages Kinsa can provide:

1. Improved focus. We free you to focus on your key priorities.
2. Specialization. We know how and where to find the high-caliber talent you require.
3. Contract labor. If your needs are short-term or project-oriented, we can provide access to the skilled professionals you need without adding to your headcount.
4. Access. We maintain robust candidate databases and relationships with passive job seekers.
5. Simplification. We save you considerable time and stress, while ensuring that correct selection and screening procedures are utilized.
6. Guarantees. We reduce the stress, expense and risk involved with hiring and/or replacing a new employee.

When working with a recruiter makes the most sense for your organization, Kinsa is the ideal choice for your professional search and assessment needs. With over 25 years of experience, a dynamic, team-oriented staff and a focus on the food and beverage industry, we are uniquely qualified to deliver the A-level talent you need.

We’d love the opportunity to help you analyze your recruiting needs and determine if our services could help you hire more quickly, accurately and at a greater cost savings.  Please contact Kinsa today.

MyPlate Replaces Food Pyramid

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled MyPlate.  Government officials say the new icon will be a part of a healthy-eating initiative that emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.  The symbol replaces the 2005 Food Pyramid, which was widely criticized widely for being difficult to read.

The U.S.D.A. said MyPlate will convey seven key messages, including:

1. enjoy food but eat less;
2. avoid oversized portions;
3. make half your plate fruits and vegetables;
4. switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk;
5. make at least half your grains whole grains;
6. drink water instead of sugary drinks;
7. and compare sodium (salt) in foods like soup, bread and frozen meals, and choose foods with lower numbers.

More information about MyPlate can be found at www.choosemyplate.gov.

Men’s & Women’s Health Ingredient Trends

Wild Flavors, Inc.’s whitepapers detail the ingredients food & beverage companies should incorporate now to capitalize on changing health trends for both men and women:

Men’s Health Ingredient Trends

Men are more concerned than ever about their own well-being.  They want to prevent disease and improve the quality of their lives through joint health, strong immune systems, proper sleep patterns and strong brain function.  Openness about health concerns and changes in social attitudes have made men more receptive than ever to new and innovative nutritious options.

Food and beverage companies have a prime opportunity to capitalize on men’s health trends, by creating products with ingredients that address men’s key concerns:

Heart Health: Omega-3s, Phytosterols, Coenzyme Q10, Tea Polyphenols, Citrus Bioflavonoids.

Bone & Joint Health: Hyaluronic Acid, Grapeseed Extract.

Immunity: Pomegranate Extract, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Grapeseed Extract.

Cognitive Health: Omega-3s, Coenzyme Q10, Phosphatidylserine.

Holistic Sleep: Melatonin, L-Theanine, Gamma Amino Butryic Acid (GABA).

Women’s Health Ingredient Trends

According to Wild Flavor’s “Women: Trends & Health Ingredients” whitepaper, women account for the vast majority of household spending decisions and consumer purchases.  Furthermore, many women put family needs ahead of their own.

To capitalize on these consumer behaviors, food & beverage organizations should create products with ingredients that address the following top concerns for women:

Hearth Health: Omega-3s, Phytosterols, Coenzyme Q10, Tea Polyphenols, Citrus Bioflavonoids.

Bone & Joint Health: Hyaluronic Acid, Soy Isoflavones.

Immunity: Cranberry Extract, Citrus Bioflavonoids, Grapeseed Extract.

Beauty: Coenzyme Q10, Hyaluronic Acid, Tea Polyphenols, Citrus Bioflavonoids.

Holistic Sleep: L-Theanine, Passionflower Extract, Chamomile Extract.

Weight Management: Conjugated Linoleic Acid, Green Coffee Extract, Green Tea Catechins.

VP of Finance and Administration

Rapidly growing, integrated Food Company (#1 in its category) is seeking to grow substantially over next several years.  They are seeking a confident, driven individual to fill this newly created position and help build a world-class organization.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and implement financial and operational strategies, plans, projects, policies, procedures and controls.
• Define, develop and lead finance, accounting, information systems and HR functions.
• Identify opportunities and areas for change and growth.

Ideal candidates will possess the following:

• BS/BA in Accounting, Finance, Economics or equivalent.  MBA or CPA preferred.
• 10+ years of relevant experience.  Substantial accounting, finance, IT and HR experience is required.
• Prior experience in high volume food or agricultural company preferred.
• Knowledge of federal and state taxation, as well as automated financial and accounting reporting systems is required.

Beautiful Northern California location!  Enjoy recreational activities afforded by surrounding mountains, hills and rivers.  Relocation assistance will be provided.  Discover more about the VP of Finance and Administration (#4992) position and apply online.

Multi-Unit Restaurant Operations Consultant

Our Wisconsin-based client is seeking a Quick-Service Restaurant Franchisee Consultant to provide leadership and coaching to franchisees and operations team, in order to achieve short and long-term company and operations objectives.  The Restaurant Operations Consultant will utilize knowledge of restaurant operations and staff resources to provide counsel, advice and assistance to franchisee owners/operators to positively impact and improve sales, profits, operating standards and operating systems while maintaining or exceeding customer expectations.

Essential Functions:

• Effectively implement and execute the company’s worldwide business plan (rolling 1, 2 and 3 year plan).
• Develop and implement a district wide business plan (i.e., integrated marketing, operations, training, development and supply chain plan).
• Establish and implement effective business plans with franchise owners in the district.
• Provide necessary counsel and assistance to ensure the plans include specific objectives and strategies in support of company’s Operations and Marketing Plan.
• Provide leadership in developing and managing marketing performance through effective partnerships with appropriate departments, vendors and franchisees.
• Implement strategies to assist franchisees in executing human resource, training and professional development plans and programs, where appropriate.
• Consistently strive to meet or favorably exceed operating budget for department.
• Perform timely annual performance reviews.

Qualifications and Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, restaurant management or a related field.
• 4 or more years of restaurant management (multi-unit/high volume) and/or franchise operations management.
• Clean driving record is required.
• Thorough knowledge and familiarity with the Restaurant Industry (QSR preferred).
• Proficient knowledge of marketing, finance, training, human resource and development.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service to both internal and external clients.
• Relationship building skills with the ability to create mutually beneficial relationships with both internal and external clients.
• Ability to work quickly in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions.

Find out more about the Multi-Unit Restaurant Operations Consultant (#4984) position and apply online.

To search our comprehensive list of Food and Beverage Industry Jobs please visit www.Kinsa.com.

Employers use credit reports as a screening tool for a number of reasons:

• They believe it allows them to predict future behavior based on a candidate’s financial history.
• They are trying to prevent employee theft and assess the applicant’s trustworthiness.
• They want to reduce legal liability and negligent hiring.

But checking a job applicant’s credit is not without its potential drawbacks:

• An applicant who has been unemployed for a long period of time may have no choice but to incur inordinate amounts of debt and fall behind in paying bills.  If the candidate has been out of work for months, that doesn’t necessarily mean he should be disqualified for employment.
• Credit reports fail to provide context.  For example, if debt problems are the result of expensive medical procedures, a low credit score may not indicate anything about future job performance.
• Credit reports are not perfect.  Ambiguous, dated, inaccurate and/or redundant data create the potential for credit score errors.  While these errors are generally minor, employers should be aware that they exist.
• Credit reports may not be relevant for the job in question.  Unless the person you’re hiring will have access to sensitive financial information, make financial decisions or handle money, a candidate’s credit report may be of little significance.

Given the potential benefits, as well as the potential drawbacks, are credit checks a legitimate screening tool?  It depends on whom you ask.

According to Christine Walters, a representative for the SHRM during last October’s EEOC public hearing on the practice, effectiveness and impact of credit checks as a screening tool, “SHRM believes there is a compelling public interest in enabling our nation’s employers – whether that employer is in the government or the private sector – to assess the skills, abilities and work habits of potential hires.”

She and other hearing panelists pointed out that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) of 1970 restricts employer use of credit reports to employment purposes.  Under the law, the employer must give a job candidate the right to defend himself against (including refuting, explaining or correcting) any collected credit information that might weigh against him.

Chi Chi Wu, staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center in Boston, expressed a different opinion.  Given the state of the economy, she said that using credit history as a screening tool is “a practice that we believe is harmful and unfair to American workers.  The use of credit history for job applicants is especially absurd when you are looking at an unemployment rate of 10 percent and have many workers looking for a job.”

As an employer, you are within your rights to check a job candidate’s credit.  Before you do so, you should consider:

• how relevant the information you’re collecting is to the available position;
• the cost involved versus the benefit to be gained;
• whether or not your internal staff is trained in how to interpret the complex information contained in today’s credit reports;
• whether or not there may be potential adverse effects to checking an applicant’s credit.

Ensure Successful Placements with Kinsa – Food & Beverage Recruiters

Finding the perfect candidates for your organization requires experience, in-depth industry knowledge and state-of-the-art recruiting and assessment technology.  Kinsa Group combines all of these, including a comprehensive 8-Step Recruiting Process to ensure the success of your next hire.  Partner with Kinsa today and connect with the industry’s top food & beverage executives and professionals.

When it comes to your food & beverage job search, which is better?  Job board technology is certainly efficient.  With a few clicks you easily can apply for several jobs in under an hour – all from the comfort of your own home.

But that same efficiency can work against you.  Jobs that are available to you are also available to literally anyone else with an internet connection.  When you submit your résumé, you may be one of dozens, hundreds or even thousands of applicants.  As the number of job posting applicants increases, so does the chance of your résumé being completely ignored.  How efficient is that?

Job boards do serve a purpose in connecting job seekers to employers.  But if you’re serious about your food & beverage career, here are several reasons why experienced, professional recruiters beat job boards – hands down:

Reach the hiring authority – 100% of the time. A good recruiter has the ear of prospective employers and will proactively market you directly to key hiring decision makers.  Recruiters keep your best career interests in mind and ensure your skills, experience and personal brand are presented in the best light possible to potential employers.

Access the “hidden” job market. Many food & beverage employers know that they have greater hiring success when working with a recruiter.  These companies rely on search professionals to handle the time-consuming legwork associated with finding the best candidates and skip the job board route altogether.

Get inside information on employers and their hiring practices. If you are interested in a particular employer, a recruiter can use his knowledge of an employer’s hiring processes (including interviewers’ personalities and interviewing styles) to help you successfully navigate obstacles.  Likewise, he can provide valuable insight on a company’s corporate culture, helping you more accurately evaluate career opportunities.

Maintain job search control. A top performer who plasters his résumé all over every job board may suffer unintended (and unwanted) consequences.  Unethical staffing services may find your résumé on a job board and submit it without your approval or begin hounding you with phone calls.  With a good recruiter on your side, you can maintain control over your résumé and work with a single point of contact.

Manage job search anxiety. For many, finding a new position is extremely stressful.  Recruiters are experts at the process and can help guide you through the nerve-wracking process of interviewing.  By working with a recruiter you also enjoy peace of mind, knowing that you have someone else on your job search team.

Get a personal advocate and partner in your job search. In most cases (retained searches being an exception), recruiters aren’t compensated unless they actually place candidates.  Unlike a job board, we have a vested interest in ensuring the success of your job search.

Protect your privacy. If you think your current employer won’t find out you’re actively seeking another job, think again.  Many employers set up automatic search agents on major job boards which notify them if their employees are preparing to make a move.  When you work with a recruiter, you can rest assured that you will be represented anonymously, and that your job search will remain confidential.

Access contract opportunities. If you are out of work and open to contract work, recruiters can place you in project-based opportunities that get your foot in the door and may even lead to direct employment.

The Kinsa Group – The Human Touch in Food & Beverage Recruiting

Technology is an important component in your job search, but nothing replaces the human touch.  To us, you’re more than just a résumé or an application.  You’re a critical component of our success.

We listen and take a real interest in matching you with an opportunity that suits your unique skills, needs and interests.  Contact a Kinsa recruiter today to learn more about executive and management career opportunities in the food & beverage industry.

If you have the commitment to work hard, but need direction for your efforts, here are seven things you can do to take charge of your job search today:

1.  Treat your job search like a job. If you are not currently employed, you have a great advantage – time.  Make finding a food & beverage job your full-time job.  Get up in the morning and get dressed, review your goals, create a to-do list when you settle into your office and try to maintain your diligent work habits.

2.  Clarify your self-knowledge and your goals. Do you know exactly what you have to offer an employer?  Do you know exactly what type of career opportunity you want?  Take the time to write down your specific skills, strengths, accomplishments and career goals.  If you know what you want, and what you bring to the table, it’s infinitely easier to focus your efforts, identify potential employers and find the job you want.

3.  Conduct informational interviews. Informational interviews can provide you with invaluable visibility, information and job interview practice.  Conducted properly they can help you:

• expand your professional network;
• set yourself apart from the crowd in a competitive job market;
• gain insider feedback on potential hiring opportunities.

4.  Develop your network. Often in a job search, it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.  Be proactive in developing relationships (both in-person and via social media) with people who are doing the kind of work that you want to do.  Identify individuals in food & beverage companies, industry organizations and professional associations who can provide insight into their employment needs.  Identify faculty, friends, business associates and relatives who can assist you with your job search.  Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for a job and ask them to refer you to potential employers.

5.  Get more organized. Place all of your job search materials, including: research on potential employers; listings of job postings to which you’ve responded; resume versions and cover letters; recruiters with whom you’re working; network lists, etc.  Use this binder to track your progress, plan follow-up, develop daily to-do lists or record other important information.

6.  Find a mentor. If you don’t have a trusted advisor who can help guide your job search efforts, you should get one.  To select a mentor, choose someone you know who:  has earned your respect; is successful in his or her career; will provide honest and effective feedback; will take an interest in your professional development; will support you in your career progression.  Meet with this person regularly to solicit advice, share your ups and downs, and get the feedback and support you need to keep going.

7.  Work with leading food & beverage executive recruiters. The Kinsa Group matches professionals and executives like you with top food & beverage employers nationwide.  We are pleased to offer a new FREE job seeker resource called Kinsa CareerEdge.  Whether you are involved in a current food & beverage job search, looking to advance in your career, or transitioning into a new career, Kinsa CareerEdge provides amazing tools and resources to guide and support you through the entire process:

• FREE Assessment Tools
• Access to over 1,000 Job Boards on ONE site
• A FREE Resume Builder and Career Advisor
• Information on Educational Opportunities
• FREE Weekly Teleconference Calls on “Hot Topics”
• A Resource Library filled with Audios, Videos and Articles
• Access to 100 FREE Resume Cards for Networking

Our goal is to make your job search more efficient and productive.  Register now and see the benefits of Kinsa CareerEdge yourself!