Expion is an award-winning Recruitment Company specialising in recruiting top talent for the Food & FMCG, Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices, Engineered Products and Automotive, Distribution & Logistics Sectors.
Experts in our markets
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COMBINED YEARS OF RECRUITMENT EXPERIENCE - EXPert opinION
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PLACEMENTS SINCE 2010 AND COUNTING
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RETAINED SEARCH HEADHUNT PLACEMENTS SINCE 2010
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INTERIM PLACEMENTS IN THE LAST 2 YEARS
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Sam was incredibly helpful throughout the whole recruitment process. He was approachable, attentive and offered brilliant communication. All questions I had were answered with urgency and a great...
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Zoe is one of the very few recruiters I've dealt with that actually communicates on a regular basis and responds to every phone call, even if there's no update! Even though Zoe was off work, she u...
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As an Interim Contractor in Food and FMCG, I have worked on several contracts with clients managed through Caroline and I can honestly say that her attitude and enthusiasm are second-to-none in the...
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I have known Andrew for a few years now and have worked together with him on multiple occasions. Andrew is honest and true to his word. He gets under the skin of role requirements and understands t...
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In my role as Sales Director at Roberts Bakery, I worked together with Andrew at Expion, to recruit new FMCG sales team members into the sales team. I recommend Andrew, he would seek to understand ...
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I have worked with Richard for many years as a client, he is a very experienced professional with a strong knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry. Richard provides an excellent service with regul...
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We work with organisations from start-ups to global giants. We have a loyal community of talent. Making sure we operate to ensure clients and candidates have the best experience with us is at the heart of what we do.
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UK Report on Jobs - May 2021
The UK Report on Jobs was released recently, produced by the REC and KPMG.It's positive news. Not only did vacancies rise at their fastest rate for 23 years in April, key growth areas were across IT, Accounting & Finance and Engineering. This has sent starting salaries rising, but against a reducing candidate pool. What's fuelling this? The article shares more but we predict this trend to continue.https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/news/press-releases/report-jobs-recruitment-activity-rebounds-near-record-rates-april-easing-lockdown-boosts-market-confidence
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Client It's a digital world
It’s a digital world – how the world of FMCG and Consumer goods has changed in May 2021It really is. And more so since Covid. We’ve said many times, Covid has accelerated things. And we’ve seen that in the FMCG and Consumer arenas that we recruit into.Here’s some insight into how the market has behaved, and this week we’ll share how things have changed in this space.So, what have we seen? Well, in contrast to a year ago, we’ve seen an increase in the number of roles within marketing, and digital marketing. The explosion in online sales has been so great, that many retailers, (and perhaps those who hadn’t paid as much attention to online), have been on an upward trajectory in digital marketing.POS, once the focus of many merchandising teams, has had to shift into online POS and Customer Experience is key. Gaining insight into the attitudes and behaviours of shoppers has been critical to success and we’ve seen a shift in roles towards our clients seeking candidates with specific online and digital marketing skills. Specifying which retailers a candidate should have experience with, such as Amazon, has heightened demand for those in these areas.Who’s busy, busy, busy?The Toy industry has performed well over the last year. Perhaps there’s an element of pester power, but lockdown and spending more time at home has no doubt been the key driver in this market.But coupled with this, there’s also been a key trend in people wanting to lift the spirits of their families, and those of friends and colleagues. Gifting has also overperformed and whether we’ve become more compassionate or not, business operating in these areas have been recruiting candidates with digital and consumer marketing skills.Just like we saw in the Engineered Products review, products for the home and garden have spiked, and candidates with knowledge and skills in these areas have had their choice of roles.But all of our clients are still cautious. Once people start to travel again, will there be the same demand? Time will tell, but many HR teams are paying close attention to the OD within their businesses as to over-recruit now, means pain later.Euromonitor discusses many of these trends, and consumers demand for increased activism from products will only increase, as will their expectation of a seamless online experience. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ten-global-consumer-trends-for-2021-11610976600What do candidates wantOh, can we ever tell? Well, this is a candidate led market. It was before, but it’s grown. People are very focused on the culture of a business – is it right for me? Will I be able to develop my skills and experience? Does the business have a wellbeing agenda? Candidates want to feel valued, that they’re a person, not a number. They’ll research staff turnover and attrition, who also works there and are there long-term prospects? They want trust, not micro-management.They also want a straightforward recruitment process. Most first interviews are still taking place online, and in the case of remote working, at second and subsequent stages as well. This streamlines the experience of candidates, and in the world of those who create and market customer and consumer experience (CX), it needs to.More than ever, candidates are expecting flexibility. Hybrid working is here to stay and coupled with that, benefits are also important. It was reported on 6th May by the BBC, 43 out of 50 big employers asked stated they do not intend for staff to return to the office or workplace full time.Will the upwards demand for candidates continue? We think so in 2021 and we’re busier than ever in this area. And with opportunities aplenty, why not?It’ll costWith the rising demand for marketers over sales professionals, salaries for astute marketers are escalating. Bigger businesses are paying more, pushing salaries upwards and annual salary reviews need to reflect the work that’s gone in, and the results. And for those with strong online retailer experience, www.amazon.co.uk, www.AO.com and suchlike, this knowledge can command a heftier package.We’re seeing an increase in counteroffers in this area. In April, 4 out of 5 offers to our candidates were met with a counteroffer. That’s scary stats for Hiring Managers and HR teams. And the counteroffers have been generous, making ‘staying’ even more appealing. But the overriding view of this sector, is that it’s never been more exciting. Pace, innovation and competition has driven change like ever before, and we suspect this trend will continue.For more information or to discuss, please contact us or get in touch with Zoe Gudgeon
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Client The Engineering Market April 2021
The Engineering MarketEngineering is a well-documented ‘skills shortage’ and as recruiters, we know that it can be hard for businesses to attract talented engineers with the skill set they require.This week, we’ll be looking in more detail at the trends and challenges facing businesses recruiting in this area, and what this means for candidates who are considering a career move.According to machinery.co.uk, 85% of manufacturing businesses are feeling the strain of a lack of skilled workers (March 2021) and 18% of businesses are understaffed across their engineering teams.We concur. Since January this year, 30% of the vacancies that we have taken on at Expion are within engineering. And the roles are across the board. From Head of Engineering and Chief Engineers, through to multi-skilled and packaging engineers.What’s the cause of the skill shortage? Over 40% of businesses cite a lack of qualified candidates, along with an aging workforce and a lack of willing apprentices. But what of the stats? Around 186,000 new engineers are needed until 2024, but there’s a deficit of 20,000 annually according to Industryeurope.com. Can we blame Brexit? Perhaps, but the skilled workers scheme shouldn’t prevent anyone with engineering skills coming to the UK, although with Covid, I suspect this scheme hasn’t been truly tested.So if you’re recruiting in engineering and feeling the pressure, you’re not alone. How to attract engineers into your businessThere’s no one size fits all. We recommend creating a ‘proposition’ to share with recruiters, or work with your recruiter or HR team to create one.It’s like a sales tool. Have a brainstorm of why someone would want to join the business and the team. What makes you unique? What can you offer that another business can’t? I’m not talking about money here – it’s about opportunity, progression and engineers love to have the chance to broaden their experience. And if you’re recruiting in project engineering, what’s the value of projects an incoming project engineer would be able to work on?Be open (as much as you can) on the specification of the candidate. A tight spec with a long list of must haves is a sure way to reduce your candidate pool. Could you attract someone from an industry that isn’t performing so well? Aerospace firms have been hit hard by Covid, whereas those in FMCG, Pharma and Distribution have thrived.Are you paying competitively? If you’re below market rate, you’ll find yourself short of talent and unable to compete. Could you consider someone part-qualified? Supporting someone who is training can be a good way of managing salary banding and contributing to developing future succession for your business. Keep ‘em sweetRetaining your engineering talent is one way to avoid having to recruit. But it’s deeper than that.We’re seeing a lot more commitment to personal development, and employers offering to pay costs and give time out to study for engineers who wish to continue their studies, as far as degree level and masters in some cases. Engineers seeking chartered status can be picky over who they join, and will want to ensure that the business will seek to support them, often within a defined time period. Staff are far less likely to leave if you are funding their development, and especially if there’s a tie in period after qualification. Francesca, who heads up our Automotive division said ‘Businesses are also paying the fees and supporting their engineers in achieving chartered status’She added ‘A lot of companies are pushing on with apprenticeship recruitment programmes.This is a stark contrast to the last recession where the large majority pulled out of their apprenticeship schemes, and it's a sign that they have felt the pain of a diminishing candidate pool’. There are other insights too. From offering secondments to other departments/divisions and involvement with business initiatives (D&I, wellbeing), businesses are driving ways to not only develop, but keep their talent. Who’s helping? From government, schools and organisations working in the sector, there are numerous initiatives to encourage young people to pursue STEM careers. The long term vision is to encourage more people into skills-short areas, but will they ever catch up? We don’t know. But there are a variety of people and organisations helping. From the Automotive 30% Club to The Engineering Development Club, these organisations promote STEM careers and run programmes in schools to inspire and motivate young people to consider technical careers. The growth of the UTC framework of schools is designed to bring technical vocations to life for young people and grow the next generation of engineers. #stemambassadors also do amazing work in schools. Talking about the day-to-day life of people in industry makes STEM careers seem less ‘technical’ and more achievable. Let’s hope these amazing initiatives have a big impact on the future of our engineering capability Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Diversity and inclusivity are rising up the agenda for many businesses, who are also looking at creative ways to attract a diverse candidate pool - through cross-training, mentorship and buddy systems to really support people from diverse backgrounds in joining and building a long-term career in the engineering sector. There are also plenty of initiatives around accessibility. How can employers make roles more accessible to candidates with disabilities? Many websites are being modified to ensure accessibility for all, and this should also mean an increase in applications from diverse applicants. And don’t forget, every recruitment process needs to be accessible to all.Want to know more? Contact our team here
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