2021 Hiring trends: A new year, a new approach for CPG

We predict 2021 hiring trends will be affected dramatically by 2020. Last year was one full of personal and professional challenges. It was a time of novel solutions to previously unheard-of problems. The CPG industry had to make adjustments, meet new challenges of a more digital age, and overcome new obstacles present in an increasingly remote work culture.

On the heels of these changes, 2021 hiring trends will come on just as quickly. Cameron Smith & Associates wants all of our CPG client partners and the candidates we represent to be ready and able to take full advantage of what we believe will be a year full of opportunity. 

A return to business

The “new normal” was defined by businesses reducing their physical presence in order to protect employees from harm and the loss of resources from a nearly frozen economy. All signs, including a growing list of safe and effective vaccines, are pointing to this year being one of recovery, growth and positivity.

These new medications have given us a potential end to this crisis. The reality of safer working environments will affect public sentiment; people will begin to feel more comfortable in closer proximity to others and more comfortable with a return to more traditional workspaces. 

The short of it is that companies, bolstered by improved conditions and an economy in desperate need of restored supply lines will need a massive number of individuals to return to their previous capabilities. 2021 hiring trends will be defined by a demand for qualified talent and, in turn, competition for sought-after, specialized skill sets. 

The rise of a hybrid model

2021 hiring trends will also be significantly marked by how important flexibility is to the exceptional talent companies are seeking to add to their executive arsenal. 

The past year offered many companies the chance to examine their digital resources and determine how capable or lacking their ability to work remotely was. Being unable to go into the office to meet with potential talent during the interview process forced many organizations to adapt their recruitment efforts, shifting to video conferencing software like Zoom or other remote digital tools. 

If your company has enhanced its remote capabilities and learned how to utilize the full potential of incorporating remote work into their business model, chances are they will begin to see more and more places where a remote employee, free of the geographical restrictions of a commute or having to be physically present at the “Monday morning meeting,” will be able to be drawn from literally anywhere in the world. 

2021 hiring trends will see the potential talent pool deepen but will also see the need for an experienced and discerning eye to ensure quality is extracted from increased quantity. 

How we communicate with talent

The direct repurposing of social media, the use of digital assessment software to screen out candidates that don’t meet specialized needs, and the use of AI and machine learning are all digital strategies that will affect how business talent is accessed.

Our predicted 2021 hiring trends will see the need for those headhunters and the most modern means of quickly and accurately placing candidates within client companies that fit their unique cultural dynamic. While digital tools are powerful, wielding them is still a matter of knowing people and having the experience to make decisions that will always benefit the client. 

At Cameron Smith & Associates, we believe 2021 will be a significant period of recovery and transformation. Working with a CPG recruiter with the experience to take full advantage of traditional and developing business models will position your company to deal with and capitalize on any and all 2021 hiring trends.