Skilful personnel recruiting plays a decisive role in the success of a company. Not least because there is also a shortage of skilled labour in the packaging industry. How can companies position themselves successfully here?
21 September 2020
(Image: Monster Ztudio/Shutterstock.com)
Skilful personnel recruiting plays a decisive role in the success of a company. Not least because there is also a shortage of skilled labour in the packaging industry. How can companies position themselves successfully here and how much flexibility is required?
Like many other sectors, the packaging industry has to deal with issues such as a shortage of skilled labour, ageing, training management and the question of a quota for women when it comes to human resources. In doing so, companies should Focus on the employer brand and the attractiveness of the entire industry. The impact of coronavirus measures and economic effects are having an impact on the packaging industry. On the one hand, there is increased demand for packaging in the food and pharmaceutical industries, while on the other hand there are production losses for other sectors.
More flexibility in recruiting?
Pauliina Rannikko is Chief Human Resources Officer at the Finnish Wipak Group, which has a turnover of around 450 million euros, 1,800 employees and a plant in Germany. She explains that when it comes to personnel recruitment, the Location factor is one of the biggest challenges. However, companies in the packaging industry are still largely characterised by conservatism. And that is why they find it difficult to Competence-based recruiting to operate.
(Image: Wipak Group)
„Companies, some of which are still conservative, find it difficult to conduct skills-based recruiting, as the focus is often on industry experience.“ Pauliina Rannikko, Chief Human Resources Officer, Wipak Group
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An impression that is confirmed by the personnel consultancy Nordic Minds, which specialises in the packaging industry. The experts, who specialise in the Swedish, Northern European and German markets, have repeatedly found in practice that companies in the packaging industry are focussing on the purely specific industry experience of the applicants focus. Career changers are rarely given an adequate opportunity.
Ms Rannikko also emphasises that recruitment from within the company's own sector is too frequent. And this would mean that companies would have to Lack of innovative strength not necessarily bring them to a top position. Another aspect: women are strongly underrepresented both in the workforce and in management. They are also much more likely to work part-time than their male colleagues. However, this does not necessarily apply to the Wipak Group, Rannikko cautions.
Per Vinge Frederiksen is CEO in Scandinavia at Smurfit Kappa, one of the leading producers of paper-based packaging. As an experienced transformation manager, he also advocates looking beyond the industry-specific horizon when recruiting personnel.
(Image: Smurfit Kappa)
„If you want to fundamentally reorganise a company, successfully reposition it or achieve a complete rethink, then you absolutely need managers from a different industry.“ Per Vinge Frederiksen, CEO Smurfit Kappa
In his opinion, this applies in particular to Key positions in Strategic Sales, Business Unit Management, HR, Finance and Project Management Office (PMO).
Strategic search in personnel recruiting
For this reason, professional recruitment consultants such as Nordic Minds are emphasising the need to pursue a new strategy in personnel matters. For the experts focussing on the Northern European and German markets, the packaging industry is one of their core business areas. They utilise a specially developed process tool, which offers customers maximum transparency in combination with market knowledge built up over many years.
In addition to the most important online and offline channels such as Linkedin and Xing, the focus here is on a discreet and structured direct approach. Here is about the Professional, skills-based and cultural fit of a candidate In addition, special care is required to create added value for all parties in every appointment.
(Image: Nordic Minds)
„We have already successfully filled several board and key positions at German and international companies in the German and European markets. The key to success is not just the technical expertise or relevant experience of the candidates, but knowing how well talents fit in culturally with the respective companies and their business areas. This is precisely where current and future challenges lie, which we are already tackling with our clients.“ Christian Fuchs, Consultant and Partner at Nordic Minds
Seize new opportunities
Today more than ever, recruitment needs to invest in the human factor. And these are also management positions that need to be filled with a little flexibility and a willingness for skills-based recruiting. The management of many companies in the sector still seem to have respect for this. According to Nordic Minds, however, there is no way around it. And the positive synergy effects that this could bring are a breath of fresh air, new ideas and inspiration into the company. This could ultimately strengthen the entire industry.
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The international recruitment consultancy Nordic Minds was founded by Marcus Honkanen, Christian Fuchs and Fanny Åberg. It has offices in Germany and Northern Europe. Over the past 15 years, the company has filled a large number of demanding positions in the packaging industry. [/infotext]
