FMCG sector looks for focused hiring as it bets on growth

Bisleri International is currently increasing its manufacturing and distribution capacities and rapidly evolving to build a diverse team of experts and professionals.

The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is betting big on the growth which is also reflected on dashboards of staffing firms witnessing a surge in talent demand, especially in metro cities.

In December last year, the sector accounted for around 38 percent of junior-level jobs, 42 percent of middle-level jobs and 46 percent of senior-level jobs in Bengaluru followed by Mumbai and Pune, showed Randstad Talent Trends Report 2023, the latest from the human resources (HR) consulting company . Analysts say this growth may continue in FY24 also.

Kaustubh Pawaskar, an analyst with Sharekhan, recently told Moneycontrol that pricing growth should moderate even as volume growth gradually improves, which would result in decent high to low single-digit revenue growth for FMCG companies.

FMCG companies heavily rely on sales and marketing professionals to promote their products and drive revenue but nowadays Sekhar Garisa, CEO of job portal foundit, observed that companies heavily invest in consumer research and insights to understand market trends, consumer preferences and competitor analysis.

As per foundit data, there are close to 7,500 active jobs in the FMCG sector. Additionally, roles in areas such as sustainability and e-commerce are gaining importance in the industry as companies focus on environmental responsibility and online sales channels.

Focussed hiring

Companies such as Bisleri, Amway and Marico have focused hiring plans, implying a continued thrust on driving growth despite the slowdown.

Bisleri International is currently increasing its manufacturing and distribution capacities and rapidly evolving to build a diverse team of experts and professionals. Currently, it is growing the team across departments and focusing on hiring employees in marketing, IT, learning and development, data analytics and research.

ALSO READ | IT firms look for PhD talent to meet technological advancement goals

“We are looking at hiring a balance of young and experienced professionals with analytical and decision-making skills who understand the economics of the business. These employees can make decisions based on critical thinking that will help the organisation achieve its vision,” said Parag Bengali, director of HR and finance at Bisleri International.

On the other hand, Amway is strengthening its workforce across functions, including science and innovation, research and development, and digital and e-commerce functions.

Garisa of foundit said FMCG companies are preferring to hire fresh graduates through campus recruitment.

Marico’s flagship campus competition ‘Over the Wall’ engages with students from a range of B-schools, providing them with an opportunity to share innovative business ideas, work on live projects with its teams and eventually offer job opportunities to selected students.

Job roles 

As far as the distribution of job profiles is concerned, the demand at staffing firm Randstad is equally distributed across managerial business roles and finance profiles at around 20 percent each. However, it is seeing significant demand for marketing-oriented profiles and supply chain roles with approximately 25-30 percent each.

Some of the most in-demand job profiles in this industry are retail buyers, supply and distribution chain managers, and finance and marketing managers. Additionally, there is a significant demand for roles in digital marketing and tech profiles.

ALSO READ | India Inc focuses on ERGs to drive inclusion of LGBTQIA+ employees

“We have also seen new jobs like product development executive, retail analyst, market research associate, content strategist and corporate reporting manager emerge due to increased adoption of technology, ESG and innovation in the consumer goods sector,” said Sanjay Shetty, director of professional search and selection at Randstad India.

Randstad expects these developments to help maintain an offer-to-joining ratio percentage of 55-60 percent in the upcoming months with average pay anywhere between Rs 15 lakh per annum (LPA) and Rs 25 LPA for mid- to senior-level employees.