Alex Rodger, marketing executive, undertook a detailed analysis of salary and package-related data from the company database to identify key trends and points of interest and compiled these into the Whitepaper.
“The comprehensive salary Whitepaper breaks down key functions by job level and highlights the average salary for each job title,” he says. “Included in the Whitepaper is information about typical pay rises in the food industry as well as an insightful discussion about the company car vs car allowance debate.”
While the Whitepaper provides details on salaries and includes a number of findings, the research also highlights that salaries in the food and drink industry have risen slightly from last year, with pay rises across the board in line with the country average of 2%. For food businesses feeling the pinch of tough trading, however, pay rises have been kept to zero.
Director of Focus Management Consultants, Stephen Jones, says: “ A number of food manufacturers introduced recruitment freezes due to lack of budget and pressures of the prevailing economic climate, while some of the smaller food manufacturing businesses were closed down, largely due to competitive squeeze from retailers and larger food manufacturing businesses.
“Our research also suggests that the food and drink industry hasn’t commissioned large-scale pay cuts to its employees in a bid to live-out the recession, which is a sign of the industry’s resilience as a whole.
“During times of recession, when other sectors tend to cut back and make redundancies, the food industry is often seen to invest heavily in innovation. This means product development recruitment can be key during these times. This has been illustrated in Focus Management Consultants recruitment throughout 2010 and 2011, which saw 36% of the business’ entire recruitment sit in the product development function. Innovation allows food businesses to stay competitive and gain market share in a time when customers tend to watch their spending.”
The Whitepaper reveals that product development technologists’ average salary is £25,000 per year, while those operating at a more senior level (head of development) receive an average annual salary of £95,000.
While there are a number of graduate schemes in the food industry, it’s amazing each year how many graduates don’t even consider a career in food manufacturing, especially considering it’s the largest manufacturing sector in the UK (and in Europe) with an annual revenue of over £70bn, employs over 500,000 people and makes up over 20% of all consumer spending.
Stephen Jones explains: “There’s a shortage of graduates entering the food manufacturing industry, which is affecting the pipeline of talent moving through the sector. Average annual earnings for a graduate in the food industry is around £23,000, which is a fair earning for any graduate, but is not as competitive as many other industries. This, coupled with a lack of knowledge about the food industry as a career, has resulted in a low level of graduates entering the industry.”
Source: Focus Management Consultants
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024