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Food for Thought on Manufacturing Recruitment

4 September 2026

Food for Thought on Manufacturing Recruitment

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Tackling the COVID-19 impact on the manufacturing industry with temporary and contract hires.

It has certainly been an interesting year in the world of food manufacturing. Workers in food factories across the country have finally received the recognition they deserve – as heroes in our communities.

Depending on what you produce – and who you produce it for – you’ve likely seen your sales skyrocket or plummet. Some of my clients have been fortunate enough to enjoy their best years on record and others have unfortunately not shared the same success.

The most successful businesses to survive (or thrive) in 2020 will be those who have been able innovate their business model to react to the changes around us. This could achieved by targeting a new customer market, increasing your product portfolio or enhancing your current services.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, it can be hard to create some of those changes internally as your staff are accustomed to “business as usual”. You might not have anyone working for you who is experienced in the target market you wish to conquer, or you may be have a skill-gap around new product types. Or it might be the case that for budgetary reasons, you can’t afford another full-time salary on the books.


But what can you do to resolve this?

So far this year, I’ve assisted many of my food manufacturing client-base with short-term contract and interim staff so that they can provide new insights into a fresh target market. There’s an army of incredibly talented Technical & NPD staff out there who can help your business develop tasty new products to reach new audiences, or provide assistance in tailoring your specifications so that a new retailer would be interested in stocking your products.

In a classic “win-win” situation, you could add a temporary additional headcount to your workforce, enabling you to innovate your offerings and bring in some extra revenue. Plus you are providing economic relief to someone who needs it.

All that remains is finding a recruitment partner who can help narrow down the vast pool of candidates and locate exactly the type of skills or experience your business needs – this is where The ONE Group come in. We partner with some of the UK’s most recognized food manufacturers and have been supporting recruitment requirements for the last sixteen years.

As the leading independent recruiter in the East of England. Our tried and tested approach to understanding clients’ needs and providing an industry-leading service has enabled us to keep our doors open (metaphorically speaking, of course!) throughout this turbulent year.

With our industry-specific consultants, we are able to perform a truly consultative approach, whilst also suggesting candidates known to us who we feel could help add value to your business.

Why not give us a call on 01733 234000 to see what we can do for you.

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THE ONE GROUP

Where we're from,
and how we got here

Twenty years of specialist recruitment in the East – and a lot of small decisions that added up.

TOG started in Peterborough in 2004 with a small team and a simple idea: that recruitment is a people business, done best by specialists who stay in their sector long enough to know it properly.

More than two decades on, we've grown into four offices across the East of England and Home Counties. We recruit for finance leaders, HR directors, engineering managers, tech founders, scientists, and the commercial teams that keep businesses running day to day. Between us, we've built up over 258 years of collective recruitment experience across our specialist divisions, and a network of more than 150,000 candidates we've placed, coached, or come to know across two decades in the region.

The founding principle hasn't changed. Recruitment as it should be.

OUR STORY

Key events timeline

2004

Doors open in Peterborough.

Our first office launches with a team of six on Lynch Wood. Cambridge follows the same year, giving us two offices before our first anniversary.

2015

Northampton makes it three.

Our third office opens with a team of five, quickly growing to eleven consultants covering the wider Midlands region.

2017

Peterborough moves across the road.

The team has outgrown the founding office. We move into Arena House on Lynch Wood, big enough for a growing consultant base and the back-office team that supports the whole group.

2018

Cambridge moves too.

Our second office relocates to Cambourne Business Park, giving the growing Cambridge team the space it now needs.

2023

Four offices, three counties, one very good year.

The Hertfordshire & Essex office opens in Potters Bar, extending our footprint into the Home Counties.

In the same year, we're named Business of the Year in Northamptonshire, and Employer of the Year in both Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire at the regional SME Business Awards. Three counties, three panels.

TODAY

Still growing.

Four offices, more than 258 years of collective recruitment experience across our specialist divisions, and a network of over 150,000 candidates.

Same founding principle.

SPECIALISTS BY DESIGN

What we do

We're specialists, not generalists. Every consultant at TOG focuses on one sector and stays in it. Not because it's the only way to do recruitment, but because it's how you build the depth to spot the difference between a strong CV and a strong hire.

It's also why so many of our clients come back to us years, even decades, after a first placement.

01
Accountancy & Finance
→
 02
Human Resources
→
 03
Commercial Office
Administration, customer service, project management and more
→
 04
Technology
→
 05
Engineering & Manufacturing
→
 06
Scientific
→
 07
Sales, Marketing & Creative
→
 08
Executive Search
Across all of the above
→

Beyond the recruitment itself, we produce annual salary guides, regional market reports, and the practical resources our clients and candidates turn to when they want a clearer view of what's happening in their sector.

THE WAY WE WORK

How we work

Four principles show up in every conversation and every process.
01

Be curious.

We stay interested in the market we work in, and in the people who work in it.

02

Keep it human.

We remember your kids' names and know how you take your coffee. That's just how we work here.

03

Make a difference.

We're here to help people build careers they love and businesses they're proud of.

04

Enjoy the ride.

Recruitment is a career, but it should be fun too. If it isn't, we've done something wrong.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Recruitment
as it should be.

Hire with TOG → Looking for a role →
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