FMCG SMEs: Trying To Scale

FMCG SMEs are trying to scale - but the talent market hasn’t made it easy. This week alone, I’ve had conversations with three founders who are:

✅ Ready to grow

✅ Clear on their commercial goals

❌ Struggling to hire the right people to get there

Why? Because the current hiring market for sales, marketing and ops roles in FMCG is... tight.

• Salary expectations have moved.

• Top candidates are off the market in under 14 days.

• EVP matters more than ever - especially for challenger brands.

• And many briefs are still built around who someone worked for, not what they can do.

Here’s what the most successful SMEs are doing differently right now:

• They're defining roles based on outcomes, not job titles

• They're aligning hires to 6–12 month growth goals, not just firefighting

• They're treating candidates like partners, not applicants

• And they’re investing in their hiring story, because the best people want to believe in what they’re joining

If you’re an FMCG founder or people lead struggling to bring the right talent in, you’re not alone. The good news? There are solutions - but they start with looking at hiring through a different lens that includes people with career gaps or immediately available FYI!

Happy to share what we’re seeing and what’s actually working.

This article was first published in LinkedIn, click here to see original post.