Adding Value as an Employee

I am in the middle of interviewing wine industry executives who have made the career move from winemaking to management. I am putting together a presentation for Women for Winesense's Winemaker's Roundtable coming up in May. A common theme I am coming across when talking to these executives is the idea of making yourself indispensable. Some managers have learned that by getting involved in many different areas within a winery you learn a lot, discover areas you can contribute to, and when needed you can fill in in many different areas--sometimes that just happens to be in upper level management positions.

I have also been working with a lot of consultants recently who provide their expertise to companies that are starting-up new operations, revamping companies or turning around troubled enterprises. Consultants tend to be multi-taskers, and experts in their field. Something that I'm hearing a lot is that while they may be an expert in sales, they also can help with administrative development or financial reporting, or similar disciplines. I think the successful consultants are quick to point out other areas they can help their clients in, making them indispensable as well.

So, after talking to these industry experts, I have also been talking with many job seekers with several years of experience under their belts. While they may be very skilled at what they do, I am hearing many of them say what else they can offer. Some winemakers have mentioned their sales savvy and direct to consumer activities. Some sales people have made sure I understand that they have been working with luxury goods companies on movie and television product placement programs. And many wine professionals demonstrate their wine education and hospitality savvy.

Perhaps, in a down economy the need for adding value to your current or future employer is more important than ever. So think about what you can offer. Do you have tasting room experience, hospitality industry knowledge, cross-selling experience, wine education certification, a lengthy list of buyers who will go with you anywhere, or exceptional people skills. Let people know, and then deliver these skills whenever and wherever they are needed.

Thoughts from Unified

Last week the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium was held here in Sacramento. It is one of the largest seminars and trade shows that the wine industry has. I have been attending it for years, and it is always a barometer for how the wine industry is doing, as well as more personally, how WineTalent is doing. It was at the 2005 Unified Symposium when I offically announced that I was opening my own winery executive recruitment company. Prior to that, I had attended the meeting for several years while working for my old employer.

Every year the seminar covers the overall economic situation for the wine industry as well as current trends in sales, marketing, winemaking and viticulture. Having attended it for years, I've seen those charts arrow up and down. I've seen the changes in winery marketing involving websites, blogs and now Facebook and Twitter. The big wines have gone from White Zinfandel to Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Noir. And I've looked at a lot of tractors and other machinery in the trade show.

But one notable change that I saw this year was a dearth of postings on the Job Board. (yes, there had to be an employment slant to this posting, dear reader). From the first year I attended I have put a job posting on the job board that Unified has set up outside the exhibit hall. I have become such a slave to the job board, I now jockey for space on the board the first day the convention center opens for registration. This year I quickly put up my business cards front and center on the board and followed up with my marketing posting the first day of the symposium. Checking back on it from time to time I replenished my business card supply and checked out any other postings that were there. I started to see an alarming pattern. There were VERY few other postings up there. I think by the end of day three there were only four jobs listed from wineries, of which at least one was a summer internship. There were several cards posted of job seekers and consultants which is not unusual. One surprising thing was that none of my usual recruiting competitors were there.

While I was able to get WineTalent posted front and center, this lack of other winery jobs is troubling. Going to visit some of my old friends in the trade show I grabbed Wine Country Classifieds recent mailer. This only had one or two jobs listed. I know Winejobs.com hasn't had the usual volume of advertising. Yes, it is a slow time for hiring many winery jobs, but there are usually more openings that what I saw last week.

The economic and business discussion during the seminars reflected the tough times many wineries have faced in the last 12 months. But wine consumption is up again this last year, and several wineries have experienced good sales for 2009. While small producers and high priced brands were hit hardest, there were still many success stories in those areas, as well as wineries that had stellar results. While many of the experts were quietly optimistic, this was not evident on the job board. There have been some comments that things are beginning to improve and the economy is getting better--both for the economy at large and for the winery world. I do see some new energy going into recruiting and have a sense there will be some increased movement in the job market this year.

One surprising turn of events this year was that someone ripped my posting down. Three days I had it up with no problems--which is normal. When I went by on Thursday, it was nowhere to be found. A couple of my cards were still on the board from days earlier, and I did have a backup posting which I quickly put up. But I was surprised that with all the real estate up for grabs, my posting would be taken down. There were a few business cards from a recruiting service I have never heard up right where my posting had been. Did they take mine down? I think there is room enough for a few winery recruiters in today's market, and there was plenty of area for more business cards to be tacked up. I hope it wasn't a mean-spirited recruiter who removed my information. We all need to be professionals in the wine business and the recruiting business to make sure people--both candidates and clients--want to do business with us.

Ok, so maybe there is a bit of the Cranky Recruiter in this post, but I do see things improving out there on the job front. It may be taking longer to find a job, but let's hope it is thawing out a bit and new opportunities will present themselves to you. Keep chipping away at your job hunting activities--patience and persistence often brings rewards to those who practice them.

Cranky Recruiter: Don't Take it out on Me

I am just getting back in the swing of things after taking a few days off to recuperate. This summer has been very busy for WineTalent. Now that most of my positions have been filled, I had to take a bit of time to just relax. Well, now that's over. Back to work.

First of all, let me apologize to anyone that I owe a call to. I do keep track of all my voicemails, and will get back to you one way or another. Sometimes I can't return all the calls during business hours, and will send you an email. Yes, I know if you've left me a couple of voicemails, and will touch bases soon.

Second, my inbox often comes first. This might be sad to say, but I do try to get through all my emails first. This may be a function of our new electronic society--or just how I work. I do receive 10 times the amount of emails than I receive of voicemail, and have to start somewhere.

Third, I do keep your resume in my database and always look there first when a new opening comes up. I always encourage you to check in with me from time to time. You don't know how often that pays off for people. Check out this related post: Where do I find Candidates.

Okay, now why I'm cranky. I have been working in recruitment for a long time. Recently, I have been getting more angry candidates. This could be because I am working on a wider array of positions. Or maybe because by being in business for many years, I know a lot more people, some of which are grumpy. But I think I know what the situation is: the job market. With so many people laid off and the job hunt being tough, I may be a convenient whipping boy when someone doesn't get called for a job, or isn't getting hired as quickly as they would like.

Job hunting is never fun, I know. And if your hunt is stretching on longer than you envisioned, it may be psychologically and financially unnerving when you don't get called about a job. But lashing out at your friends, your family, and yes, even your recruiter isn't the solution. Get up and get back in the hunt. Start at square one. What job do you want. Then, what job can you get, and what job are you willing to take. If you have steered away from lower level jobs, time to get your name in there. If you haven't let some of your old colleagues know you are looking, call them. If you aren't looking at many different sources for jobs, broaden your search. If you are showing up for interviews in business casual attire, take that suit to the dry cleaners, shine your shoes and iron that dress shirt. Kick it up a notch.

And turn that frown upside down! A positive outlook and sunny demeanor help tremendously when you are interacting with colleagues, friends, recruiters, and interviewers. A smile and firm handshake go a long way in the business world--so stand tall, be proud, smile and tell them you want the job. You always want the company and hiring manager to know that you want the job and to work with them. We all want to be wanted, so make sure you express your interest in any job opportunity you hear about.

Okay, back to the inbox, and yes, the voicemails.

Is the Wine Industry a Growing One?

Back in 2004 I started up WineTalent after years of dreaming about it. I had always enjoyed working with winery professionals. I also believe that great talent is needed to continue to push the industry forward.

One of my first WineTalent meetings was with an industry veteran. He asked me why I was focusing solely on the wine industry, and didn't I think there wasn't much future in the industry. I started sweating bullets. What? I was thinking it was a growing industry. I wanted to focus on the wine industry because I believe a focused approach in business is the best. I also thought there was enough business to sustain a recruiting company for the unforseeable future. I stuck to my guns and expressed those thoughts to him. Luckily, he was only playing devil's advocate, and agreed that the industry was seeing a lot of growth, that there were a lot of changes coming to the industry, and that dedicated, personalized service is a very good approach in the wine industry.

Fast forward to 2009. The US and world economy is reeling from the meltdown of 2008. Wine companies are feeling the squeeze from people not eating out as often, and from people trading down to lower priced wine. But the bright spot is that wine consumption is up. For decades the US consumed more beer than other alcoholic beverages, and only about three years ago did wine consumption eclipse that of other alcoholic beverages. Wine has also been embraced by the millenial generation--those coming of adulthood in 2000 or later. The Millenials are a large generation, second to the baby boomers I believe. Much of the snobbery of wine is being replaced by enjoyment of wine with family and friends in a social atmosphere. This is all good news for wineries, wine employees, and related services, such as me.

With the rising tide of lay-offs I am getting more calls than ever from people hoping to make the move from another industy into wine. Are they just looking to do it because they are drinking more wine--hopefully not. I do believe that most of these people enjoy learning about and drinking wine, and would like to combine that interest with a career in an expanding industry.

I counsel people regularly about switching industries. While many positions require previous wine and spirits experience, there are several positions that can easily allow a career transition. Another point that I mention to people is that many of the people in the wine industry have themselves made a career path move to get into the wine industry. These career-switchers are somewhat more open to looking at people with diverse job experience, and will take the time to discuss possible areas of employment. It isn't that far off that a highly successful person has decided to take some of her earnings and start up a winery. This leap is celebrated often--and can be duplicated on a smaller scale in lots of winery jobs.

So, I do see that there are many areas of growth in the wine industry, and that it is a business with some transition possibilities. It is never a snap to make a industry change, but it is better to look to go into a growing industry than a stagnant or shrinking one.

Is that a real job posting?

As a recruiter, I am continuously searching for new candidates for openings. While I have several open positions I am working on, I also know that certain positions are soon to come open. I do my fair share of advertising for current openings. I also post common job titles that I frequently have openings for. What I don't do is post phony listings to attract job seekers.

Today's Wall Street Journal had an interesting article in the Career Journal about phony online job postings. The article, It Isn't Always a Job Behind an Online Job Posting, by Sarah Needleman, discusses some of the ploys used by job placement companies as well as of scammers.

I do advise against sending your resume out to any posting you see. Recruiting and staffing firms often post general job descriptions to lure prospective job seekers to submit a resume. Often, these resumes will be useful for current or future positions, and adds more candidates to the search firms coffers. But if you are hoping to have a confidential search, make sure you contact the company and find out as much as you can about the opportunity. If it doesn't sound real, hold off on submitting your resume. If you have skills that closely match a true opening, a good recruiter will follow up with you to find out more about you.

Also, with the tough economic times, beware of putting too much information out for scammers to see. Online job sites are reporting increased scams. Scammers use postings to get personal information, including full names, addresses and job information that they can use for identity theft. Also, career services firms may be phishing to get people who might pay for their services. If your resume submittal turns into a come-on for services--beware. A job posting should be just that--an opening for a real position.

It's the Economy, Stupid. I'll drink to that.

In today's newspaper and Wine Business newsfeeds there were several articles about the economy and its impact on the wine industry. The Sacramento Bee had an informative article, to look at. Last night watching The Colbert Report, Maria Bartiromo was the guest, talking about the stock market. It has been a wild ride, with long reaching effects on our daily lives. From consumers not spending money to eat out, to wine drinkers trading down to a more affordable brand of wine, the wine industry is feeling it just as much. But as the article pointed out, even when people aren't eating out, they are still drinking wine at home. Whenever I talk about the economy and the wine industry, people always quip that drinking is one thing that is recession proof. While I think that is an oversimplification, wine sales continue to be strong. I've decided that I will take Maria's advise and diversify. I'm putting my money in several different assets, and buying a wide range of wines--a few of those cult wines to age in the cellar for healthy returns, some luxury wines to impress guests, and a few cases of $2 Chuck. I guess right now for the proper Return on Investment, I should be drinking the $2 Chuck when I look at my stocks' performance.

Sideways: 4 Years Later

In the summertime four years ago I was planning my escape from corporate America. Being a member of the re-engineering team for my old employer, I saw firsthand what direction the company was going in. At a meeting in the summer of 2004 my colleagues and I were given a financial analysis of our business centers, and told that the majority of our business was not desirable going forward. I remember reviewing my data, and feeling nauseous. Much of the business I had built over the last 9 years was deemed unfit. These were clients I had brought in to the company and developed a great relationship with. I just couldn't see how I was going to go to my clients and tell them that I was no longer going to work with them. And in my mind, most of the business was solid and highly desirable.

For years I had dreamt of being a headhunter in the wine industry. My old boss could even see the glimmer in my eye, and told me to wait awhile. So once he left and the company quickly went downhill, I knew the time was right. I started to plan my exit.

I left in the fall of 2004. Right as I was wrapping up my corporate life, the movie "Sideways" made its debut. This independent film stole the show. Not only did it make a great profit for the producers, it also brought attention to a previously underrated winemaking area. If this quirky friendship movie set in the quiet winemaking area of the Central Coast could do so well, the time must surely be perfect to start up my own winery recruitment company. So WineTalent became a reality.

As I started contacting my old friends in the business, I also spoke to a lot of aspiring winemakers who were looking for a new position. Everyone wanted to get a position making Pinot in Paso. My positions in Napa and Sonoma just weren't as attractive as they had been a year earlier. So if people wanted a job in Santa Barbara, I had better get some positions down there. Calling on friends who had moved down there was helpful, but there just wasn't the same infrastructure in place down there as there was up in Northern California. Wineries were mostly small, and there wasn't much staff change going on.

Things have changed over the years. A couple of years ago my Sonoma openings were very easily filled. People didn't want to take positions in Napa due to the high cost of living there. This year I'm getting a lot more Central Coast positions, and have found that people are leaving their geographic preferences fairly open. Could this be a sign of the economy, the cost of housing, or the fickle tastes of the wine world? I am sure it's a bit of all three. So as a good service provider, I will continue to anticipate the needs of my clients and candidates, geographically, varietally and economically.

But I still think that "Sideways" was an omen. Wine has become the drink of choice of America, new winemaking areas are attractive, and business has been very good. What wine movie will come up to make and impact on WineTalent next? Hopefully I'm ready.

Unified Wine and Grape Symposium: Follow-up

The whirlwind of the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium is over now, and I'm catching up with lots of new contacts and old friends. The State of the Industry meeting was informative. As I mentioned, the economic downturn was reflected in forecasts for 2008. The wine industry has been expanding in the last several years, and things have been very positive for wineries. Sales have increased, price points have risen, new wineries have been opening up, and corporations have continued with their acquisitions.

One of the telling indicators was the data from restaurant sales. One of the best performers in restaurant sales has been Cabernet Sauvignon, often at high price points. The presenter mentioned that one of the reasons is that these wines are bought often by bankers and other executives during business meals on their expense accounts. As the economy, and specifically banking, is hit, those dinners will be curtailed by both the individual and the companies footing the expense check. There was caution expressed about sales going forward--so the wine industry is understanding that consumers may have less money to spend on special occassions, higher prices luxury items and related purchases. But consumers are buying wine in the US like never before, and younger people, namely the "millenials" are buying lots of wine.

Trends in wine drinking are reflecting the health benefit findings from 2007 of compounds in red wine. Red Wine consumptions has continued to increase. Wine drinkers are also becoming more willing to try new varietals, with lighter red wines seeing more sales, as well as different varietals including Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio seeing big increases in restaurant purchases.

Pinot Noir is still the biggest winner in the varietal category. Merlot and blush wines are still the ugly stepchildren of the wine world. Surprisingly, as long as you are a Rose wine and not a blush wine, things look rosy for you. So those of use who like a good pink wine can drink it knowing it's still cool!

The falling dollar has also had an effect on wine sales of imports. Spain and Italy have done very well marketing to US consumers, reflected in their increased sales figures.

Although everyone is screaming recession in the popular media, indicators show continued consumer spending in wine. So smart wineries should be able to take the Unified data and make educated decisions to continue strong wine sales.