Over the past week or so I've visited several clients across the food and horticulture-based sectors that are contemplating major recruitment drives.

We had the usual discussions about the nature of the roles coming up and the types of individuals we'd have to be on the lookout for.

Great news to hear for any recruiter but, as is the norm for me in these situations, I get round to the one question that seems to puzzle many prospective new clients isn't there anyone currently in your business who could simply be promoted into the role/roles?

I get puzzled looks, as many clients just expect the recruitment agency to take the brief and simply get on with filling the jobs. A fair point, as ultimately why should I care about anything else? Well, of course, it could just be old habits for 20-odd years before I set up MorePeople that was my practice when I was doing the job that many of our clients are doing now, but to me it's also just good business sense. Grow your own isn't just a concept that should apply to our horticultural clients.

The number of times I get the answer that there just isn't anyone within the business who is capable of stepping up or has the right skills always surprises me. On the face of it that's great news for us and other recruiters. But over the long term you need to have a succession plan in place for a business to thrive. It just makes sense, both financially and culturally.

Filling senior roles externally is costly in many ways and not just through the obvious expense of filling that particular role. There's often a cascade effect as ambitious and disaffected colleagues lower down the line see their chances of promotion either gone or at least stalled for a few years so off they go as well.

Culturally it's also a bit of a no-brainer to make sure there's a good supply of home-grown talent in the pipeline. Not only does it encourage colleagues to take a long-term view of their career within the business but also helps businesses make better long-term decisions. Short-term career horizons tend to breed short-term decision makers. Also, what tends to be the biggest reason that people 'fail'? Rarely is it shortcomings in their individual competencies these can be tested to the extreme in the selection process. No, more often it's that old intangible thing of someone not quite 'fitting in'.

So take a tip from someone who sees examples every week where the old adage that 'to fail to plan is a plan to fail' rings true, and ensure you too start to grow your own talent. Just like Alan Titchmarsh's vegetable patch, I'm sure you'll find that success tastes all the sweeter when it comes from something you've produced yourself.

Guy Moreton is director of recruitment practitioner MorePeople.

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