Local Labour-Market Research for a Food Manufacturer

The client

Our client is a food manufacturer in the North West of England recruiting operational staff, including warehouse operatives, forklift drivers and machine operators. They were competing for the same pool of workers as some of the region's best-known logistics, e-commerce, food production, parcel, automotive and port employers, and wanted an evidence-based view of where they stood.

The brief

The client needed to understand what the local market was really offering and how their own package compared. Specifically, they wanted to know:

• What competing employers pay, and how

• Which shift patterns, overtime terms and benefits candidates were being offered elsewhere

• What local workers value, what frustrates them and what would make them move

• How well known the client was in their own labour catchment

Our approach

As a research-led recruiter, we combined desk research with direct outreach.

Market data. We benchmarked 20 employers within a 10-mile radius of the client's site, plus a small number of comparators requested by the client at up to 18 miles. We compiled the data from live job adverts, employee-reported pay on Breakroom, Glassdoor and Indeed, union documentation and published company benefits.

Voice of the market. We approached 91 candidates and employees across the competitor set and held 15 in-depth conversations about pay, shifts, motivation, travel and awareness of the client.

What the report contains

Part One: The market data

• Entry rates ranked for warehouse operatives, forklift drivers and machine and process operators, with direct, agency and mixed employers clearly distinguished so the figures could be compared fairly

• Full comparison tables covering hourly rate, overtime terms, shift pattern, days on and off, and pay frequency

• An analysis of overtime rates and trigger points, which vary more than headline rates suggest

• Shift patterns shown down to the clock times, for all 20 employers

• Pay frequency, and why weekly pay matters to workers on tight budgets

• A benefits comparison covering holiday, pension, healthcare and notable extras

• A proximity map showing which employers compete hardest for the same workers

• A data confidence rating, so the client knew which figures were confirmed, estimated or dated

Part Two: Voice of the Market

• Awareness of the client among local workers

• What drives operatives, including pay, shift pattern, commute and family security

• Representative accounts from the shop floor

• Recurring frustrations, particularly commuting and forklift training that does not transfer between employers

Part Three: Where the client stands

• Their strongest recruitment advantage, set against what the market was failing to provide

• Areas where their offer sat behind the market, framed as discussion points for leadership

• A summary of what the findings mean and a set of practical recommendations

What we found

• Pay opens the door, but rarely decides alone. Most operative rates clustered in a narrow band, so shift pattern, commute and benefits often tipped the decision.

• Direct and agency rates are not like-for-like. Several headline rates were agency figures inflated by shift uplift, a trap that can lead employers to misjudge the market.

• Weekly pay is rare and valued. Only one direct employer in the set advertised it.

• Recognition is a recruitment lever. None of the workers we spoke to had heard of the client. In a tight market, an unfamiliar name is a disadvantage before anyone reads an advert.

• There was a clear differentiator to lead with. Many competitors trained forklift licences in-house only, which do not transfer between employers. Genuine, portable training is something workers actively want.

The result

The client received a clear, evidence-based picture of their local market, a shortlist of low-cost levers for improving their offer, and a recommended order of priority: build local awareness first, then compete on the right terms. The findings gave leadership a firm basis for decisions on pay, overtime, holiday, transport and recruitment messaging, rather than relying on assumptions.

Why it matters

• Decisions grounded in evidence: Offers are benchmarked against what candidates actually see, not guesswork.

• Real voices, not just advertised rates: Direct conversations show what pay tables cannot, such as why people leave and what they would move for.

• Practical recommendations: Every finding links to something the client can act on.

Considering a move into a new area, or struggling to attract staff?

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