Relocation vs Reality in the Food Industry [Kinsa Group Insights]
The post-pandemic workplace has fundamentally changed how we think about talent acquisition. The shift is evident in the food and beverage industry. At Kinsa Group, our four decades of experience in food and beverage recruiting has given us a front-row seat to evolving relocation trends—and the data tells a compelling story that every employer and job seeker needs to understand.
Over the past two years, we’ve analyzed hundreds of our recruitment projects to uncover the truth about relocation expectations versus reality. The findings? They might surprise you.
The New Relocation Reality: What the Numbers Actually Show
Let’s start with the most striking statistic: nearly 9 out of 10 times, employers ultimately need either a local candidate or someone they’re willing to allow to work fully remote. This isn’t just a trend-it’s become the new standard in food and beverage recruiting and worksite management.
Here’s what our food industry job data reveals:
- 66% of jobs Kinsa recruited for required onsite work, reflecting the hands-on nature of our industry, yet only 8% successfully relocated a candidate.
- Of those onsite positions, 2 out of 3 employers offered relocation assistance.
- However, just 12% of onsite jobs that offered relocation assistance successfully placed a candidate who moved.
- Just 21% of Kinsa’s total placements over the last two years actually involved physically relocating candidates.
Perhaps most revealing is the gap between intention and action: 67% of employers initially said they would relocate the right candidate for their onsite opportunity, but only 12% ultimately helped someone make the move.
What These Relocation Trends Mean for Employers
These statistics paint a clear picture for food and beverage companies: relocation is often more hope than reality. While offering relocation packages might seem like a way to expand your talent pool, the data suggests it’s rarely the solution employers expect it to be.
When Local Talent Is Critical
The food and beverage industry is inherently relationship-driven. Whether you’re launching a new product line, managing regional sales territories, or overseeing manufacturing operations, local market knowledge and established relationships often prove irreplaceable. Our data confirms what we’ve observed over 40 years: the most successful hires typically come from candidates who already understand the local landscape.
Consider these factors that make local talent particularly valuable:
- Regulatory expertise specific to state or regional requirements
- Established vendor, distributor, or retailer relationships
- Understanding of regional taste preferences and market dynamics
- Immediate availability without the 30-90 day relocation timeline
An added benefit of hiring local talent? Those with families keep their personal network stable while embarking on the already unsettling situation of uprooting their job and personal livelihood as they take a chance on you as their new employer.
Is Offering Relocation Worth It?
Given that only 8% of onsite positions successfully relocate candidates, employers should ask themselves: Is the investment in relocation packages delivering the expected ROI?The answer isn’t always no, but it requires strategic thinking. Relocation makes sense when:
- The role requires highly specialized skills that aren’t available locally
- You’re hiring for executive positions where the right leader justifies the investment
- The position is in a location with limited local talent pools
- You’re willing to wait 2-3 months longer for the right candidate
However, for most food and beverage roles, focusing on local talent or remote-work capable candidates delivers faster, more cost-effective results.
Insights for Job Seekers: Reading the Relocation Reality
If you’re a food and beverage professional considering opportunities that require relocation, our data offers valuable insights for managing your career strategy.
When Relocation Is Realistic
The 21% of Kinsa Placed Candidates over the last two years who successfully relocated shared common characteristics:
- They were already planning to move for personal or family reasons
- The role represented a significant career advancement (significant salary increase or major title promotion)
- They had portable skills that weren’t tied to specific regional relationships
- The company offered relocation support or compensation to cover the movement of household goods as well as temporary housing while a new residence was located
When Remote or Local Is Better
For the majority of food and beverage professionals, the data suggests that focusing on local opportunities or truly remote roles offers the best path forward. Remote work has become increasingly viable in areas like:
- Sales management with established regions or national accounts
- Product development and innovation where a lab facility or test kitchen is available nearby
- Marketing and brand management where creativity and collaboration are regular through online avenues
- Supply chain optimization with modern enterprise resource planning tools and systems
- Accounting with sophisticated software that communicates well with multi-plant operational metrics and finances
The Kinsa Group Advantage: Matching Reality with Opportunity
At Kinsa Group, these relocation trends have reinforced what we’ve always known: successful recruiting isn’t about casting the widest net—it’s about understanding the realistic parameters of each search.
Our approach has evolved to reflect these new realities:
For Employers: We help you determine early in the process whether a role truly requires relocation or if local/remote talent can meet your needs. This saves time, reduces costs, and improves placement success rates.
For Candidates: We’re transparent about relocation expectations and help you identify opportunities that align with your actual willingness and ability to move.
For Both: We leverage our 40 years of industry relationships to identify candidates who are genuinely open to relocation when it’s truly necessary, rather than those who express interest but won’t follow through.
Looking Forward: The Future of Food & Beverage Talent Mobility
These relocation trends reflect broader changes in how we work and live. The food and beverage industry is adapting, with companies increasingly designing roles that can be performed locally or remotely rather than assuming relocation is a viable solution.
Smart employers are restructuring their hiring strategies to focus on:
- Building strong local talent pipelines in key markets
- Creating hybrid roles that minimize the need for constant travel
- Investing in remote work infrastructure for applicable positions
- Partnering with experienced recruiters who understand these evolving dynamics
Ready to Navigate Today’s Talent Landscape?
Whether you’re an employer struggling to fill critical roles or a professional exploring new opportunities, understanding these relocation trends is essential for making informed decisions.
At Kinsa Group, we don’t just follow trends-we help shape them. With 40 years of experience in food and beverage recruiting, we understand how to find the right talent solution for your specific situation, whether that involves relocation or not.
Ready to discuss your talent needs? Our team is here to help you navigate today’s complex hiring landscape and find solutions that actually work.