Finding the right senior leader can take months. By the time the search is complete and the new executive is in place, it can feel as though the difficult part is over.
But the decisions made during the search can have a much longer impact.
How accurately was the role described? Does the new leader understand the business they are joining, the people they will work with and what they will be expected to achieve? And while they settle into the role, is anyone thinking about the people who could eventually step up around them?
Executive retention in fresh produce is closely connected to these questions.
For businesses with specialist leadership requirements and relatively small talent pools, thinking about retention and succession early can reduce the disruption created when a senior person eventually moves on.
Executive retention in fresh produce starts during the search
A senior appointment can look successful on paper and still prove short-lived.
Sometimes the role changes. Sometimes the business changes. A new CEO, new ownership or a different commercial direction can alter what the company needs from its leadership team.
There are also occasions when the reality of a role turns out to be different from the one discussed during the hiring process.
That makes clarity during an executive search particularly important.
Candidates need a realistic picture of the mandate, who they will work with and the level of authority they will have. For an international fresh produce role, that conversation might also include the amount of travel involved or the practical realities of managing teams across different countries.
Those details give both sides a better opportunity to decide whether the appointment is likely to work over the longer term.
We see the importance of this in our conversations with senior candidates.
Senior candidates are assessing the stability of the business and the leadership around them, as well as the role itself.
One senior candidate we recently spoke with had experienced repeated changes at CEO and CFO level over several years. When discussing his next move, one of his clearest requirements was a stable organisation.
Leadership turnover can affect how other senior leaders feel about their own future with the business.
A senior departure can expose a much bigger gap
Fresh produce businesses often carry a great deal of knowledge within a relatively small senior team.
Long-serving leaders may hold years of knowledge about customers, growers, markets and the way the business operates. When one of those people leaves, appointing their replacement doesn't automatically replace everything they knew.
This becomes more difficult when there is no obvious internal successor.
An ageing leadership population and the need to develop the next generation of talent are ongoing concerns across fresh produce.
It creates an obvious question for owners and boards: if one of your senior leaders left, who could step up?
A succession plan can identify people with potential internally and where further development is needed. It can also highlight experience that may eventually need to come from outside the business.
Succession planning in agriculture often starts too late
Succession planning is much easier when it starts before a departure is on the horizon.
When the current leadership team is settled and performing well, there is time to think about who could step up internally, where development may be needed and which skills might eventually need to come from outside the business.
It's understandable. When somebody is doing a good job and has no plans to leave, replacing them isn't an immediate concern.
That is also the easiest time to have the conversation.
You have time to identify potential successors, understand where they need further experience and look at the external talent market without the pressure of an empty position.
Internal progression needs to feel credible
Developing internal successors can help businesses retain strong people, but simply telling somebody they could progress eventually may not be enough.
We recently spoke with a senior candidate who had previously been told he was in the pipeline for a VP position within three to five years.
His reaction was immediate: that didn't feel like a plan.
From his perspective, too much could change within the business over such a long period for the promise to feel concrete. He ultimately chose to leave.
It is one person's experience, but it reflects a wider issue in our sector. Poorly handled succession processes can leave internal candidates uncertain about their future, particularly when several people believe they may be next in line.
A useful succession conversation needs substance.
What experience does somebody still need? What could their next step realistically look like? How will their progress be reviewed?
And if an internal successor isn't likely to be ready when the business needs them, knowing that early gives you time to understand the external market.
Keep an external view of the talent market
A good succession plan includes a clear view of the external talent market.
Developing people internally takes time, and there may be experience the business will eventually need to bring in from outside.
Keeping an eye on the external market helps boards understand who may be available and how difficult a future search could be.
This is particularly useful for specialist fresh produce appointments.
A role may require experience of a particular crop or business model, sometimes within a very specific market. International positions can bring additional considerations around relocation and travel. The smaller the relevant talent pool, the more useful it is to understand that market before a vacancy becomes urgent.
Talent mapping can provide that visibility without waiting for somebody to resign.
Prepare for the departure you aren't expecting
Succession conversations often focus on planned retirement or an expected leadership change.
Businesses also need to know what they would do if a senior person became unavailable unexpectedly.
Who could take responsibility temporarily? Is there somebody internally who could step up? Would an interim leader be needed while a permanent search takes place?
Even a simple contingency plan can give a board more options when circumstances change.
And those plans need reviewing.
Businesses change. Senior teams change. People who weren't ready two years ago may be credible successors now, while the experience needed for a role may have changed completely.
Succession planning works best as an ongoing leadership conversation.
Start the succession conversation before you need it
Executive retention and succession planning are closely connected.
A clear brief helps a senior candidate understand the role they are accepting, while honest conversations about progression give existing leaders a clearer view of their future.
Knowing your internal talent and keeping an eye on the external market also gives you more options when a leadership change eventually comes.
For fresh produce businesses, where senior talent can be highly specialised and international searches can take time, starting those conversations early can make a future transition far easier to manage.
LCR International supports fresh produce businesses with executive search, talent mapping and succession planning support across global markets.
If you're starting to think about a future leadership change, even if nobody is leaving yet, get in touch with our team for a confidential conversation.
