What's Shaking Up the Wine Job Market? Q&A with Vinokelly Search

On 1st March, we hosted a Zoom call with Elizabeth and Gareth O’Kelly, co-founders of drinks industry recruitment firm, Vinokelly Search.

We had a fantastic conversation about the Covid pandemic’s effect on the job market. Candidates are increasingly requesting flexible working, even in back office roles which tended to be exclusively office-based, and employers are having to concede and face the challenge of creating a hybrid working policy across the board. Elizabeth and Gareth also mentioned employers have really noted the importance of customer services, logistics/supply chain, and B2C e-commerce skills in the face of companies having to pivot their business models during lockdown.

We spoke about how to negotiate a compensation package, and they provided recommendations for women such as utilising recruitment agents, asking for a base pay review after a contract starts if an offer is a bit lower than desired, and being upfront about salary expectations at the beginning of the process. The O’Kellys talked about the significant increase in start ups in the wine industry post-pandemic, which tend to engage in technology and/or have an irreverent, fun approach to wine, and how to navigate potentially working for them. On an optimistic note, they’ve observed that generational shifts in senior management at wine companies has led to progress in recruiting for a diverse workforce.

Thanks so much to Elizabeth and Gareth for a fascinating talk!