FOOD PROCESSING & MANUFACTURING
From the floor to the front office — we find the people who run your plant.
Production supervisors. Quality managers. Maintenance leads. Plant managers. The mid-level and senior talent that keeps your facility running is the hardest to find and the most expensive to lose. KeyHires combines proprietary data, AI-powered evaluation, and multi-channel outreach to deliver them.
The KeyHires Platform
KeyHires combines proprietary data, AI-powered evaluation, and multi-channel outreach into a single platform built for modern talent acquisition.
Not reliant on LinkedIn alone, our large and substantial data sets power every campaign — ready to launch in one week. We offer unique technical capabilities including managed texting campaigns, custom scripts for 1st through 3rd degree connection outreach, and embedded generative AI tools for insight-based candidate analysis.
With 20+ API integrations, the platform connects directly to your existing talent management ecosystem.
Core Capabilities
OUTREACH & CAMPAIGNS
Broadcast campaigns, email (personal + work), texting, request-connect with encrypted custom links
AI-POWERED EVALUATION
AI candidate evaluation with custom prompts, ASC generation from recorded interviews, KeyHires Rating™
DATA & INTEGRATION
2M+ companies, 4M+ contacts, 1,350+ segments, 20+ APIs, talent management system integrations
DELIVERY & ADVISORY
White-labeling, style sheets, auto-populated reqs, talent mapping, industry comparisons
WHAT WE ARE SEEING
The hiring landscape has shifted.
Hiring experienced supervisors and managers in food processing has gotten materially harder. Here's what's driving it.
01
An aging workforce with fewer people coming up behind them
Many of the industry's most experienced production managers and plant managers entered the field 20–30 years ago. As they retire or move into consulting, the internal bench of supervisors ready to step up is thinner than it used to be — and external hiring to backfill takes longer.
02
Automation is changing the skill profile
As plants invest in automation, robotics, and data-driven production monitoring, the supervisors and managers you need today look different than five years ago. Finding candidates who combine hands-on food manufacturing experience with technical fluency is harder.
03
Food safety and compliance staffing hasn't kept pace
Between FSMA requirements, GFSI-benchmarked audits, retailer-specific standards, and allergen programs, every facility's food safety staffing needs have grown. Qualified QA managers and SQF/PCQI-certified professionals remain in short supply relative to demand.
04
Wage competition across manufacturing is real
Food processing supervisors and managers are being recruited by pharma, beverage, pet food, and logistics companies — often at higher base pay or with more predictable schedules. Competing for experienced talent means moving faster and reaching people before they start looking.
05
The talent pool is local and fully employed
Most food processing hiring happens within a commutable radius. The production managers and QA leads you need likely work at a nearby facility already. That means passive recruiting — not job postings — is the primary path to qualified candidates.
06
Shift work and conditions narrow the candidate pool further
Multi-shift operations, temperature-controlled environments, weekend coverage, and physical demands are inherent to the industry. Not every qualified manager is willing to work in these conditions — which makes the ones who are even more competitive to hire.
Food Processing Supervisors, Managers & Leaders in Our Network
Production supervisors. Shift managers. QA/QC managers. Maintenance supervisors. Sanitation managers. Production managers. Plant managers. Our proprietary database is continuously enriched with passive candidate intelligence — the talent that never appears on a job board but is exactly who your facility needs.
Tailored Features
Three engines working as one
Each pillar of the platform is independently powerful — together they create a talent acquisition machine.
01
Outreach Engine
Multi-Channel Sourcing
Coordinated outreach at scale across email, InMail, and SMS with sequenced follow-ups and compliance built in.
KEY FEATURES
- Broadcast campaigns (email + InMail + SMS)
- Email delivery (personal + work)
- Texting campaign management
- Request-connect with encrypted links
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree connection scripts
- Personalized outreach sequencing
02
AI Evaluation
Candidate Assessment & Scoring
Custom scorecards per position, auto-filled from recorded and AI-summarized candidate conversations.
KEY FEATURES
- Custom Assessment Scorecard generation
- AI-assisted evaluation w/ custom prompts
- KeyHires Rating™ (proprietary scoring)
- Recorded interview summaries
- Generative AI insight analysis
- Candidate data capture (phone, email, LinkedIn, education, employment)
03
Data & Delivery
Infrastructure & Advisory
Deep data resources and white-label delivery that makes the platform yours.
KEY FEATURES
• 2M+ companies, 4M+ contacts
• 1,350+ company segments
• 20+ API integrations
• White-labeling capability
• Style sheets + auto-populated job reqs
• Talent mapping & industry comparisons
• Marketing support ($150/hr)
Engagement Models
Choose how you work with us
Whether you want full platform access on day one or a flexible token model, you choose how to run it — and scale up or down as hiring demands shift.
Entry
Augmented staffing
Full-service recruiting support powered by KeyHires technology. A dedicated team embeds with your Talent Acquisition function to manage campaigns, sourcing, and candidate evaluation end-to-end.
Target
SaaS platform
Self-service access to the full KeyHires platform with all features below. White-labeled to your brand with campaign management, AI evaluation, and data tools.
Marketing support available for an additional fee.
Activating Passive Talent
Campaigns Built For A Market Where Nobody Is Looking.
The best production supervisors, quality managers, and plant managers aren't applying anywhere — they're busy running your competitors' operations. They need to be found, engaged, and compelled.
Broadcast campaigns to both personal and work addresses. Sequenced follow-ups with open and reply tracking across the full candidate funnel.
InMail campaigns, connection requests, and custom scripts that reach into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree networks for targeted outreach.
Texting
Managed texting campaigns on your behalf. Direct candidate engagement at scale with response tracking and compliance built in.
Employer Branding
Creative campaigns that position your firm as the employer of choice. Go beyond job descriptions — tell the story of your projects and your culture.
AI-Powered Evaluation
Every candidate scored. Every position calibrated.
Our AI evaluation engine processes and evaluates candidate data against your specific technical requirements — no generic rankings.
- KeyHires builds a custom scorecard for every position, auto-populated from candidate interviews.
- Embedded generative AI tools with unique prompts enhance insight-based analysis of every candidate against your specific requirements.
- The KeyHires Rating™ is a proprietary scoring algorithm combining multiple data points with AI agents to rate individual candidate fit and quality — a unique adaptation designed for contact-level precision.
- Interview recordings are processed and summarized automatically, generating structured ASC (Assessment Scorecard) documents that eliminate manual note-taking and ensure consistent evaluation.
Implementation
From kickoff to candidates in weeks, not months.
01
Launch & Configuration
WEEK 1
Collaborate during the launch process to configure the platform, build custom scorecards per position, set up white-label branding, and define target profiles and outreach strategy.
02
Data & Campaign Build
WEEK 2
Assemble large data sets from 2M+ companies and 4M+ contacts. Configure outreach campaigns across email, texting, and LinkedIn. Build style sheets and auto-populated job requisitions.
03
Active
Outreach
WEEK 3+
Execute multi-channel campaigns at scale. Manage texting, email, and request-connect outreach. AI tools evaluate incoming candidates and generate scorecards from recorded interviews.
04
Ongoing Optimization
ONGOING
Refine campaigns using analytics and performance data. Ongoing talent advisory including talent mapping and industry comparisons. Marketing support as needed.
Ongoing During Engagement — Client Collaboration:
We work alongside your Talent Acquisition team on all aspects of sourcing, evaluation, and candidate management throughout the engagement.
Proven Across Industry Leaders
Placements From Supervisors Through Plant Managers.
Select engagements that demonstrate our depth across food processing — from mid-level operations and quality talent to senior plant leadership.
Conagra Brands, headquartered in Chicago, is a $12B sales and 18,000 plus employee corporation that offers packaged and frozen foods including Healthy Choice, Hunt’s, Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Marie Callender’s, Orville Redenbacher’s, PAM, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, etc.
POSITIONS PLACED:
- Director of Marketing
- Director of Sales
- Marketing Directors
- Brand Managers
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, part of Froneri, is a leading U.S. manufacturer and distributor of ice cream and frozen dessert products. Its portfolio includes iconic brands such as Häagen-Dazs®, Drumstick®, Edy’s® & Dreyer’s™, Outshine®, OREO® Frozen Treats, and Skinny Cow®, spanning premium ice cream, cones, bars, fruit-based treats, and frozen snacks.
POSITIONS PLACED:
- Director, Lean Continuous Improvement, Distribution Operations
- Director, Lean Continuous Improvement, Manufacturing Operations
- Director, Growth & Profitability
Sargento, headquartered in Wisconsin, with $1B in sales is a leading supplier of custom cheese products to restaurant operators and other foodservice operators; its food ingredients division makes cheese products for other food manufacturers.
POSITIONS PLACED:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Senior Vice President, Manufacturing & Supply Chain
- Senior Vice President, Manufacturing and Engineering
- Vice President, Operations
- Vice President, Sales
- Vice President, Food Safety & Quality
- Vice President, Strategic Planning
- Director, Consumer Products
- Director, Marketing (2x)
- Director, Brand Management
McCormick & Company is a Fortune 1000 company and the global leader in flavor. They manufacture, market and distribute spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry including retail outlets, food manufacturers, foodservice operators and restaurants.
POSITIONS PLACED:
- Director of Finance
- Head of Research & Development
- General Manager of Marketing
- General Manager of Industrial Foods
SeekOut & HireEZ
Well funded and closest on product. They sell software to a team that must still do the work; we sell the work with the software attached.
ZoomInfo
Deep contact data sold by seat. No execution layer, no candidate judgment. We compete on running the campaign, not record count.
Gartner TalentNeuron
Labor market intelligence for planning. Analytical rather than operational — it says where talent sits, not who to contact or how.
Gartner TalentNeuron
Labor market intelligence for planning. Analytical rather than operational — it says where talent sits, not who to contact or how.
Gartner TalentNeuron
Labor market intelligence for planning. Analytical rather than operational — it says where talent sits, not who to contact or how.
Gartner TalentNeuron
Labor market intelligence for planning. Analytical rather than operational — it says where talent sits, not who to contact or how.
Gartner TalentNeuron
Labor market intelligence for planning. Analytical rather than operational — it says where talent sits, not who to contact or how.
Gartner TalentNeuron
Labor market intelligence for planning. Analytical rather than operational — it says where talent sits, not who to contact or how.
Gartner TalentNeuron
Labor market intelligence for planning. Analytical rather than operational — it says where talent sits, not who to contact or how.
Gartner TalentNeuron
Labor market intelligence for planning. Analytical rather than operational — it says where talent sits, not who to contact or how.
BUILT FOR FOOD PROCESSING
Your hardest roles. Our deepest reach.
Where KeyHires delivers the highest impact for your company's talent acquisition needs.
30+ Days Unfilled
Roles posted for a month or more with no quality pipeline movement. Our data depth breaks through where job boards stall.
Hard-to-Fill Positions
Specialized, niche, or senior roles where passive sourcing and multi-channel outreach are the only way to build a qualified slate.
Confidential Searches
Sensitive hires that cannot be posted publicly. White-labeled, encrypted outreach keeps every search discreet.
High-Volume Campaigns
Reach hundreds of qualified contacts quickly with personalized, multi-channel outreach managed on your behalf.
- YOUR point of contact
The people who know your industry.
Let KeyHires power your hiring.
With AI-driven candidate evaluation, multi-channel outreach, and proprietary talent intelligence, we deliver faster access to the specialized talent your organization needs through a platform that is white-labeled to your brand and integrated with your existing systems.
