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1. Grains and Oilseeds Trader

A meticulous trader with strong client relations’ sense, is looking for a new challenge. While currently located in Central Europe, he would be mobile to move back west. Before this role in grains and oilseeds, he traded metals, polymer, and chemicals. He is multilingual, very adaptable, pragmatic and internationally mobile.

2. Business Development in Agriculture and Aquaculture

20 years’ experience exposed to the agricultural value chain and risk management.  An expert in general management and administration, with particular knowledge on the standardization of operational processes.  He has been involved in business development and structuring global and regional direct marketing strategies in over 50 countries. Currently in Europe and open to a new challenge.

3. Sugar Marketer

He has excellent market knowledge and client base in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Albania where he can have a quick and direct impact. He has proven is loyalty and aptitude for +8 years with his current company and is preferably looking for a Western European trade house. Apart from the local languages, he is fluent in German and English.

4. Coffee & Cocoa Trader

With 11 years’ experience in hard and soft commodities from farm to factory, predominantly trading Coffee and Cocoa both physical and financial products. French/English bilingual and experience of different cultures, economies and financial environments gained through living in the UK, the Ivory Coast, France & Switzerland. Open to a new challenge and internationally mobile.

5. High Potential Ags Trader

4 hectic years with an ABCD exposed to Chinese, American and Australian markets. He’s had an excellent understanding of in crush, execution, and trading grains and oilseeds. He left his first employer to improve his Chinese. The skills that stand him apart: communication (languages and diction) and data management (filter and analytics). Mobile in Western European

6. HR Manager – Business Partner

A merchant navy officer turned to an HR manager, with over 10 years of experience in business engineering, team coaching, performance management, C&B etc. Hands attitude and ability to deal with all kinds of issues from building teams and offices, to downsizing. Since his employer has relocated, he is now available to take on a new challenge, preferable in the Leman basin.

7. Cargo Operator / Demurrage Analyst

The holder of an engineering degree in Shipping Organization and Transport Management equipped this talented candidate to become a demurrage and claims specialist. From Russia, moved to Sweden, Singapore, London and currently in Switzerland. Mobile and looking for a fresh challenge

One of the biggest mistakes we see companies make is when we ‘lose’ a candidate due to a slow decision-making process. Most of us have been on the candidate side and know what it’s like to impatiently wait for a response from a potential employer. Waiting too long to make an offer will reduce the chances of hiring considerably.  So this is the deal:

Hire with purpose
Hiring is like any other business. The management needs to have a clear understanding of role’s expectations, with an approved strategy and debriefing process. The best candidates will be getting multiple approaches, just because they are good. So, to keep their attention, be clear with your communications, transparent with your feedback and next steps, keep to the schedule, and keep the interest level high.

Good people follow good people
Good hiring will affect your business more than any other business relationships and hence should be given priority. It is key to understand what is required to avoid excessive interview rounds or stringing along candidates for weeks to make a decision. Good people will follow good people, and you will always have a pipeline of potential candidates. Good networkers know who the good employers are.

Hire with respect
Once a candidate has made up her/his mind to leave, they will be open to all kinds of opportunities. They will interview with several employers, allowing them an exciting glimpse of what potentially is out there before narrowing it down. The company that expresses a firm interest and moves quickly, will often succeed. Make the process enjoyable for them and be respectful of their time and career. Unorganized, slow decision making will be a negative message to any potential candidate.

We strive to always present you in the best light to candidates and we will try our best to keep candidates engaged throughout the process. We enjoy getting candidates excited about change and challenge, selling the opportunity and then the potential offer. But we can only keep them warm for so long before they naturally lose interest or start to question why things are taking so long to move forward.

At the end of the day, time is our most valuable asset, and time is money. Hiring the right consultant will, if your process is rigorous, will shorten time-to-hire and improve your bottom line too.

1. Agricultural Trade Manager

Experienced in cash trading and risk management for grains, feedstuffs and oilseeds. Ability to combine strategy with organizational change and people. Strong record of profitability and improving operations efficiencies. Hans-on mentality, solutions orientated, with smooth communications in several European languages.

2. Finance Manager Commodities – Singapore

10 years of diverse exposure in financial roles in agricultural commodities throughout Asia and Africa. Overall responsibility for PnL, Balance Sheet and Cash flow projections, working capital, budgets, end of year projections etc. Management of four finance professionals. Currently in Singapore, potentially mobile.

3. Business Developer MENA

Senior expertise in the fields of grain/food commodity in the Middle East and North African Markets.  Savvy in the setting up and developing businesses, assist, implement and execute the goals / strategies / policies and plans of a firm that is seeking to expand its activities.

4. Sugar Trader / Marketer

Container cash trader in difficult markets with clients in West Africa, Turkey, Balkans and some in Asia. Achieved a constant positive PnL with growing client base. Is now on the look-out for a new solid employer with strategy and vision. Potentially mobile.

5. Junior Commercial – EU / Asia

Internationally experienced, hands-on, goal-oriented sales person with proven track records in commodity trading and key account management. Excellent interpersonal skills, proven ambitious go-getter attitude driven by commercial passion. Multi-lingual / cultural (Asian/European). Currently in North Europe.

6. Customer Support / Trading Coordinator

Experience in logistic and trading in fast moving international environments. Solid exposure as trading operations coordinator.  Positive, communicative, efficient and dedicated, customer and sales-oriented mindset. Fluent Russian, & French, excellent English. Geneva area

7. Senior Operations / Execution, Singapore

Fully conversant with vetting Freight Forwarders, Surveyors, Bulk Vessel Charter – Post Fixture, Container freight booking, export documentation, letters of credit, shipping, insurance and settlement of laytime with Shippers, Buyers & Charterers/Owners GAFTA, NAEGA, GTA, SAL & RSAL rules. Internationally mobile

Below the most recent candidates we have interviewed and who are potentially open to change.
If you wish to connect with one or the other, please let us know on info@vr-people.com

1. Risk Manager, Global

Currently handling the global risk management portfolio for grains, oilseeds and edible oils & fats. Trading- in bulk, procurement strategies, business development, logistics, vendor management, data analysis, supply chain management and market research & analysis.

2. Business Development Manager

An executive with a background in oil and gas investment, commodities and power project investment.Results-driven, versatile and commercially focused, with a proven track record in management, acquisitions, origination, profitable deal structuring and development. Open to discuss.

3. Sustainability Agriculture Manager

Results-driven responsible business advocate with over 10 years’ experience in managing agricultural commodity supply chains and development projects in 11 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, both within the NGO and private sectors. Passionate about responsible sourcing, climate-smart agriculture and agro-forestry. Slight preference for Africa.

4. Senior Finance Manager Commodities, Dubai

Versatile and accomplished Fellow Chartered Accountant possessing 15+ years of practical knowledge and experience in financial planning, analysis, management reporting and accounting. Seeking a senior role in Finance/Accounts in an organization offering challenging and growth opportunities.

5. Commodities Execution Manager, Singapore

25 years of experience in commodities trade operations and leading the trade operations team, established proven track records and contacts with local/ regional counterparts such as surveyors, financial institutions, lawyers, buyers, sellers etc. Recognized to go beyond the job building collaboration and cohesiveness across regional offices to achieve operational excellence.

6. Black Sea Trader, North Europe

Agriculture Engineer starting as an oilseeds analyst for three years before joining a large trading house where he gradually was promoted to a trader. His trading experience is mainly in the protein meals, especially midproteins in Baltics, FSU countries and the Mediterranean

7. Black Sea Logistics Manager, East Europe

Extensive experience in working with grains (wheat, maize, barley), sunflower, soybean meal. Coordinating the work with the sellers, port terminals, forwarders, agents, surveyors and other related parties. Handle smooth execution of FOB/CIF contracts, while supervise and control of the organization of logistics department.

….and expect professional recruiters to do great work on a contingent, multi-listed basis?

• Sadly the clients perceive us a ‘resume-flickers‘, which, while not true in many cases, leads clients to believe that the more recruiters they contact, the better candidates they will get. They will get more candidates, but probably not better candidates.
• Clients do not understand what we actually do to come up with that shortlist. They think we dip into a database and refer candidates on, not understanding we need time to do quality work.
• Naively clients think, recruiters work harder when they are in competition on a job. Totally untrue. Good recruiters put effort where clients are working in partnership and show commitment.
• They think they will get a better spread of candidates. Mostly, they won’t. They will get more inappropriate candidates and recruiters competing on speed, taking shortcuts, and flinging resumes at the order. One quality recruiter, with time to do a proper job, will unearth unique hidden talent.
• They don’t understand that dealing with many recruiters is time consuming, frustrating and costly. If they worked that out, they would see the benefit of getting one recruiter to do all the work.
• We, the recruiters, are not articulate enough, or brave enough, to tell clients why it’s not in their interests to multi-list job orders. We must.

The article was written by Greg Savage

1. How long did it take you to get here for the interview? How long would it take at rush hour? (Few people can tolerate a commute of more than an hour. They may take the job now out of desperation, but they are poor prospects long-term, and lengthy commutes are among the major reasons for turnover.)
2. What do you do for fun? (It’s a good question to help you discover if they can get really passionate about)
3. What do you already know about our company (you may assume everyone has Googled your company’s name – if they haven’t, you probably don’t want them) and what else would you like to know? Is there anything that you really like, or anything that gives you pause?
4. Where do you see yourself being two years from now? Five years from now? (You’ll get an idea of how ambitious they are and/or how realistic they )
5. Tell me about a recent time when you had a substantial disagreement with your direct supervisor/college How was it resolved? Now that you have the benefit of hindsight, in retrospect, who was right?
6. Tell me about a business success you’re really proud What do you think were some of the components that led to the success? Was it a team effort? Could you have done it alone?
7. Tell me about the last time you made a significant What did you learn from the experience? (Everyone has made mistakes. If the job applicant says he hasn’t, then think twice before hiring.)
8. Why do you want to work here? (Hint: if the candidate answers, “to earn the good salary that you posted,” you probably don’t want him or )
9. If we talked to your last supervisor, what do you think they would say? What would they say about your outstanding qualities? What shortcomings would they probably point out?
10. You’ve been in the job market for a while now – where else have you applied and where else did you get past the front door? How do we compare? Where does this opportunity rank in your mind? Where are we on a scale of 1 to 10? What would it take for us to be a 10?

source: ResourcefulManager

Studies have proven that keeping up-to-date with your emails and taking calls during your holidays does not allow you to unwind enough. So why do it?

Easier said than done. Most places have WI-FI so it’s ever so easy to addictively check in, no?

Some suggestions that may help to avoid this trap:

• Delegate responsibility for decision making in your absence, reciprocate so creating a culture of  holiday support.
• Allow time for your return to catch up on emails to avoid unmanageable workload, which will blow the holiday benefits quickly.
• Maximising your vacation time will in return reward you with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

We wish you a brilliant vacation and look forward to talking to you soon, on the phone, after the break.

You’ve suffered the ultimate humiliation at work and resigning seems to be the next logical step.

You didn’t mean to press “reply all,” you thought your phone was on mute, you should never have worn that outfit. What were you thinking?

But do you really need to pack a bag and leave the country, or can you recover your dignity just enough after an embarrassing moment?

We went to question and answer site Quora for some insight to make us feel better so what is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you at work?  

Digital marketer, Calum Hall, once worked for a well-known car dealership in the UK.  Just three days into his new job he collected a vintage Bentley from a customer to drive to firm’s garage but panicked when he couldn’t start the engine. The owner told him to turn the key, and then press the button next to it.

“Nothing was happening,” Hall wrote. “I could hear a distant clicking, and I thought it must have started, but no, my efforts were in vain. I turned the key yet again and pressed the button, and now I was a little frantic and starting to blush.”

Hall turned to see the owner doubled up with laughter on the other side of the road.

“The button I had been pressing was the boot (trunk) release, so he had been watching me open and close the boot with more and more vigour and increasing frustration,” wrote Hall. “He said ‘My dear boy, you have been opening and closing the boot for the last five minutes, and even though I could stand here all day watching you do that, I really must get back to the office!’. He kindly came over and pointed to the correct button.”

Jeff Kesselmen, a computer game programmer said: “My first few weeks as a street magician probably qualify as the most awkward thing I’ve ever done.” The humiliation paid off, however, and he “was soon pulling in decent money.”

We’ve all had public wardrobe malfunctions.  Frank Ferriss revealed a little too much of himself in his new workplace tearing his pants “from bending down while working in a crowded supermarket. Fun times.”

Technology malfunctions, too, can lead to some sticky situations. One anonymous Quora user once took a call from a colleague at a company at which all meetings were conducted online using laptops with headsets. The user said: “(I) proceeded to tell him in detail about another colleague that was underperforming and her dramatic reaction to us removing some of her responsibilities (a demotion of sorts). We were both laughing, neither of us really liked her so I was enjoying sharing this story.

“Well… I thought that I was muted on the web meeting. I get an instant message from someone on the web meeting that is like “We can hear everything you’re saying”. My stomach sank… I still feel terrible about it to this day.”

Article by Angela Henshall
(Photo Credit: Bridget Jones’s Diary, Miramax)

You should view the interview as a courtship time between you and the company. They ask you questions to learn more about your abilities and accomplishments. You also have the opportunity to impress the employer by the questions YOU ask plus learn more about what it’s really like to work there. Here are 25 questions we recommend that you could ask. Notice how each one is designed to gather details about doing the job and to learn more about the organization’s work culture and environment. Be sure to pose the appropriate question to the correct person. Technical questions and job specifics are unlikely to be answered by the HR person, whose responsibility is to screen and validate your true experience, but who possesses only a general idea of the job duties. Other questions are ideal for the hiring manager.

Review this list and have at least 8-10 questions to ask written down and bring them to the interview.

Ideally, you need to stay focused on the job—the duties and/or the promotional opportunities. Remember, a key strategy is to not ask questions about salary, benefits, or perks. The best time to cover those issues is after you’ve been offered the job.

1. “Could you describe to me your typical management style and the type of employee that works well with you?”
2. “How would you describe the corporate culture here?
3. “What are the day-to-day responsibilities I’ll have in this job?”
4. “Whom will I be supervising?”
5. “Will your company be expanding, bringing on any new products or new services that I should be aware of?”
6. “What are some of the skills and abilities you see as necessary for someone to succeed in this job?”
7. “What challenges might I encounter if I take on this position?”
8. “What are your major concerns that need to be immediately addressed in this job?”
9. “What are the areas in the job that you’d like to see improved upon?”
10. “What is your company’s policy on providing seminars, workshops, and training so the employees can keep up on their skills or acquire new skills?”
11. “What is the budget this department operates with? Has it be changed in the last year, and if yes, how?
12. “Are there any restraints or cutbacks planned that would decrease that budget?”
13. “What particular computer equipment and software do you use here? When was your last upgrade?”
14. “Will I be working as part of a team or alone?”
15. “How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? By whom?”
16. “Are there any weaknesses in the department that you are working to improve?”
17. “What new endeavors is the company currently undertaking?”
18. “What goals or objectives need to be achieved in the next six months? Next year?”
19. “What areas of the job would you like to see improvement in with regard to how the person who most recently performed these duties?”
20. “Describe the atmosphere of the office.” (With this question, you are looking for clues on political turf wars, pressure and stress level.)
21. “What types of people seem to excel here?”
22. “Is the company quick or slow to adopt new technology?”
23. “How would you describe the politics of this organization?”
24. “Where is the person who previously held this job?” (If fired, ask why; if promoted, where he or she went; if it is a newly created job, get a better idea of why it was added.)
25. “How does the company promote personal and professional growth?”


by Robin Ryan, Bestselling Author of 60 Seconds & You’re Hired