What Most Companies Get Wrong About Executive Assessment
Most failed executive hires don’t happen because a candidate lied on their resume. They happen because companies never evaluated the right things in the first place. In Food & Beverage manufacturing, relying on surface-level checks like job titles, credentials, and years of experience is not enough.
Industry research shows failed executive placements cost an average of $240,000 to replace, not including lost productivity and morale. With margins already under pressure from supply chain volatility, regulatory demands, and workforce shortages, those mistakes can be devastating.
The problem is clear: generic assessment methods overlook the realities of leadership in this industry. That is why executive assessment in food and beverage manufacturing requires an industry-specific evaluation process. It gets past the resume and into the capabilities that truly determine success.
Credentials Are Not Enough
The first mistake most companies make is assuming that technical credentials equal leadership capability. Certifications confirm knowledge, but they cannot predict how someone will act when the pressure is on.
A food safety director might look perfect on paper, with advanced certifications and a strong technical background. But paper qualifications don’t reveal how they will lead when a contamination crisis hits. In a recent blog post, we noted that “most companies are still hiring food safety leaders based on technical credentials alone, missing the critical leadership traits that separate crisis managers from crisis creators.”
The risk is more than theoretical. A Food for Thought 2025 report found that the number of confirmed cases of illness from contaminated food in the United States rose by nearly 25 percent in 2024, increasing from 1,118 to 1,392 cases. The trend shows no sign of slowing. By August of 2025, the FDA has already issued nine separate public health advisories for foodborne illness outbreaks across products ranging from eggs to ready-to-eat meals. With food safety risks escalating year over year, companies cannot afford to place leaders who have credentials but lack crisis-tested judgment.
That is why Alpha’s evaluation process goes beyond credentials to test how candidates perform in real-world scenarios. Instead of asking if they know the regulations, we ask how they led through a recall, how they communicated under pressure, and what systems they built to prevent the next crisis. Certifications prove knowledge, but only industry-specific evaluation proves readiness.
Fit Is Not a Nice-to-Have
The second mistake is treating cultural and situational fit as optional. In Food & Beverage, it often determines whether an executive thrives or fails.
Cultural alignment is often the difference between a capable leader and a high-impact one. Alpha has placed a procurement leader responsible for fresh categories, a high-pressure area facing rising costs and supply chain volatility. The combination of technical expertise and cultural fit enabled them to:
- Manage a $112 million purchasing portfolio
- Assess supply chain functions across five plants and recommend cost-saving improvements
- Strengthen supplier partnerships and expand earned income programs from 18% to over 60% of suppliers
- Deliver $3.5 million in ingredient cost reductions and $500,000 in annual savings through innovative sourcing strategies
This performance was not the result of technical skills alone. It comes from finding leaders who fit the culture and can operate effectively in the environment they are stepping into.
Vacancies Drain Performance
Another mistake is underestimating the cost of leaving a leadership seat open. A vacancy is not a pause. It quietly erodes performance.
As we outlined in a previous blog post, one company that moved quickly to onboard a proven leader cut downtime by 12% in just 60 days. With the right executive in place, production stabilized and morale improved.
When companies hesitate to fill a leadership seat, the workload typically shifts to supervisors who are already at capacity. That scenario increases the risk of burnout, missed deliveries, and eroded morale.
Every day without the right leader is a day of declining output, rising hidden costs, and lost opportunities. An industry-specific evaluation process not only identifies the right candidate, it helps companies move faster, closing critical gaps before they drain performance.
Generalist Recruiting Misses the Mark
The final mistake is assuming that any recruiter can evaluate executives effectively. Generalist recruiters often rely on titles, tenure, and broad leadership traits. But Food & Beverage requires more than generic leadership.
Executive searches in this industry often exceed 120 days, creating nearly $12,000 in vacancy costs before a hire is made. In Why F&B Manufacturers Choose Specialized Food and Beverage Executive Recruiters, we explained how those delays create desperation that leads to bad hires.
The bigger danger is that generalist recruiters present candidates who look qualified on paper but have never managed ingredient cost volatility, passed a regulatory audit, or led through a supply chain breakdown. Industry-specific executive assessment in food and beverage manufacturing digs deeper. It asks whether a candidate has negotiated supplier contracts during cost spikes, scaled operations without sacrificing safety, or handled a recall from start to finish. Those are the questions that separate someone who looks ready from someone who is actually ready.
Why Our Process Matters
What most companies get wrong about executive assessment in food and beverage manufacturing is simple. They rely on surface-level checks, but never uncover how a leader will actually perform in the high-stakes world of Food & Beverage.
That is where Alpha’s industry-specific evaluation process makes the difference. We go beyond to identify leaders who can deliver measurable results. Our process includes:
- Competency mapping tied to the realities of F&B manufacturing such as regulatory compliance, ingredient volatility, and throughput optimization
- Scenario-based screening that tests how executives respond in real situations like recalls, labor shortages, or supply chain disruptions
- Cultural alignment checks to ensure the leader’s style fits your pace, values, and long-term strategy
- A focus on proven outcomes, not just responsibilities, backed by examples of cost savings, efficiency gains, and risk reduction
When companies rely on generic recruiting, they gamble with costly mis-hires, production delays, and food safety risks. When they use an industry-specific evaluation process, they secure leaders who protect the brand, reduce costs, and drive operational excellence from day one.