Employee retention is one of the most persistent and expensive challenges businesses face, across the world of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), With turnover rates in FMCG often ranging between 30% and 60% annually, significantly higher than the national average across industries—companies are continually burdened by the costs of recruiting, onboarding, and training new hires. The financial impact is stark. According to industry research, replacing a frontline employee can cost up to 20% of their annual salary, and in high-churn roles like those on the shop floor or in sales, this cycle of loss and replacement creates a drain not only on financial resources but also on team morale, productivity, and institutional knowledge.
Root Causes of Employee Turnover
Turnover in FMCG is particularly driven by a few key factors: the physically demanding nature of many roles, inconsistent scheduling, a lack of career progression, and often minimal initial training or onboarding. When employees are brought in under pressure and given limited guidance or development opportunities, engagement suffers. This results in early exits—sometimes within the first 90 days of employment—turning recruitment into a revolving door rather than a strategic investment. In such a high-turnover landscape, retention strategies need to go far beyond simply filling vacancies. They must focus on creating a more supportive, engaging, and developmental experience for employees from day one.
Zenith’s Holistic Approach to Retention
At Zenith, we understand that solving retention challenges in FMCG requires a holistic approach that extends well beyond the hiring process. While we specialise in finding the right talent quickly for our clients, our impact is most powerful when we partner with businesses to create better onboarding and training frameworks that address the root causes of turnover. Recruitment is only the beginning. Our onboarding support helps new hires integrate more smoothly into their roles and company culture, ensuring they feel equipped and connected from the start. We help our partners establish structured onboarding plans that emphasise clarity, communication, and early wins—key factors proven to improve retention rates within the critical first few months.
Developing Skills for Long-Term Engagement
Beyond onboarding, Zenith places a strong focus on continuous skills development. One of the key drivers of disengagement is the perception of stagnation. Employees who don’t see opportunities to grow their skill set or advance their careers are significantly more likely to leave. We work closely with FMCG employers to map out clear development paths and deliver training programs—both technical and soft-skills focused—that keep employees engaged and progressing. Whether it’s upskilling in inventory systems, refining leadership capabilities, or preparing for cross-functional roles, our training solutions are tailored to the realities of FMCG operations, making them immediately relevant and practical.
Building a Culture of Retention
We also help foster a culture of engagement by encouraging feedback loops, supporting performance recognition strategies, and equipping managers with the tools to lead effectively. In our experience, teams that feel heard, supported, and invested in are far more likely to stay and thrive. Our clients have seen up to a 35% improvement in year-over-year retention when combining our recruitment services with our structured onboarding and development programs.
Retention as a Competitive Advantage
The stakes are too high to treat retention as an afterthought in FMCG. In an industry where every day of vacancy or disengagement can mean missed sales, slower fulfilment, or reduced customer satisfaction, building a loyal, capable workforce is essential to maintaining a competitive edge. Training and engagement aren’t just HR buzzwords—they’re strategic levers that can dramatically reduce turnover and increase operational stability.
At Zenith, we know that placing the right people is just the beginning. The real difference comes when recruitment and training work in harmony to drive retention, engagement, and growth. That’s why we partner with FMCG businesses to not only find top talent—but to keep them.
Whether you’re struggling with first-90-day attrition or long-term disengagement, our integrated approach helps you create a workforce that’s skilled, supported, and ready to perform. From tailored onboarding to continuous development programs, we build training strategies that match the fast pace and real challenges of FMCG.
Let’s work together to turn every new hire into a high-performing, long-staying team member.
Partner with Zenith—and transform turnover into staying power.
Contact us today to start building a more resilient, retention-ready workforce.