Jobs in the Beauty Packaging Industry: Top Talent No Longer Thinks in Terms of Individual Positions but Rather Career Paths

The executive job market remains cautious: companies are limiting their hiring, and executives are hesitant to change jobs. And yet, in the beauty packaging industry, career mobility is very much a reality: several professionals have changed jobs in recent months. On the other hand, many hires considered “strategic” remain difficult to finalize. In the packaging sector, where experienced sales professionals are particularly sought after, a fundamental trend seems to be emerging: the top talent no longer thinks solely in terms of a specific job, but rather in terms of a career path. Ioulia Mikailoff of Identités Remarquables explains.

For several months now, the executive job market has been sending mixed signals, and these trends remain relevant as the new school year begins. According to the latest APEC survey (Q3 2026, published in August), executive hiring intentions remain at an all-time low: only 7% of companies, regardless of size, plan to hire at least one executive this quarter, and 42% of mid-sized and large companies—one of the lowest levels ever recorded.

According to APEC, short-term job-hopping intentions are declining: 13% of executives plan to change companies within the next three months, compared to 15% a year earlier. Over the next twelve months, these intentions remain steady without any increase (38%). This wait-and-see attitude is also driven by the caution of executives themselves: more than one in two considers that changing companies, in the current context, represents a risk. At the same time, companies remain active in the recruitment market, even as they operate in an environment marked by greater uncertainty.

This trend is also reflected in sourcing practices. APEC observes a slight decline in direct outreach and the use of recruitment agencies, while job postings remain the primary channel used and unsolicited applications are regaining importance. Published job postings therefore remain the most visible entry point. But a significant portion of strategic hires—those that matter most to companies—continue to take place outside of published job postings, in what is known as the hidden job market.

“This climate of caution comes as no surprise,” explains Ioulia Mikailoff. “When economic visibility deteriorates, companies tighten their criteria and candidates delay their decisions. Recruiting—and being recruited—becomes a more deliberate choice.”

This caution does not prevent another trend from emerging. At the same time, the most sought-after candidates seem to be becoming more selective in how they evaluate opportunities. This reality is particularly evident among experienced sales professionals in the packaging sector.

“The most recent candidates I’ve worked with,” notes Ioulia Mikailoff, “were sometimes already actively job-hunting, and sometimes not. Yet they all shared one thing in common: none of them felt any sense of urgency. They all took the time to compare job offers, career prospects, the quality of leadership, and the role they could play within the organization. Because the more successful a sales professional is, the higher their benchmark becomes.”

“And despite this cautious climate, career mobility is very much alive,” adds Ioulia Mikailoff. “Several candidates I’ve worked with in recent months have changed jobs, often discreetly, outside the most visible channels.”

Because changing companies isn’t simply a matter of accepting a new position. It means agreeing to reinvest elsewhere the capital built up over the years: expertise, network, client portfolio, and credibility in the market. “The best candidates therefore don’t just compare positions,” emphasizes Ioulia Mikailoff, “they compare career paths.”

Mismatch Between Applications Received and Sought-After Profiles

This trend helps explain the paradox highlighted by APEC. “Even as recruitment challenges are easing, companies continue to cite, first and foremost, the mismatch between the applications received and the profiles sought, as well as the lack of suitable candidates.”
In other words, the issue is no longer just about generating applications. It’s about attracting the right ones.
The work therefore begins before the search for candidates even starts. This is particularly true at the start of the school year, a time when many recruitment projects are relaunched or redefined.

“Over the past few months,” explains Ioulia Mikailoff, “several assignments have helped me understand just how crucial project preparation has become. In one case, initial market feedback led the company to revise the job description and certain associated conditions in order to attract the profiles it was actually targeting.
In another case, a particularly compelling candidate—who was very well aligned with his future manager—ultimately chose another opportunity at the very last moment. Not because the first project lacked appeal, but because the second offered him better prospects for growth in the medium term.”

Situations like these show that, at this level of responsibility, candidates weigh their options among several possible futures.

In this context, clarifying the role becomes a recruitment challenge in its own right. Why does this position exist? What will the person hired be expected to build? What resources and opportunities will be offered to them?

“It’s often at this stage that a recruiter’s outside perspective can be useful,” insists Ioulia Mikailoff. “Because they interact with the market on a daily basis, they’re able not only to assess a project’s true appeal but also to challenge certain assumptions and help a company formulate a clearer value proposition.”

In this climate, the gap between the profiles sought by companies and those that are actually attracted remains. This September back-to-school season is shaping up to be a time when companies and candidates reevaluate their plans, and when this gap reemerges.

“In packaging, as elsewhere,” explains Ioulia Mikailoff, “this gap often arises well before a recruitment drive even begins. It comes down to the ability to offer a career path that is clear and attractive enough to inspire top talent to commit to the next stage of their career right from the start of the school year.”

Source: Apec Barometer of Recruitment and Executive Mobility Intentions — 3rd Quarter 2026, Apec, August 2026.

Ioulia Mikaïloff
Identités Remarquables - ioulia.mikailoff@identites-remarquables.fr