T he intense supply chain challenges that accompanied the pandemic heightened a war for talent that had already been brewing inside the supply chain eld. Now, even as pandemic- driven supply chain challenges fade, attracting, recruiting, and retaining workers remains crucial. “The war for supply chain talent is still very much alive,” says Brian Higgins, principal of the Advisory Services practice at KPMG, a professional services rm. “Broader supply chain stress has regained some stability, but the talent issue is still top of mind.” Securing and keeping that talent has never been more important. Prioritizing recruiting and retaining workers is “absolutely essential” to success for companies in the supply chain eld, says Mark McCullough, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss USA, a transport and logistics company. “Staf ng shortages and employee turnover are extremely disruptive for supply chain companies and attracting top talent should be an ‘always-on’ activity,” McCullough says. Complicating matters, “the playbook for attracting and retaining workers continues to shift,” Higgins says. In addition, the supply chain has “a wide spectrum of roles and skills, and it has grown increasingly more complex.” A GROWING FIELD Attracting and retaining a workforce is particularly critical in light of the growth that the supply chain eld is seeing. “The supply chain sector is quickly growing; in fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that supply chain jobs are on the rise at twice the rate of all other jobs in the United States,” says Taylor Jackson, director of logistics for SC Competes, a nonpro t focused on economic growth in South Carolina. “Without people working in supply chain, our whole economy falters and goods cannot get to consumers.” As a result, “Employers must be laser-focused on attracting new talent and even more focused on retention in today’s job market,” notes Andrea
In her role, Jackson says many of her efforts are focused around creating an awareness of supply chain and logistics. “While COVID made more people aware of the supply chain, I can still walk into a room of educators or students, ask ‘who knows what logistics is?’ and get blank stares,” Jackson says. “I hope to change this.” REACHING STUDENTS As one action, SC Logistics partners on programs with the Association of Supply Chain Management, including two outreach efforts for students— Lemonade Supply Chain (targeting 4th–5th grade) and Cell Phone Supply Chain Program (targeting 11th–12th grade). “Connecting with elementary school and middle school children to show them the endless job opportunities around supply chain and logistics is so important,” Jackson says. “It also is necessary to ‘teach the teacher’—we need to create an awareness around supply chain and show that this eld is stable, in demand, and fun to work in,” she says. “As we start to focus on additional job training—career technical education for example—we need to open up the pipeline for these jobs to be lled by students and the next generation,” Jackson adds.
Nicholson, senior campus recruiter for transportation and technology company Arrive Logistics. Supply chain challenges during the pandemic helped spread the word about the eld, but that new awareness brought limited bene ts. “The challenges we faced as a result of a pandemic garnered a lot of publicity, but it didn’t make freight forwarding or shipping any more glamorous,” McCullough says. “It helped raise people’s awareness and interest, but it’s not like we had applicants beating down our doors.” Promoting the supply chain eld and the myriad career possibilities it offers remains a priority for those who work in the industry—beyond just recruiting for their own positions. Often, companies working in the supply chain compete not just with their peers but with other industries as well for the best talent. Still, the supply chain’s time in the spotlight in recent years has driven home its importance, and highlighting its crucial role in the world is valuable in attracting new workers. “It’s also important to emphasize opportunities for growth, the dynamic and exciting global working environment, and the wide variety of career paths that people can pursue as part of the supply chain,” McCullough says.
For the Gebrüder Weiss team (l. to r.) —William Wang, CFO; Merlin Dow, director of sales; Mark McCullough, CEO; and Young Lee, national key account manager—attracting top talent is an “always on” activity.
July 2023 • Inbound Logistics 137
Powered by FlippingBook