3 Takeaways from the ‘Future of Talent in the Logistics & Supply Chain Industry’

In November, human resources leaders sat down to talk about key trends impacting staffing in the logistics industry on a global scale. Led by the Adecco Group, the panelists discussed worker expectations, talent management, addressing skills gaps, and more. This panel also looked at insights from the latest Adecco Group white paper on the ‘Future of Talent in the Logistics & Supply Chain Industry’ – proposing solutions and forecasting future challenges.

There is an expectation to act on environmental and social issues

A key insight from the webinar is the panelists’ experience with changing employee and client expectations. Job seekers, workers, and even partner organizations place considerable importance on whether a business takes a stand on important issues.

Shalini Prasad, Global HR Lead for Integration Management Office at Maersk, has noticed the trend among talent as they evaluate whether an employer is the right fit for them. “From a talent perspective, ESG [environmental, social, and governance] is one of the elements that we see is relevant in the context of them finding a purpose-driven organization.”

This applies to a range of issues that have become a concern in people’s lives, from environmental topics to social issues. Adecco’s research echoes this point, revealing that 83% of consumers, 91% of leaders, and 86% of workers think companies have a responsibility to act on environmental, social, and governance issues.

Attracting and retaining talent is a struggle

One of the important topics that the webinar touched on is the difficulty that logistics organizations face when hiring and retaining employees. While the sector has seen promising growth, this is placing significant pressure on recruiters.

Data from Adecco surveys confirm this, showing that 4 of the top 10 logistics job types face a severe scarcity of candidates. Drivers and forklift operators represent the most urgent shortages, posing a threat to a core area of logistics. The US currently has a shortage of 80,000 truck drivers, and this figure may double in the next 10 years.

Nicola Lyons, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Europe at CEVA Logistics, believes that a drastic change in the approach to candidate search and employee benefit packages is essential to attract enough talent to keep up with demand. Prioritizing work-life balance, schedule flexibility, and tailored compensation packages may be the answer.

Lyons says, “As an organization, it’s being able to understand what’s important to that individual and how can we map that to what we have to offer in terms of roles within the organization.”

Change management is a priority

Digital transformation, an increasingly complex job market, and different approaches to logistics are also presenting new challenges to employers. These changes must be managed effectively if companies want to stay competitive moving forward.

Prasad mentions that change and ambiguity during times of transformation can affect people very differently. She believes that organizations should be transparent about upcoming changes. This gives leaders a chance to understand where the organization is heading and prepare their teams. “The leader closest to you plays the most important role. These leaders influence and help with the career part, same in the change as well and transformation as well, they have a role to play to make it clear what this transformation is. What does it mean for an individual?”

Leaders can help their teams adapt to change through training. Adecco data indicates that 47% of workers in the logistics sector say their company regularly assesses their skills and helps them devise a development plan, compared to 50% globally. Employers should start investing more heavily in upskilling and reskilling initiatives if they want to create an agile workforce that can handle future industry changes.

For a more in-depth look at what the experts think about current and upcoming trends in logistics, download the white paper in the box to the right.