LOGISTICS
T
he pandemic has presented logistics with a conveyor belt of seismic challenges over the past three years . One of the lesser talked about issues has been the shift away from working from home ( WFH ) and the return of people to the office .
It is no coincidence this has prompted people to seek new jobs and careers in their millions , including across supply chain functions . What doesn ’ t help is that supply chain roles come with huge stress levels , given the amount of ongoing disruption . Of course , some supply chain jobs , such as driving and warehouse work , cannot be done from home , yet these areas have been even harder hit by labour issues .
Take warehouses . At the lower end of the logistics skills spectrum – warehouse handlers , for example – many see their role as a short-term means to an end . The work is tough , hours are long , and the pay isn ‘ t
“Encouraging people to stay with a pay rise is a shortterm solution ”
ADRIAN PRESTON , HEAD OF SUPPLY CHAIN CONTENT , SKILL DYNAMICS
An estimated
450m people
work in global supply chains
great so , unsurprisingly many workers are moving to industries that offer higher wages or more-appealing work environments .
Adrian Preston , Head of Supply Chain Content at Skill Dynamics – a supply chain and procurement training company – says retention is not just a warehouse issue , but is affecting supply chain roles generally .
“ It ’ s a particular issue among junior professionals ,” he says . “ Our research shows over a quarter of professionals ( 27 %) intend to leave their current role within two years . This should be a huge cause for concern for organisations , because they ’ ll be losing people who have amassed critical skills and an understanding of the business .”
Workload key cause of staff churn Preston adds that other causes of employee churn include increased workload ( 62 %), limited progression opportunities ( 47 %), and lack of respect for the function ( 34 %). On top of this , he says many junior supply chain professionals are ill-equipped for the complexity of their roles : “ There ’ s a high need for structured , on-the-job training due to a lack of formal qualification options . Most say they ’ d like more training to help them meet job requirements .”
Preston continues : “ The data points to a supply chain under stress . Professionals are
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