by Elizabeth Hines | Jul 21, 2016 | Blog, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
A veteran recruiter explains where the supply chain talent shortage is headed and how companies can overcome the challenges.
A recent report on the supply chain talent gap draws a sobering conclusion: The supply chain management profession finds itself in crisis. Unless you do it right, attracting and hiring skilled professionals can be challenging.
Deloitte’s third annual Supply Chain Survey, released last year, also states: “Many organizations are confronting critical shortfalls of talent. Years of headcount reduction, training-budget cuts, and the retirement of highly skilled individuals have hollowed out the ranks of veteran professionals.”
The Deloitte findings are echoed in another report by the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee. While the driver shortage is well known, the report maintains the talent gap encompasses every level of supply chain management and is likely to grow worse as baby boomers retire.
So what is an organization to do? How can you become better prepared and make your search for talent more effective?
Few people are better positioned to answer these questions than Rodney Apple, founder and president of SCM Talent Group. With almost 20 years of experience as a supply chain recruiter, he has filled more than 1,000 supply chain positions ranging from executive-level at Fortune 500 companies to leadership and staff-level roles across large networks of manufacturing and distribution facilities within the United States.
We sat down with Apple to get his thoughts on the realities of the supply chain talent drought.
EBN: What is the status of the supply chain shortage from your perspective?
Apple: I work with a lot of companies in key industries across the supply chain, from junior to C-level positions. Here’s what I’m seeing: It’s not getting any better. If you break it up into job level, entry-level positions tend to be less challenging to fill since more universities are now offering supply chain degrees. Supply chain students at Michigan State University, which offers the top-rated program, can count on multiple offers and interviews before they even graduate. The same thing goes for Penn State, University of Tennessee, and other universities with top-tier supply chain programs.
Middle management, let’s call it junior to mid-level, that’s where companies are struggling; that’s where you find the bulk of people doing the work, and that’s where most of our searches are. It really is about sheer numbers, a generational issue. At the executive level, enough people have risen up, but I’m concerned that as baby boomers retire, it could create a problem in the near future.
Which positions tend to be the most challenging to fill?
Junior-level positions, those who have between one to four years of experience. When you land your first job out of college, you keep your head down and get immersed in the job that has to be done. You’re not actively looking for a new job. So you really have to do a lot of direct sourcing to find the analysts, engineers, inventory managers, and planners and sell them on why they should make a career move at this stage of their career. They are not in management but doing tactical, analysis kind of work. Those are the most challenging positions.
At what point do companies ask for your help?
Small and medium-sized companies often come as soon as a position needs to be filled since they don’t have dedicated resources for recruiting. If they have tried themselves and the search has been unsuccessful, the need is urgent by the time they come to us.
What challenges do companies run into when trying to recruit talent?
When you look at the supply chain function, it’s typically the most complex, diverse, and challenging. Unlike recruiting for clear-cut, core corporate functions such as IT and Finance, the supply chain sector will yield a much greater variety of job profiles. Add the complexity of different job levels and geographic factors that may involve distribution centers and plants spread out all over the country, and you will see why it can be challenging to find the right fit.
Companies also tend to understaff or undervalue the supply chain recruiting function. Coupled with a lot of internal movement, from the corporate office to the field and back, it’s like a game of musical chairs — you’re always backfilling internal movement. If you’re also looking for a high-demand skillset, it can be similar to finding a needle in a haystack.
How should a company prepare to increase the likelihood of a successful search?
First of all, you need to up your game when it comes to finding and sourcing candidates. You have to master the intake process. Before you even post a job opening, sit down with the hiring team or manager. You have to truly understand your company’s unique value proposition, selling points, culture, and what makes it exciting to work for your company. Then, you have to gather information on what I call the supply chain footprint; you have to understand the company’s organizational structure — the number of plants, warehouses, key challenges, key opportunities, key projects — and look at its size, scope, and complexity, including the process, system, and talent.
Next, you have to understand the position you’re trying to fill: the selling points, key deliverables, key challenges, key traits, and so forth. Use that information to build the position profile. A lot of companies start with the job description and fill it with skills and qualifications, and that is not the best way to go about it.
What’s the next step?
You take that information and sit down with hiring team to develop what I call an omnichannel sourcing strategy. There are a lot of channels to tap into. Many make the mistake of thinking the act of posting gets the job done, but you can never just sit back and wait. You may be able to get away with that if there’s an abundance of talent in the marketplace or if you’re a marquee employer, but in the supply chain you have to employ other sourcing tactics, which could include proactively reaching out to universities in the region and even nationally that match up with people in the workforce.
You also need to direct source across different channels. Come up with a targeted list not only of industries, but of companies who may employ the type of talent that you’re looking for. You don’t always need to shop in same industry because supply chain tends to be a transferable skillset, especially in logistics, procurement, and inventory planning. Other channels not to be left out include LinkedIn, Google search strings, top supply chain associations, membership directories, and employee referrals — you want to have strong referral programs to allow people to easily share job opportunities with their networks and potentially build an internal resume database if you have frequent openings.
What part of the search process tends to be forgotten?
When you’re a smaller company, you have to understand your unique value prop. It’s critical that you find a candidate who’s looking for the same work environment that you offer; I call it the ‘motivational fit.’ You may not want to source someone from a Fortune 500 who’s used to robust process systems, organizational structures, volumes, scope, and immense complexity.
Look at companies in your own range. Can you find people who want to continue working for similarly sized companies with similar challenges and opportunities? You may want to engage search firms if you only have a few openings to fill per year as it costs less than employing a full-time recruiter. Every company needs to figure out what talent acquisition resources they need from a people, process, and systems/tools perspective in efforts to proactively hunt people down because that’s what it takes to land top supply chain talent these days.
What can you do to make it last?
Make sure you have a strong onboarding program. Don’t just throw the person into the fire. On the onset, establish goals and expectations. The new hire should understand what needs to be accomplished and outline key deliverables, projects, and performance expectations. This is where management and leadership come in to make people successful, especially in a smaller company. Most companies are doing a pretty good job in this area with mentorships, additional training, courses, and so on, to help the employee reach his or her career goals.
Some companies are also moving away from the rigid once-a-year performance review to more real-time, on-the-spot, feedback. Everyone wants to advance. If your company requires everyone to be in a position for 24 months before they can even apply, you run the risk of losing them. In general, you should be more flexible how you move talent throughout the organization. It can do wonders.
What is your experience when it comes to looking for supply chain talent? What do you consider to be key steps to success?
This article originally appeared on EBN Online.
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by Fronetics | Jul 14, 2016 | Blog, Strategy, Talent
When you work for the family business, being mindful about your professional persona can help preserve your familial relationships.
Family businesses can be a source of pride and fulfillment. But, often, they are rife with unprecedented turmoil. Working for a family business presents unique challenges that require special tactics to keep things professional (and to keep the peace).
For example, a performance review from your mom, dad, or sibling can be emotion-driven rather than fact-based. According to Harvard Business Review, fall outs with family over work can cause a tremendous amount of anger, sadness, and shame. So what is a family to do?
Here are five essential tips to working well with relatives:
1) Start your career elsewhere.
Or at least spend a few years with another company. If have only worked for your family’s organization, you lack a well-rounded perspective about the business. You are missing out on valuable training, alternate strategies and viewpoints, and unique experiences that would make you an asset to the family business. And that’s no slight to your company: Having several relatable job experiences creates better judgement skills. Also important, working in the “outside world” helps sow seeds of confidence, which are difficult to cultivate when working with a parent.
2) Set boundaries between family talk and work talk.
Separating work from home is key to having a healthy professional relationship and still being able to speak to your family at that weekend BBQ. Family members must learn to talk to one another as business partners. Establish rules for professional business interactions, like using a professional tone when speaking. Actively listen to hear the other, not to form your response. Don’t interrupt others who are speaking. Ask for clarification if you don’t understand the other person’s point of view. Let everyone participate equally.
3) Define your role and what you bring to the company.
Limit competitiveness and bad feelings by outlining clear job descriptions. Stay within the boundaries of your role to avoid stepping on others’ toes. Then bring all you have to that role. Picking up the slack for a fellow employee is annoying, but having to do it for a family member can cause anger and resentment.
4) Get an outside perspective regarding challenges and strategy.
Hire an outside strategic advisor to evaluate your business, how it fundamentally is working (or not working), and how the roles of the family members are either supporting success or creating greater challenges.
5) Set high expectations and stick to them.
No favoritism is allowed. Your parent or sibling should want you to succeed, but not through coddling. Expectations should remain high for all family members, as for every employee. Those that fall short should be subject to the same consequences as non-family.
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by Fronetics | Jul 6, 2016 | Blog, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
The talent gap represents a professional opportunity for motivated individuals looking to advance their supply chain career.
The global supply chain is continuously evolving, offering new opportunities as demands shift and new technologies are born. But how do you evolve with it?
The key is knowing where to look and how to leverage your talent and skills to fit demand. Opportunities are abundant now, but they are also growing, according to the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics. It predicts there will be 1.4 million new jobs in the logistics and supply chain field by 2018.
In fact, the number of supply chain employees is expected to double by 2017, with a high demand for managerial talent. That equates double the opportunity for you to move your career forward!
Here are 5 key actions to advance your logistics or supply chain career:
1) Consider all the skills in your wheelhouse.
Evaluate and take stock of your skills and experience. Know how to articulate exactly what you bring to the table when you consider a new position. Your skills may also be highly transferable, so it is wise to be open to new opportunities. Finally, expand those skills with certifications that will give you a competitive advantage. Look for certifications that enhance your operations and supply chain management skills, like those through the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS).
2) Network within the industry.
Employers seeking supply chain talent have to be able to find you. Join associations like APICS, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSMCP). You will gain access to career advice and be a part of a network of supply chain professionals. Join online interest groups and professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn. Follow industry blogs and make connections that relate to, and promote, your career aspirations.
3) Expand your software and technology skills.
This is a constantly evolving area in the supply chain, with new software emerging and a growing demand for talent that knows how to use it. Educate yourself within the software and technology space, and you will open many new doors of opportunity.
4) Know how to promote your soft skills.
Do you have problem-solving experience? A background in communication? Leverage those skills on your resume. Recruiters typically have a list of about 30 job skills that they look at when reviewing job candidates. But soft skills take priority because they produce the most successful new hires. These include: knowledge of basic business ethics, problem-solving acumen, and solid communication skills.
5) Let your differences shine.
You may not see much young or female talent in today’s supply chain industry, but don’t let that discourage you. In fact, this signals opportunity. Many companies are ramping up efforts to recruit (and keep) young talent. And women tend to be strong in many of the soft skills needed for the future of SCM. According to Shanton J. Wilcox, vice president, North America, and lead for logistics and fulfillment at Capgemini, “Many so-called tactical jobs will be replaced by positions requiring more interpersonal and relationship management skills.”
With the present challenges in securing supply chain talent, recruiters are actively searching for specific skills and new employees. You can answer to this demand if you know how to leverage, expand, and promote your skill set to the right people.
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by Fronetics | Jun 13, 2016 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Talent
This is part two of a three-part series on LinkedIn for B2B businesses. See part one, LinkedIn for B2B: Getting Started, and part three, 10 Ways to Gain LinkedIn Followers.
Use these tools to help you hire talent through LinkedIn.
LinkedIn offers immeasurable opportunity for recruiting premium talent. But how do you begin weeding through the network’s more-than-433-million candidates?
Here are some techniques — both free and fee-based — on using LinkedIn to find professionals who match your company’s open positions.
Organic methods (free)
Share the job in an update
Just as you would share other content, click “Share an update” on the company page Home tab. If you only want a specific audience to see your post, click the “Share with” menu bar just below the update box, and then click “Targeted audience” to define. You can include a link to the job description on your company website or direct applicants to more information on how to apply.
If you have posted a job through the LinkedIn Jobs feature, go to the job page and click the share arrow next to the job title to share as an update.
(Note: You must be a page administrator to share updates on your company page.)
Have your employees share your opening
Encourage your employees to post the news of the open position to spread the word. Jobs that employees share get 30% more applications!
Remember employees are your best brand ambassadors, and sharing the job with their networks also works as an endorsement for your company — it’s like they are saying, “This is a great place to work!”
Make it easy for them by detailing three ways to share:
- Share the LinkedIn job post. If you have posted the job through the LinkedIn Post Jobs feature, individuals can share it with their networks (on LinkedIn and elsewhere) by clicking the share arrow next to the job title on the job page.
- Share your company update about the opening. Employees can locate the company update about the job opening by navigating to your company page and scanning through your newsfeed. Once located, click “Share” at the bottom. Your company name and a link to your company page will appear prominently at the top of their share.
- Share the link to the page on your website with the job description/application. Users can copy and paste the link into the “Share an update” box on the LinkedIn homepage, or use the social share icons (if available) on your website to post it to their newsfeeds.
Mine Group discussions
LinkedIn’s Groups offer a forum for like-minded professionals to discuss current events, industry trends, and other topics related to work life. If you actively participate in these conversations, certain users may have made an impression on you through their insights or informed opinions. You may have even thought that your company could benefit from that person’s knowledge and experience. That’s because Groups are a great source for mining talent.
Say, for example, you notice someone offering an intelligent perspective on emerging technologies in a data warehousing group discussion. It reminds you of an open position with your company. You can use the discussion to further engage with that person about the topic to gain a better understanding of his/her knowledge. And then you can view the user’s profile to learn more about related experience. Connecting with the person will give you further insight into his/her professional interests — and it will allow you to send an InMail with information about the potential fit within your company.
Conduct a good, old-fashioned search
While searching by skills is no longer free, you can still conduct an “Advanced People Search.” Click on “Advanced” next to the Search box above the navigation bar at the top of the site. This allows you to search by location, current and past company, industry, school, title, language, and keywords (e.g., finance, strategy, accounting).
Create a recruitment-focused showcase page
Users who are interested in working for your company can follow this showcase page specifically to keep abreast of opportunities that match their interests. Keep them engaged by sharing company updates related to job openings, company culture, and employee testimonials.
Paid methods
Career Pages
One of the four tabs on your company page, the career page facilitates your interaction with job seekers. This is your employer brand hub, where users will go when they view your jobs or want to learn more about working for your company. You can feature your LinkedIn Job Posts, multimedia (like a video or SlideShare), and employee testimonials. What’s more, you can create dynamic content so that visitors to your page receive personalized messaging and job recommendations based on their location, industry, function, and more.
If you’ve purchased a Silver or Gold Career Page, featured jobs will be displayed on a Careers tab and they will be targeted to the viewer based on relevance to their LinkedIn profile. This is similar to job targeting on the LinkedIn Jobs page, but it only displays jobs at your company.
Learn more about optimizing your LinkedIn company page with our Visual Guide to Creating the Perfect LinkedIn Company Page.
Post Jobs
If your company only has the occasional opening to fill, Post Jobs may be your best option. Individual users can purchase 30-day job postings and then link them to a company page.
Here’s how it works: You create a job posting, making sure to select the correct company name from the dropdown menu. The company logo and link to the company page will be included in the post, and it will appear on the list of jobs on the company page. LinkedIn will automatically advertise your job posting to LinkedIn members with profiles that match, even if they aren’t active job seekers.
With your job post, you also get:
- A curated list of members who could be a fit for your hiring needs
- 5 free InMails to reach out to prospective candidates
- Management tools to filter, tag, and share candidates with your team
- Insights to see how your job posting is performing
Job Slots
Ideal for those with frequently open positions or multiple roles to fill, Job Slots are essentially recurring job posts with additional benefits. LinkedIn will automatically recommend job posts to candidates who match your open positions. And you’ll have access to management tools to review and filter candidates, take notes, and send InMail. Additionally, you can take advantage of the Feature Jobs on the homepage and on your company’s Career Page.
With Job Slots, you can also:
- Attract passive candidates via Jobs You May Be Interested In
- Receive a Suggested Professionals curated list
- Optimize your job posts with detailed analytics
- Build your employer brand with Career Page integration
- Improve applicants’ mobile experience with distribution through the LinkedIn Job Search app
LinkedIn Recruiter
LinkedIn Recruiter is the premium talent-recruitment subscription, ideal for large companies that hire for multiple positions year round. Firstly, it gives you access to the names and profiles of all 433+ million LinkedIn users. You can also send anyone messages through InMail, and you can take advantage of custom templates for candidate communications.
Recruiter allows you to use 20+ additional filters (years of experience, seniority, function, etc.) when searching for candidates. And the “Find more people like” feature lets you search for people similar to candidates you already like. You can also save searches and have LinkedIn notify you when someone new meets your qualifications.
Additionally, the Talent Pipeline Management tool lets you build, track, and manage talent searches and hiring with folders, reminders and smart to-do lists. You can also streamline your workflow and team activities with shared projects, searches, profiles, and applicant notes.
Recruiter Lite
Recruiter Lite is a more streamlined version of Recruiter, suited for individual recruiters and hiring managers. You get:
- Unlimited visibility of your 3rd-degree network
- 10 advanced search filters
- Saved searches
- 30 InMails/months
- InMail templates
- Access to the Projects function
Work with Us Ads
Works with Us Ads dramatically outperform typical banner ads, with up to 50 times higher clickthrough rate. How? Location.
Essentially, Work with Us Ads allow you to own all of the ad space on your employee’s profiles and your company pages. LinkedIn will display your open jobs that are relevant to each particular visitor. You can have the ad drive clickthroughs to your jobs, career page, or your website.
Referrals
Referral recommendations match your employees’ first degree connections to the open roles in your applicant tracking system. It suggests connections for the right open roles, helps your employees share jobs, and keeps them up to date through the entire hiring process.
Which tools do you use to hire talent through LinkedIn, and which do you find are the most effective for your business?
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by Fronetics | Apr 20, 2016 | Blog, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
Seek out candidates with these skills and experiences when hiring new supply chain talent.
Your business is growing, and it is time to hire. That means facing the challenge and overcoming the fact that there is a dearth of supply chain talent. Growth is very common right now, as job titles evolve and shift due to the rapid changes in supply chain management and new technological requirements. So more talent is in demand as many businesses try to remain competitive.
According to Supply Chain Brain, managing how you seek and acquire supply chain talent can either make or break your company’s success. One study revealed that only half of organizations surveyed had a talent-management program, and 80% thought that the program was a priority for their business. But, that leaves a large segment of companies that are not managing talent like it is a priority, and that can be a critical issue when business is growing.
There are, of course, specific things your talent management program should be looking for as it reviews new candidates. Here are some attributes that top the list:
Soft skills
Recruiters typically have a list of about 30 job skills that they look at when reviewing job candidates within the supply chain industry, but soft skills take top priority to produce the most successful new hires. These include: knowledge of basic business ethics, problem-solving skills, and solid communication skills. These can be identified through the talent’s past job experience, references, and responses to key questions during the interview process.
Supplier and inventory management experience
Look for previous experience and direct knowledge of supplier management and inventory management. These are typically a critical component to a hire’s skill set.
Financial management proficiency
Financial management training is a huge plus. Maybe the talent didn’t crunch numbers daily in their prior position, but there should be indications that he or she definitely has a good understanding of how to utilize data to make solid business decisions.
Demonstrated interest
Seek talent that demonstrates interest, enthusiasm, energy, and passion for the position they are hoping to fill. For example, they have researched and show knowledge about your specific company and how their skills will benefit the organization.
Education
Try to find candidates that possesses university training or certifications. Specific things to look for include participation in projects involving problem-solving and a basic understanding of financial management.
Mentorship
Look for applicants that have been mentored by supply chain professionals or took part in an internship for career development.
Data and technology knowledge
A candidate with training in supply chain data-driven technology should catch your eye.
“Fit”
Look at talent that aligns with your organization’s objectives. According to SCM Talent Group’s founder and talent recruiter, Rodney Apple, every supply chain is different, especially in size, scope, and complexity, so the talent you hire should be a good match for your specific organization.
Varied experience
Seeks someone with knowledge and/or experience spanning multiple functions within the supply chain.
Results-oriented track record
Ask candidates to not only list their previous job responsibilities, but to quantify their results. Look for someone who can produce a few examples of projects in their resume, with results, where they have had to work with other supply chain departments, suppliers, and/or service providers.
Female candidates
Also, look for female talent for traditionally male-dominanted roles. Women tend to be strong in many of the soft skills needed for the future of SCM. According to Shanton J. Wilcox, vice president, North America, and lead for logistics and fulfillment at Capgemini, “Many so-called tactical jobs will be replaced by positions requiring more interpersonal and relationship management skills.”
Transferable experience
Also, be open-minded when it comes to considering top talent from other fields/industries. Many candidates in other professions have very transferable skill sets for careers within supply chain.
With the present challenges in securing supply chain talent to fill required positions, it may be time to shift your approach. Examine your staffing forecast, know your company’s specific trends/needs from historical data, create a talent management program, and then look at candidate pipelines that can fulfill your frequent hiring needs. Companies that perform the best are the ones that treat the recruiting department like a strategic, value-added program.
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by Fronetics | Apr 19, 2016 | Blog, Strategy, Supply Chain, Talent
Looking for talent? Try recruiting from these top-rated programs and schools.
Recently U.S. News & World Report released its annual rankings, including the top supply chain and logistics MBA programs. Of course, U.S. News is not the be-all end-all. But this list gives companies in the supply chain and logistics industries an idea of where some of the brightest graduates, who will be seeking employment in the upcoming months, will be coming from.
We have talked before about the importance of recruiting and strengthening the relationship between academia and the supply chain industry as means to solve the growing talent gap. If your company is looking to hire, consider strengthening your rapport with schools that offer supply chain programs or specialties.
U.S. News 2017 Top Supply Chain Management/Logistics MBA Programs
#1 Michigan State University
#2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
#3 (tie) Ohio State University
#3 (tie) Pennsylvania State University
#5 (tie) Arizona State University
#5 (tie) University of Tennessee – Knoxville
#7 Carnegie Mellon University
#8 University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
#9 Purdue University
#10 University of Maryland – College Park
#11 University of Texas – Austin
#12 (tie) Georgia Institute of Technology
#12 (tie) University of California – Berkeley
See all 19 schools.
See also: U.S. News 2017 Online Supply Chain Management Master’s Degree Featured Programs
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