w w w . s c e m a g a z i n e . c o m - Supply Chain Europe

guest editorial
recession rAises
recruitment bAr
to neW leVels
As casualties of the most serious business downturn of the last decade continue to mount, the issue of
recruitment presents challenges and opportunities in almost equal measure.
With victims of redundancy
being in abundance after
years of severe skills
shortages in the industry, those in a
position to recruit have the unaccustomed
luxury of being able to be choosy and face
a fantastic opportunity to bag high calibre
candidates at affordable prices. For those
logistics service providers (LSPs) who are
themselves feeling the squeeze, getting
the right person into a vacant role is not
a luxury … but a necessity. Recruitment
is expensive and getting it right first time
has never been more important, leading
some to invest more time and effort into
the recruitment process and include
online testing, presentations and extra
stages of interviews. By contrast, some
are delaying filling vacant positions to
gain a few months of budgetary benefits
— but whether this proves to be a false
economy remains to be seen. Either way,
the need to wring maximum value out of
their investment in human resources is
pressing. To fill the gaps created by leaner
management structures, both new and
existing managers need a broader skill
set to cover more ground; for example,
operations managers are now often
expected to have client facing skills,
whereas a shift manager may also be
required to produce personnel plans. On
a similar basis, major LSPs are developing
techniques to better flex their existing
management talent around their sites. For
example, intranets are increasingly being
utilized to allow managers looking for their
next role to ‘peddle their wares’ within
the business and to allow vacancies to be
advertised internally. Better co-ordination
between HR managers across sites/
divisions is also assisting more effective
redeployment and, in one case, a major
LSP has recently appointed a dedicated
‘Redeployment Manager.’ Training is
6
Steve Kaim-Caudle
also playing a part: for example, first
line managers are receiving ‘leadership’
training to broaden their skills, whilst
high achievers are being identified and
given intensive training to accelerate their
capabilities. For candidates, competition
for management level positions is fierce;
we recently received 70 applications
in response to an advertisement for a
London-based transport manager with an
annual salary of £35,000. Amongst these
applicants, a large number were either
vastly over or under qualified. We and our
clients have also seen a sharp increase in
speculative CVs.
To compete, managers are prepared
to commute further (although high fuel
prices during 2008 curbed this to some
extent), in many cases staying away from
home with family/friends or in cheap B&B
accommodation during the week. They
are also more willing to take on interim
contracts to broaden their experience
and keep the money coming in. And it is
not just those from the logistics industry
itself who are competing for the jobs — it
is also the victims of the recession, both
in manufacturing and on the high street.
Whilst industry experience remains a key
consideration for employers, many major
LSPs are also looking for those skills
more typically found within customer
organizations, such as lean manufacturing,
and are increasingly prepared to forego
experience to obtain them.
However, whilst times are undoubtedly
tough for managers both working and
seeking employment in the logistics
industry, those with the right skills,
attributes and attitude have a fantastic
opportunity. Never has there been a better
time for them to show their employer
what they can do. Out of the recession
will emerge a new breed of logistics
professional — not managers but leaders
who have not only survived but seized the
opportunity to make their mark. Both for
them and their employers, the adage that
what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
will hold true. •
For more information
Steve Kaim-Caudle
Managing Director
Momentum Logistics Recruitment
Tel. +44 1923 680 680
steve@momentumlogistics.co.uk
About the Company
Momentum Logistics specializes in recruiting logistics
professionals for management level positions, both
permanent and interim, within the logistics and supply
chain sector. Its consultants have first-hand experience
of running operations in third party and in-house logistics
functions serving retail, food, fashion, manufacturing
and the public sector throughout the UK. The company
provides a professional and tailored approach to the
individual recruitment needs of its clients, which includes
site visits to assess job responsibilities. All candidates
undergo face-to-face interviews to establish suitability
before short-listing. Clients include DHL Exel, Wincanton,
Unipart, Bosch, Homebase and IKEA.
www.scemagazine.com may/June 2009