DHL warns of supply chain talent crisis

Logistics giant DHL has warned that the supply chain sector faces a global staff shortage as the industry fails to attract enough people.
The company warned that the US Bureau of Statistics estimates that jobs in the logistics sector are set to grow by 26% between 2010 and 2020, while another study indicates that demand for supply chain professionals exceeds supply by a ration of 6:1.
To find out what was causing the shortage, DHL commissioned a report, including a survey of 350 supply chain and operations professionals.
Report author Lisa Harrington said that the shortage was caused by changing skillset requirements, an aging workforce, lack of future development and a perception that supply chain jobs lack excitement.
Said Harrington: "Unfortunately, recruiting the right talent – especially at the critical mid-level and senior management levels – is proving very difficult in today’s environment. New technologies and fundamental areas of the supply chain have changed, meaning they now require that a person have a different and much larger skillset than required when most of the current workforce began their careers.”
The report outlines numerous opportunities for the industry to start closing this talent gap. Offering clearer career paths and a visible commitment to the professional development of its supply chain staff combined with competitive remuneration packages are just a few ways to develop and retain their current talent.
To attract talent, the industry needs to start emphasising that the future workforce will need to have skills in robotic management, artificial intelligence and audio-visual control – job aspects that would be attractive to the younger demographic and help combat the negative perception of the sector.
The full report can be downloaded here.
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