Few industries experienced more transformation than logistics during the pandemic. Literally, overnight, consumer shopping patterns transformed. In fact, between 2019 and 2020, global eCommerce sales increased by more than 27%. Businesses all across the world were compelled to establish new logistical tactics with minimal advance planning due to this substantial change in online shopping. Companies also experienced unprecedented workforce shortages and changing demand for goods, which made the issue worse.
Even if the epidemic is beginning to wane and the world markets are at last stabilizing, there is still a high demand for competent laborers in the logistics sector. For instance, by 2029, the logistics sector is expected to need to fill nearly 600,000 new positions in the United States alone.
In the logistics sector, demand for personnel is particularly high for common positions like transportation managers, supply chain jobs and their planners, and warehouse workers.
Over 3 million warehouse workers work in the United States alone, and by 2029, there will likely be a need for over 125,000 more. In the UK, there were more than twice as many transport, logistics, and warehousing job vacancies in 2021 as there were in 2019.
Top emerging HR trends in logistics:
Employers must stay current on the most recent HR practices and tactics as the need for logistics personnel rises. Employers can use these insights to create hiring procedures that produce results, allowing them to maintain their competitiveness in the expanding market of today. We have developed a list of the top rising trends in the logistics sector to provide these insights.
A lack of qualified workers:
Employers in the logistics sector were having trouble filling positions with qualified personnel even before the pandemic began. At the time of COVID-19, the talent pool of both expert and unskilled employees shrank, in addition to the need for transportation commodities rising sharply. Employers are still having trouble attracting talented workers even as the economy starts to improve.
There are various reasons for this skills gap, including :
- General Talent Shortage
- Younger Candidates Without Experience
- Shift In Skill Set
Payouts that are competitive:
Companies in the logistics industry that were fortunate enough to survive the epidemic now have more difficulty finding qualified staff. A highly competitive job market has been produced as a result of the rising demand. Employers are raising salaries and compensation packages as one strategy for luring highly competent personnel.
In today’s volatile, post-pandemic economy, raising compensation may seem challenging to many companies. In actuality, a lot of logistics businesses are making efforts to reduce expenses rather than raise them and are tightening their budgets. Employers won’t be able to recruit the personnel necessary to maintain effective production levels if they don’t offer competitive compensation.
The good news is that when done properly, raising pay and benefits may be accomplished without raising prices. Companies that are able to determine the best pay ranges based on market research see a decline in employee churn, absenteeism, and required overtime. All of these elements offer business cost savings that can offset the expense of higher pay.
A flexible labor force:
The pandemic has taught the logistics sector, if anything, the importance of flexibility. As more and more people chose to shop online rather than in-store, consumer shopping habits literally changed overnight. In addition, the demand for different goods fluctuated almost weekly.
To adapt to changing consumer demands, many businesses in the logistics sector were obliged to change their shipping procedures fairly immediately.
The requirement for a scalable workforce grew as these demands continued to change considerably during the pandemic. Employers have begun to give the following workplace procedures top priority in order to develop this scalable workforce, including improved cross-training, increased need for temporary workers, and enhanced workplace analytics.
Conclusion:
The first step is to recognize how the logistics industry has evolved and what new hiring trends are emerging for supply chain jobs if your company, like many others in the logistics sector, is concerned about the desire to hire people in a post-pandemic market. In order to help you navigate the ambiguities of a post-pandemic market, we have summed up these logistical HR trends for your convenience.
