[ARTICLE] The development of e-commerce and mobile applications has changed consumer habits, creating a need for instantaneous customer service and profoundly transforming logistics. Mastery of the supply chain has become an essential link for companies, leading to a professionalization of logistics functions and a significant increase in jobs in the sector. Between growth and increasing complexity, Labatut Group offers an insight into logistics recruitment.
Human resources in the supply chain
The supply chain is a major source of employment in France and worldwide. To meet these needs, the human resources function is vital, and there is a strong need for trained employees. The logistics job market is in a state of perpetual flux, heavily impacted by major seasonal peaks in business activity, such as Christmas and sales. These changes in the volume of activity also make it a major consumer of temporary staff.
The 5 determining factors in logistics recruitment :
1.warehouse location
The geographical location of warehouses has a major impact on recruitment. There are two possible choices when it comes to locating a warehouse. Move away from a major city, and you'll benefit from a larger surface area and lower square meterage rates. Alternatively, you can set up on the outskirts of major cities, where land prices are high, but proximity means greater responsiveness and lower transport costs. Of course, geographic location also has an impact on recruitment difficulties. Setting up a warehouse in a rural area can revitalize the local economy, but certain specific profiles may be hard to find. The challenge is to attract the right candidates to the right locations. Warehouses in urban areas, on the other hand, are subject to higher staff turnover.
"The challenge is to attract the right candidates to the right places.
2. Candidate specialization
There has been a significant increase in the number of logistics training courses on offer, with the emergence of a wide range of specializations. This phenomenon is a response to the logistics market's need for higher qualifications. More and more managers are being sought for positions ranging from operations managers to design office directors and logistics IT project managers. Junior profiles are becoming more and more competent, with higher levels of education and specialization in specific logistics sectors. Finally, they arrive on the job market more experienced than their elders, thanks to the development of gap-years, apprenticeships and internships.
"Junior profiles [...] arrive on the job market more experienced than their elders".
3. The difficulty of finding experienced, specialized profiles
The market is both dynamic and complex, especially when we're looking for experienced profiles for management positions in SMEs. New entrants to the market have the right skills, but are still juniors who cannot fill management positions. Experienced and specific profiles are rare and difficult to find. Faced with these difficulties the AFT and APEC signed a partnership (link: http://www.voxlog.fr/actualite/1600/un-partenariat-entre-l-aft-et-l-apec-au-benefice-du-transport-et-de-la-logistique) in December 2016 to meet the needs of companies. These profiles are so rare that even specialized recruitment agencies are unable to find the right candidates. We'll certainly have to wait another ten years or so for the new, larger classes to gain experience and meet the needs of the market.
"Experienced and specific profiles are rare and difficult to find".
4. A social elevator that works
France's social ladder has broken down. In the face of economic difficulties and high unemployment, even the best education no longer protects young people. Unqualified profiles are the first to be affected by the increasing complexity of the job market. Although this trend is true for most sectors of the economy, it does not apply to logistics, where the social ladder works. The diversity of jobs in logistics means that you can start out as an order picker, then forklift operator, then become an activity manager, team leader and, for example, end up as a site manager, or even a multi-site manager. These types of career development are frequent. The human resources department supports employees in developing their skills, by setting up appropriate training courses to enable them to acquire all the skills required to reach the highest positions. It's worth noting, however, that there are few unskilled profiles in the warehouses, since workers such as forklift operators are CACES-certified.
"Starting out as an order picker, then forklift operator, then becoming an activity manager, team leader and, for example, site manager or even multi-site manager".
5. The impact of robotization on recruitment
Robotization is a direct consequence of the boom in e-commerce. Logistics flows are under pressure to meet tight deadlines, resulting in the robotization of supply chains. Warehouses are seeing the emergence of humanoids, automated conveyors, autonomous sorting and picking systems, robotized carts and racks, and for some time now, drones have been making their appearance to take care of inventories. These technological evolutions will obviously modify logistics professions, and consequently recruitment, by impacting the types of profiles sought. Robots will transform warehouses, and the emphasis will be on information systems, mechanical expertise and flow optimization.
The logistics sector has a bright future ahead of it, leading to an upsurge in employment and innovation.
