Posted on 08/01/2014 1:32:47 PM PDT by Vigilanteman
Five years ago talent was plentiful, companies could easily recruit for supply chain planners, and it was easier to recruit supply chain graduates - Not so today.
The biggest issues are in mid-management roles.
Let’s examine some of the facts from recent research.
Today, 60% of companies have open positions. Fifteen percent of the planning positions are open for an average time of five months.
An IBM surveys report that 51% of companies are seeing an increase in turnover of supply chain leaders.
Have I convinced you yet to be worried?
If so, let’s start working on an answer.
Let me give you the first clue. The answer is not recruiting more college recruits.
There is currently a 9:1 demand to supply ratio for supply chain graduates, and the skill level of new hires cannot stretch to fill the missing mid-management gaps.
It Starts with Leadership
Recently, I have been reviewing supply chain strategy documents for companies planning their 2014 strategies. I love talking to supply chain teams about their future. However, I am surprised that most companies do not see the gap in supply chain talent as a critical need to fill. The plans that they are sharing are not including the need to move aggressively on building supply chain talent.
There is just no understanding that the WORLD TODAY is not the WORLD of FIVE YEARS AGO. Five years ago talent was plentiful, companies could easily recruit for supply chain planners, and it was easier to recruit supply chain graduates. Not so today….
(Excerpt) Read more at supplychain247.com ...
At one time, the engineering talent did very well in supply chain management. Now, it is like asking someone who was trained to be a dentist to fill out endless insurance forms.
This is very, VERY interesting and thank you for posting. The exact same article can be written about the little world of pharmacy. I feel like it’s demographics. We’re losing too much experience too fast, and its becoming painfully obvious.
It comes down to people not being able to trust that the companies “needing” the talent won’t toss them aside after the next 2% drop in quarterly revenues.
It is pretty much the same everywhere. I must make a determined and very time consuming effort to replace substandard suppliers.
I'm sure they know this even if they also know that I can be a real bada$$ and do it anyway if they p*$$ me off too far.
People who scream “shortage” lack faith in the very life blood of the business world: supply and demand. When the wage for the position rises high enough, the position will get filled. Just like when someone claims there is a water shortage, it is never exactly the case. It is only that they cannot buy enough water at the price they want to pay.
“not being able to trust that the companies “needing” the talent won’t toss them aside”
Huge problem. These hot shot little kids jumping into the jobs we don’t want (because we know those jobs suck) then turn around and find a way to eliminate the same dependable, reliable, long term employees they need to do their job.
I’m in my very late 30’s, so I am caught in the middle. The new little kid bosses don’t see me as “old” yet, so they don’t disrespect me. But what I am watching happening to my friends in their 50s is disgusting. Especially the ones in middle management.
The exact same issue you describe has led me to reconsider my 15 year career in Information Technology. 10 years ago I could churn out about half a dozen projects a year that really impacted bottom line revenue for my company.
Flash forward 10 years - almost 60% of my workload these days is Federal Audit Compliance, Change Management Paperwork, Attestations, etc.
We don’t get to build cool stuff anymore - we mostly just get to fill out audit paperwork and plug up little security holes - endless hours of busy work and no real engineering.
I hate it.
I waste SO MUCH TIME playing nanny at my job. All I do is run around trying to protect the company from a lawsuit. If I get a few hours a day to just do my actual job, its a miracle.
And the volume of work just keeps spiraling out of control, making it all the more scary.
I’m not lazy, or old, or stupid, or crazy. What I am watching play out is a slow motion disaster.
That’s very interesting. The growth of compliance-related jobs could be good for me, when I look for employment after retiring from the Mom business. I have excellent reading comprehension skills and endless patience for tedious detail.
“10 years ago I could churn out about half a dozen projects a year that really impacted bottom line revenue for my company.”
That’s how they set you up, Baby! My friends in their 50s can’t do the same number of keystrokes per millisecond as they used to, because there are a thousand other things they are being asked to do. And then the arrogant little babies in their 20s run around saying “He’s past his prime. I can do it better/faster/smarter. Give me his job.”
And the number crunchers up above fall for it.
Was voluntarily out of work for 6 months seven years ago & tried like heck for three years to find work. Couldn't get hired.
Don't need the work now, but when I wanted a job I couldn't have gotten one to save my life.
I’m in my very late 30’s, so I am caught in the middle. The new little kid bosses don’t see me as “old” yet, so they don’t disrespect me. But what I am watching happening to my friends in their 50s is disgusting. Especially the ones in middle management.
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It has been this way for a long time.
If you’re really good at doing something in your 20’s —you get promoted out of it to middle management in you 30’s.
You can’t stay in middle management much beyond your mid 40’s in most industries. You have to go to upper management or make your own small business. I went into my own business. I’m in my early 60’s. I hope to be able to work gainfully into my 80’s.
(In many industries the guys in upper management have immense social skills but that’s about it.)
Is that because more of the work is computerized or because 'paperwork' is taking the place of things that need to be done?
We can hire the coyotes and Mexican government. They certainly know how to move a massive amount of illegals and drugs cross country.
You nailed it.
‘Paperwork’ is taking the place of things that need to be done?
That’s a statement of fact, not a question. Sorry.
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