BY CHRIS ELLIOTT
HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES IN LOGISTICS
IT HAS BEEN OBVIOUS FOR SOME TIME THAT THE FIELD OF SUPPLY
chain management is facing a “talent gap.” By 2018, according to one prediction,
200,000 open supply chain jobs will lack qualified applicants. 1 Even though the
number of supply chain-focused certifications and programs offered by technical
schools, colleges, and universities continues to increase, it’s possible that for every
graduate of a supply chain degree program, there will be six open positions. 2
Furthermore, many companies are finding that those recent graduates are not a
perfect fit for the positions they have. This is due to another kind of talent gap: the
gap between recent graduates’ perception of supply chain jobs and the reality of
what those positions entail. Currently there is a dissonance between what employees and employers expect from each other. Many recent graduates see supply chain
management as a technical profession that emphasizes the ability to analyze data
and metrics. The reality is that in supply chain management, so-called “soft skills”
are as important as technical know-how. In one recent study, employers said that
the most important trait for employees in all professions is a strong work ethic.
Other desirable traits included a positive attitude, the ability to communicate verbally and in writing, and being a good team player. 3
specialreport
Too-great expectations?
This story first appeared in the
Quarter 1/2014 edition of CSCMP’s
Supply Chain Quarterly, a journal
of thought leadership for the
supply chain management profession
and a sister publication to AGiLE
Business Media’s DC VELOCITY.
Readers can obtain a subscription
by joining the Council of Supply
Chain Management Professionals
(whose membership dues include
the Quarterly’s subscription fee).
Subscriptions are also available to
nonmembers for $34.95
(digital) or $89 a year (print).
For more information, visit
www.SupplyChainQuarterly.com.
Many young supply chain professionals have unrealistic expectations about job
requirements and career paths. Employers and educators must do a better job of
communicating what skills and traits new hires will need in the real world.
