The existing imbalance within supply chain management has to do with the shortage of skilled workers and increasing retirement rates of skilled individuals. Demand for supply chain professionals now exceeds supply by a rate of almost six to one. The shortage of talent drives many supply chain companies to search for executives to fill management positions. The deficit affects the overall performance of supply chain management.
Human Supply Chain
A human supply chain refers to the system that provides an organization with sufficient and proper human talent whenever necessary. The same principles of supply chain management apply to the supply and demand of talent. This is a process that requires finding the right supplier for a specific and unique hiring need. Talent supply management also requires proper implementation, coordination, and remediation of resources.
Companies can gather information on internal and external factors involved with talent supply needs through workforce analytics. Chain management is a company-wide process that needs careful attention and considerations of the company’s overall goals, requirements, and priorities. A company’s network of talent is important for them to maintain a high level in terms of the products or services they provide.
Demand for Employees
Retirement is a problem that supply chain managers have to face. It is much more difficult to replace retiring senior staff with skills and knowledge of a particular aspect of the company’s operations, especially if these are not obvious or are difficult to teach.
Professionals working in supply chain need various soft skills. This includes collaborative problem resolution, change management, and assimilation. Workers with great skills diversity are becoming more valuable, especially with the expansion of supply chains.
Executive Talent
Recruitment of individuals at the executive level is crucial but difficult because they are leadership roles by default. Individuals considered for this position need a particular combination of traits to ensure they can adapt to a company and take on a leadership role.
Passion
Executives need passion to encourage a team to rally. They need to be able to communicate and demonstrate the purpose and mission of a company to people they manage. The ability to vocalize these purposes and reasons is an important skill-set for executives.
Action
Leaders should not wait for a vision or goal to be set for them. Rather, it is their responsibility to take action. They have to be the ones to take initiative in setting a path, communicating it to their team, and eventually executing the plan. To improve the likelihood for success, they need to be proactive in responding to problems and trying out new and potentially more effective solutions.
Flexibility
With the fast-paced and dynamic nature of today’s workplaces, executives have to think quickly and be able to move between strategic and tactical execution. They need to come with a plan and execute it without spending too much time dwelling on either high or lower-level concerns.
Benefits of Successful Human Supply Chain
Well-planned and well-managed human supply chains are important for improving employee productivity and retention, better customer service, and overall performance advancements in the company. It is equally important that executive positions are filled with individuals capable and suited for the job. The success of supply chain management with executive fulfillment can reduce the impact of the existing talent shortage.
