Shining the spotlight on supply chain talent dev't

The state of supply chain talent has seen better days. A recent survey has revealed that when it comes to managing supply chain talent, companies are doing poorly. And this issue is getting even worse. What's seen as a snag in the supply chain may lead to even more terrible scenarios for many companies if they are not serious about finding what's keeping the supply chain talent dissatisfied.

Supply Chain Insights, a consulting firm, has surveyed supply chain management professionals for each of the last three years on the state of supply chain talent. In 2012, 25 per cent of respondents rated their company better than its peers in managing supply chain talent. This year, that statistic was just 18 per cent. In 2012, 28 per cent rated their company as worse than its peers. By this year, that figure had grown to 43 per cent. "If companies do not get more serious about supply chain talent, it will become the broken link in the supply chain," indicated the report.

"I'm surprised we're not making progress," said Lora Cecera, founder of Supply Chain Insights. The reasons for the low ratings fall into three categories: lack of management support, a poor recruitment process and lack of staff development. When it comes to the supply chain, many companies focus only on new, entry-level employees and high potential employees they want to fast-track to leadership positions, while neglecting middle management, which Cecera called "the nuts and bolts of the supply chain."

Middle management is shown to have the highest level of talent shortage.

Indeed, in the survey, 59 per cent of respondents said that middle management was experiencing the greatest talent shortage. Often, companies adopt a retread strategy for middle management. "We just always assume that we can go to the market and get them," said Cecera. "But we can't anymore." In some of the most important areas such as planning, it can take five months to fill an opening, she said.

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