Yannie shares her team's market insights after another busy quarter– what has been experienced in the supply chain on both sides for clients and candidates.
Just like that, we have come out to the other side of another eventful quarter!
2020 has thrown many spanners in the works, but the supply chain is a fundamental jigsaw piece to our world. As we said in our last quarterly update, the supply chain simply doesn't stop, and neither do we.
Our team has definitely felt the market heat up since earlier in the year - post-COVID-19 resurgence is in progress and recruitment freezes are even starting to thaw out earlier than expected. Below are a few themes we have seen recently:
Clients
- Accelerated supply chain digitisation
We have worked on several roles which have all turned to one underlying key driver. Clearly, there has been a digital awakening in our post-lockdown and recovery phase for several organisations in retail, e-commerce and FMCG. This has come to light through vacancies for several analyst positions, planners and business implementation projects. Data has never been such a valuable currency interlinked with ensuring supply chains are resilient. Projects are in the works to add transparency and mitigate risks as businesses prepare for anything and everything ahead in the future.
- Key expansion hires
We are seeing clients invested in making key expansion hires in the GM and executive-level bracket. This shows confidence and stability in many organisations as they set out and plan the structure of their businesses from a top-down perspective. The rise in recruitment of senior leadership positions has been experienced in the $120k-$280k salary band. Leadership talent is evermore sought-after in our current environment. In some instances, this has had a flow-on effect to then recruit for supply chain and logistics coordinator positions.
- Déjà vu – lockdown 2.0
Of course, let's not forget we conquered a slightly arduous but much better managed second round of lockdown in August. Many of our clients were fearless in working through this as they applied their learnings from the first time. Interestingly enough, there has been a rise in many regional roles on the market and regional roles recruited by our team at Tribe. This is likely due to the less restricted levels outside of Auckland, with hot spots in Hawkes Bay, Tauranga, Blenheim and Hamilton. While some roles were recruited more slowly in Auckland in the recent month, they were still carried out and filled successfully in the end.
Candidates
- To move or not to make a career move?
Through conversations we have had with candidates, there is still plenty of eagerness to know about the most exciting and newest roles to emerge onto the market. People have probably never had so much time, home or alone this year to reflect on what is important to them in life, their jobs, and their families. Put it this way, a lot of moves are still being made! But candidates are a lot more considered and somewhat reserved about how and where they want to move to. Even though FMCG has been a resilient space and largely not badly impacted, candidates are still keen on opportunities to advance their careers. But understanding job security and taking steps to understand how businesses are positioned is key to their decision-making and choice in the job market. Most certainly, employment brand is also an all-time hot topic as we navigate the job market as it continues to warm up.
- In between contracts or not employed (…yet!)?
If this is you, we find that a lot of candidates are taking advantage of their available time by investing in themselves. Finally, you might have a few hours a week, or day, to carve out and dedicate to completing APICS courses or updating your knowledge on industry developments.
If you have not looked into formal studies in the supply chain, APICS certificates are well worth pursuing if you are committed to building a career as a supply chain professional. We find that more and more they are well looked upon and favoured by hiring managers. You can learn at your own pace and do so remotely through an online curriculum and exams.
APICS remains the global leader in supply chain programs – CPIM, CSCP and CLTD.
- How to stand out from the crowd?
In today's competitive landscape, with limited vacancies and opportunities to yet appear on the market, we cannot emphasise enough that you should target and be specific with your job search approach. Be open-minded on your options, but make sure you are pitching yourself in a way that presents your unique value offering to an organisation. Research the types of roles your skills and experience can lend well to and make sure your CV reflects and matches what is asked for in a job ad or vacancy. If you need support with this, you can check out the following resources as a starting point.
How to write a winning CV
Mastering your LinkedIn profile
We will be introducing a supply chain 101 careers guide from yours truly here at Tribe, so stay tuned for our next market update in December.
If you are thinking of making a career move or you are looking to hire for your team, get in touch with us and we would love to see how we can help.
