Hiring trends for logistics and transportation.
The transportation and logistics sector has seen 13% growth in jobs over the past decade, all while unemployment rates dip – leaving fewer candidates in the hiring pool. Demand for logistics managers and supply chain project managers is expected to grow by 24.5%, due to international shipping, according to Monster.com.
Filling these positions with the right talent is vital to successfully maintaining complex distribution chains and keeping goods moving across the country.
Unfortunately, as baby boomers begin retiring en masse, and demands for people with more sophisticated skills increase, it will become increasingly difficult to find qualified talent.
In tight labor markets, you may feel pressure to hire candidates who do not meet requirements, feeling that it is better to have someone in the role than to leave it empty.
While this gut reaction fills a short-term workforce need it can also create long-term problems that cost time and open new risks to the operation. The problems often take the form of underperforming workers, negative workplace environments, and safety risks.
The steady demand for new qualified candidates is forcing transportation and logistics employers to be more strategic in how they find, vet, and onboard new talent, to ensure they land good people and get them up-to-speed quickly.
The importance of assessing candidates amid a labor shortage.
In a low unemployment economy where demand for logistics talent is growing, companies can’t expect to find new hires with the exact qualifications they need. However, pre-employment assessments can help determine which candidates have the raw talent and the right motivations to do the job.
Pre-employment assessments can help you:
- Move beyond traditional resume screening and consider candidates who don’t have logistics experience.
A tight-labor market means you will have to consider candidates from a diverse array of backgrounds. A pre-hire assessment supplements your decision-making by providing a consistent way to determine which candidates have the learning and problem-solving abilities that make them well-suited for the job despite a lack of experience in a similar industry. - Make faster decisions and connect with candidates before your competitor hires them.
Capitalize on the good candidates that do come through your pipeline by making a decision quickly. Research has shown that the longer the hiring process takes, the less likely a candidate is to accept an offer, which is especially true when a good candidate has multiple offers. Using a pre-employment assessment helps you make confident decisions about candidates more quickly. - Identify problem areas in a candidate’s motivation to do the job.
Sometimes a job offer must be made to a candidate whose innate traits don’t align with the requirements of the job. Using a pre-hire assessment helps you identify where the candidate’s work style and motivations are at odds with the role. This information helps managers better communicate with and motivate new hires to give them the best chance at success.
When paired with an effective training regimen, data on how candidates match (or don’t match) the job will help you make lemonade out of lemons and create a foundation for strong performance and longevity in the role.
