How is your business managing skills shortages · Six Degrees Executive

The demand for skills in supply chain has shifted due to a significant change in the market.  The need for an integrated supply chain is paramount and businesses need to work hard to stay ahead of the talent game.

For example, the role and skillset of a planner have considerably changed as a result of planners needing to work more collaboratively with retailers in an integrated supply chain. We have seen an increase in demand for particular skills across the board with everyone wanting the same thing. The new skills buzz words are ‘change management’ and ‘resilience’.

Every business out in the market is looking for the top 10% of candidates; candidates who are able to deliver change through an organisation and do more with less in what has become a tougher economy. This is creating a large capability gap in talent. So whilst it is important as a business to identify the skill requirements, it is just as important to develop a strategy around dealing with this shortage in the market.

Things to consider in developing, attracting and retaining top talent are:

1. Do you have a strategy on developing talent with a focus on these new core skills from graduate level up?
2. Do you have a clear change management plan and is it driven and supported from the top?
3. Do you have a strong employee brand?
4. Do you provide support and career development plans for top talent? Do you deliver on this and have strong examples of successful employees in the business?
5. Are you holding two way interviews focusing on selling to top talent as well as identifying their skillset?
6. Do you have a robust and engaging recruitment process that enables you to be proactive in securing talent?

During times when there is significant change in the market and a shift in demand for skills it is just as important for an organisation to be looking internally at people, process and systems as it is for them to be looking to the external market.

What is your business doing in relation to skills shortages?