Finally, something we can all agree on

At a time when supply chain teams are under extreme pressure, keeping skilled people is more important than ever. That’s according to a survey by digital training provider Skill Dynamics of more than 200 supply chain professionals in the United States and United Kingdom.

Almost all respondents, 99%, expressed concern over one or more consequences of high employee turnover. The greatest worries were about the loss of critical skills (48%) followed by the increased risk of errors (43%).

More than half (56%) of senior supply chain professionals say that employee retention in their function has decreased over the past three years. And 57% admit this is a problem, according to a report released by Skill Dynamics. By the way, 27% of junior supply chain professionals plan to leave their role over the next two years.

When asked about the causes of churn, increased workload came out on top, cited by 62% of professionals, but other factors are also at play. Almost half (47%) named limited progression opportunities as a driver of churn, while over a third (34%) cited a lack of respect for the function. In addition, almost one in five (19%) of junior supply chain professionals do not feel valued within their organization.

“It’s not altogether surprising to see a lack of respect for the function cited as a driver of churn,” comments Adrian Preston, head of supply chain content at Skill Dynamics. “Historically, supply chain has been viewed as an operational function, but as global supply chains grow, strategy and planning are becoming increasingly important skill sets. Our data clearly shows this, with senior and junior supply chain professionals agreeing that supply planning, analytics and strategy are the most important skills for their jobs.”

However, the data places a question mark over professionals’ readiness or comfort in their roles – especially at the junior end of the spectrum. Almost three quarters (73%) of junior supply chain professionals agreed that there is a high need for structured, on the job training in their function, due to a lack of formal qualification options. Almost all (98%) of respondents said that they’d like more training to help them meet job requirements.

“Our data paints a picture of supply chain organizations under stress,” comments Preston. Professionals are having to grapple with strategic problems early in their careers, and often they don’t have the experience or training to confidently deal with challenges. Added to this, they don’t feel like their contribution to their organization is being fully recognized, so they leave. Workload then increases for those left, who then jump ship, and organizations find themselves in a perpetual skills loss cycle.

“However, our research does point towards one clear way of breaking this: training. Comprehensive training will help professionals deal with the rigors of their roles, while demonstrating that the organization really does care about them and their career progression.”

The data suggests that organizations may already be reaching this conclusion. Well over half (56%) of senior professionals anticipate their training budget increasing in FY23/24. On average professionals anticipate an increase of 31%.

“This prioritization of training is encouraging to see”, comments Sam Pemberton, Skill Dynamics’ CEO. However, organizations must make sure that they’re channeling budget into the right areas. When asked about the type of training they’d like to receive, 53% of professionals said access to personalized eLearning programs. People don’t have time to do unnecessary training. That’s why it’s imperative that organizations offer tailored programs that professionals can tap into when they want.”

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