Recruiting for a vital sector 2 and


The shipping and freight forwarding industry is the first to indicate a change in consumer confidence, writes Caroline Seear chief executive of Red Recruit Global, an international recruitment company that has been supplying staff in the industry since 2002. Shipping


freight


forwarding is an economic indicator of the health of the economy in my opinion. It is the backbone of the economy and so when the economy slows down, then the shipping industry sees that slow down, almost in real time. If recruitment in the shipping and freight forwarding industry slows down then the rest of the business


sectors


starts to follow a month or so after. I have seen it many times and a worldwide example that I would point to was back in 2008.


If the shipping industry


sees a downturn in goods being shipped then the freight forwarding companies immediately put


Recovery times vary and it’s almost like the braking effect on motorways. At present the current trends


are buoyant in the recruitment market in shipping but the corporate sectors, like banking, are very slow. Is this the delayed reaction of the previous slowdown or is this the Brexit effect on banking? Personally I think it’s a combination of both. Different industries are very similar to in their behaviour, the demand for staff follows similar behavioural patterns. A lot of the behavioural patterns are an emotional decision rather than factual in both cases. It is of the utmost


importance that the freight forwarding industry remains at the top of its game. Whilst it is subject to constant change and adaptation, it is a lubricant of international business as well as society as a whole. This is often overlooked by politicians. There is an inseparable link


a hold or


will stop recruiting altogether. As we serve many other industries as well, this follows up the food chain so to speak.


between the freight forwarding industry’s own conditions and popular movements in society; as a spokesman for the port of Belfast comments “Through the port, wider changes in


society are also reflected”. As the public’s eye turned green, the freight forwarding industry became


a huge source of


opportunity to reduce humans’ environmental footprint. Unfortunately BIFA has now its


dropped Environmental


Award, much to the disappointment of Red Recruit Global, who had sponsored the category for many years, and was an issue particularly close to the CEO’s heart. The reason given was that there was no uptake by the industry. Was this caused by the reduction in margins and consumer focus waning in regard to environmental issues - combined with the consumer wanting more for less at any cost? Whatever the reason, it is a sad indication that the lack of profit cuts the ability of the industry, to find green and sustainable alternatives to current logistic solutions. Human talent and the


acquisition of key players in the industry has been another area that has suffered because of the reduction in margins and the uncertain economic outlook. Acquiring key people for a company has become more scientific than giving Joe


at the freight club a call. Social media is a science


that not many shipping companies and freight forwarders have mastered to date.


Although networking


continues, companies are approaching the whole arena of talent acquisition in a more scientific way and want


to


look at a bigger gene pool so that they can hire the best. This has led to companies using consultancies more and more, like that of Red Recruit Global, which is proactively networking 24/7 and has a database of over 120,000 industry specific candidates on its books. As Sharon Vasili, manager


of the shipping team at Red Recruit says, our consultants are able to have conversations at the highest level and proactively look for candidates that suit our clients’ needs and not their own. Recruitment has changed too; we add value wherever we can. We partner our clients and find them the very best candidates using diverse strategies. We have active social media campaigns, newsletters, advice blogs, job boards and a whole host of ways that we attract


candidates. This is our full time job and we have many years’ experience which means we have refined our knowledge, so only the highest quality candidates are put forward. Another trend, in recent


months, is that companies in the industry are taking apprentices on again. The industry has for


some time


been suffering from a lack of new blood entering into shipping and freight forwarding. This has led to a severe shortage of good candidates for the industry and a lack of management grade candidates in the late 20s to mid 30s age range. Yes, there are some but not enough. Sharon Vasili says that she


has sourced a considerable number of younger people over the last six months that are now working clients. There


is


with my a definite


change in the industry right now, as many people have come to realise that the gap in the 20 to 30s age range is affecting the industry. She


adds: ‘We have scheme led


the way as we have an apprenticeship


and


over 10% of our workforce are apprentices. They are not


only a breath of fresh air into the company but are also the building blocks for its future.’ For some years the industry


was not proactive in taking on the next generation as trading and margins were drastically reduced. Now with a crisis in talent acquisition there is a driver in place for that change to happen, and it certainly is happening now. We are in an ever changing


environment and recognise that. We have to adapt and be able to demonstrate our value to our clients and candidates alike. The industry as we know it now may have changed and the challenges are increasingly complex, however we are here to lead the way and identify trends for clients. Red is exhibiting at


Multimodal on stand 2046, and you are welcome to book an appointment or drop by and take the opportunity to discuss how Red could assist in taking your shipping organisation or career to the next level, with the confidence that comes from using a consultancy well versed in the industry. Red offers a consultative approach and tailors their service to fit your requirements.


Keeping the freight flowing for DuFlon


In 2013, Röhlig Logistics was asked to handle the air and sea freight from Mumbai, India to the UK, US and into Europe for one of the world’s


leading fluoropolymer


processors and PTFE component suppliers, DuFlon. The customer had previously dealt with many different freight forwarders for air and sea freight, each one with different rates and terms of trade. But it now required a single logistics partner to handle all its shipping requirements and which was willing to build a long- term partnership. DuFlon uses cutting edge technology and engineering know-how in the lining components with fluoropolymers,


of


polymers and elastomers. The business is built upon close working relationships with its customers for whom it designs bespoke parts. The main manufacturing site is in India with dedicated sales and distribution centres in the US and UK. DuFlon has sales representatives all over the world to service its client base of blue chip companies. Röhlig and DuFlon are similar in terms of their size in their respective industries and in their business approach; both share a major focus on customer service and satisfaction. Röhlig’s IT logistics systems have built-in controls so all staff know exactly where goods are in transit


and day to day communication is done on a very personal level. DuFlon has local offices in Mumbai, UK and the US - and Röhlig has offices in exactly the same locations. The way the information systems and other operational processes are set up means there is rarely a need to call Röhlig. Occasionally there may be delays and difficulties. If this happens, Röhlig is quick to react to bring the situation under control and always keeps the DuFlon team informed via e-mails or phone calls so end customers can be informed. The benefits of this relationship is that Röhlig really understands DuFlon’s business needs. Röhlig treat DuFlon’s goods as if they are their own which is in contrast to its experience with previous freight forwarders.


There are savings in terms of indirect costs and time - for example in ending out emails, following up with airlines and hauliers and most importantly lower losses due to less damaged


goods in transit. DuFlon has just finalised a new arrangement with Röhlig UK for a European hub. DuFlon will be using Röhlig’s new Birmingham facility as an outsourced


It’s time to get an education


A major education programme will be needed to get the UK population up to be speed on customs issues, predicted Tony Shally, managing director of freight forwarder, Espace Europe. This would apply to business people and politicians, he said.


“We will need to skill people,” he told a Multimodal seminar on 4 April.


“Today,


manufacturers know very little about customs processes. And it is also shocking how little politicians know about how goods come in and out of the country.”


Port of Dover director of


corporate development, Barbara Buczek said it was up to the freight industry“to serve solutions to the politicians”, many of whom didn’t understand the pressures that it had to cope with.


Multimodal 2017 Daily Issue 3 - Freight Business Journal


///NEWS


warehouse and its pick and pack services for sending out shipments to customers across Europe. This long-term strategic partnership has realised benefits for both partners.


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