“More and more people want to improve their data science skills.”
are inadequately prepared for profes- sional life. “Of course there is a gap between theory and practice, but it’s not that big. Here, we try to keep that gap small by establishing contact with uni- versities. We discuss case studies with students and hold guest lectures such as on digitalization-related topics, for example. That gives us access to lots of high potentials and helps to improve recognition of our company. That way, when they actually start working for us, they already have some awareness of our operation.” Many large companies target a hand- ful of leading universities, so they are all fishing in the same small pond. “We look at universities of technology that are relevant from a supply chain per- spective. We mainly focus on local uni- versities close to our facilities, but high potentials can be found at all universi- ties,” states Bales.
Leadership training
One notable piece of advice from Cecere’s research is to remember to invest in training the company’s leaders too. “Most companies already have talent development programmes for newcom- ers and high potentials, but only a few companies have a holistic programme to close the gaps. It’s a common mistake to develop the competencies of talents without having leaders who create a rel- evant framework and demonstrate com- mitment. That results in frustration and is a missed opportunity.” Van Hunnik wholeheartedly agrees: “Just like our supply chain professionals, we train all our leadership layers in pro- ject management, change management and digitalization… and even in storytell- ing: how to get their teams to buy into the strategic choices we make. We need leaders who can touch the hearts of their people. We also bring our ‘early profes- sionals’ into contact with more senior management and encourage them to share their results and experiences. This always creates a tremendously good dynamic and energy. I can provide as much training as I want, but if the lead- ers’ actions are not aligned with that, no talent development programme will be truly effective.”
The situation resonates with Van Hun- nik. At Philips, he is using millennials to close the generation gap. For example, he involves them in conducting work- shops, and a ‘reverse mentoring’ pro- gramme has also been set up recently in which new talents coach their older col- leagues on topics such as digitalization. “I’ve participated in this myself, and I certainly learned a lot about the digital world!” says Van Hunnik with a smile. Henkel has made use of reverse mentor- ing too. In fact, Bales herself was a men- tor to Henkel’s Chief Purchasing Officer. “I’m 31 now and still classed as a millen- nial. But when I see what today’s gradu- ates can do with digital technologies, it makes me feel old. It’s unbelievable how fast that’s happening.”
Sterlecchini calls for action to avoid los- ing millennials: “We need to make the field more attractive. Too often, supply chain is still positioned as a complex, conservative field with cumbersome sys- tems and processes. We need to show that supply chain is the glue that holds the various disciplines within the com- pany together, and that supply chain plays a crucial role in an organization with end-to-end processes. That’s what appeals to people – the fact that their work in supply chain actually has an impact on the whole organization.”
Best year ever Impatience
Another interesting conclusion from the study is that developments in busi- ness move too slow for millennials (born 1985-2004). “We see growing frustration among millennials about the speed with which new processes and technologies are being embraced. It’s tempting to dis- miss the impatience of these high poten- tials, but they are the future of our sup- ply chains,” Cecere writes.
So are all the talent development efforts worth it? Sterlecchini thinks so, such as with respect to competencies in intel- ligent risk-taking for instance. A crisis like the pandemic that started in spring 2020 requires companies to adapt quickly and make decisions swiftly, tak- ing into account the consequences for other parts of the organization. “Our supply chain is stronger and more resil- ient than ever, precisely because of such programmes. The pandemic naturally had an impact on our supply chain, but 2020 will probably be Grundfos’s best year ever – not only in terms of employee satisfaction, but also in terms of performance. Our supply chains were able to keep running, albeit perhaps with slightly less capacity. And one of the main reasons for that is the change of mindset.”
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SUPPLY CHAIN MOVEMENT, No.40, Q1 2021
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