TALENT
ATTRACTING AND RETAINING A DYNAMIC LOGISTICS WORKFORCE Rob Hiron, director, EMEA, Kronos Incorporated
A
ttracting and retaining top talent has been a long-standing challenge for every business, across all sectors, and COVID-19 has thrown even more complexity into the mix. With regions in varying stages of reopening, talent are yearning to get back to work but may no longer have the pick of the proverbial litter when it comes to job opportunities. After years of an employee-driven job market, the pendulum has swung in favour of employers, many of which were forced to lay off or furlough their workforce or, at the least, freeze hiring to conserve business operations. Though the job market has shifted, that does not mean that employers are swimming in applicants of their choice. Workers are thinking differently about their employers – evaluating them on their COVID- 19 response, what technologies they are using should another crisis strike, and deciding if they want to be part of the organisation. Many candidates look for employers that will empower them to thrive in any economic climate, and flexibility has a huge part to play in this, particularly in the post-pandemic world we are now in.
To help navigate these challenging times, organisations must redefine their talent strategies to gain an accurate picture of staff satisfaction and ensure optimal success at this critical time of recovery. Businesses must pull out all the stops to hold onto their best and recruit future talent to meet tomorrow’s needs.
In recent years, the logistics market has digitally transformed, witnessing a serious influx of technologies targeted toward workforce innovation. While it can often be difficult to know when and how to adopt these approaches, modern workforce management technologies will be critical in creating a supportive environment that promotes autonomy and wellbeing for all frontline workers. Especially post-COVID-19, candidates opt for employers that demonstrate flexibility and invest in unique ways to empower their workforce, particularly in times of crisis. As a starting
point, organisations must focus on three critical technologies: self-service tools, intelligent scheduling and real-time workforce visibility. Such technologies not only benefit today’s fragile labour market, but are also instrumental in the future dynamicity of logistics operations.
EMPOWERING YOUR WORKFORCE THROUGH SELF SERVICE TOOLS Employees desire tools and technologies that give them greater control over their work lives, while also performing in the same way their consumer devices and apps perform outside of work. This is where self-service tools come into their own. These tools enable staff to swiftly check their schedules, request time off without having to go through various members of management and pick up or swap a shift at the touch of a button from their own mobile devices.
By removing the outdated obstacles from the scheduling process and placing the control back into the employees’ hands, employers will empower staff and ensure they remain happy and committed to their roles. Self-service tools are critical in differentiating a business among competitors fighting for the same talent.
OPTIMISING WORKFORCE OPERATIONS WITH INTELLIGENT SCHEDULING It is imperative that organisations acknowledge the individual scheduling preferences of all staff. The five generations currently in the workforce vastly differ when it comes to their scheduling needs. For example, many employees have children and families to take care of and cannot work during certain hours or days.
Intelligent scheduling technology works to solve challenges, enabling management to create a blend of variable schedules, static schedules, and overtime schedules. This not only satisfies the needs of the multi-generational workforce, but also identifies and prepares for variable volume
42 SEPTEMBER 2020 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
demands. Scheduling tools also provide real-time labour visibility and can even create employee schedules based on historical and forecasted data. This effectively establishes routines for employees, maximising the use of variable schedules and minimising inefficient use of overtime pay.
GAINING INSIGHTS THROUGH REAL-TIME WORKFORCE DATA The latest real-time workforce visibility solutions work to speed up the scheduling process, enabling front-line management to spend more time with staff. By ensuring data is accessible and actionable, management are able to digest critical workforce metrics in a fraction of the time they would have with traditional scheduling methods. This in turn, pushes them to focus on other issues such as employee wellbeing. By breaking down data silos, real-time technologies create holistic views of organisational labour data, including employee schedules, skills, and certifications, as well as labour law requirements, union rules, pay rules, and other relevant warehouse management data. Using a virtual dashboard that visualises real-time analytics — such as attendance and performance metrics — management is given a quick and easy way to drive employee engagement and improve operational efficiency. With a challenging time up ahead for many organisations, it is those that invest in the latest workforce management and HCM technologies that will be well placed to survive past the pandemic and into the future. This increased focus on employee wellbeing and flexibility will give businesses a competitive advantage among their competitors, enabling them to both attract and retain top talent at this critical time of recovery. To put it simply, an organisation is only as good as its people, so it’s therefore imperative that organisations do all they can to hold onto their best and attract future talent.
Kronos Incorporated
www.kronos.co.uk
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