Preparing Your Company Today to Hire for Tomorrow

The logistics sector will create more than one million jobs through 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. To complicate matters, there is a skills gap in logistics, so recruiting proven and experienced professionals has become a priority for many companies. With competition for talent increasing, organizations must attract candidates who will be the most productive in the position they are placed.

The variety of challenges facing today’s supply chain have made many companies shortsighted in their hiring practices. The growing need for skilled workers in manufacturing, truck driver shortages, and non-compete clauses are just a few hurdles facing hiring managers. Companies must adapt their hiring practices to ensure they find and hire candidates who will lead them beyond these obstacles and better prepare them for challenges down the road.

Know What You Need

When it comes to evaluating candidates, companies must determine internal goals before beginning the hiring process. Having a recruiting plan is essential so you can place new talent strategically, with a design that allows for both the company and employee to grow.


One strategic error that companies can make is putting new talent in the wrong position. For example, a candidate from a small company may be given a more senior title, while not necessarily having the experience of a person with the same title at a larger company.

Job titles can be misleading, but they are the best way for the potential employer to describe the work involved to an applicant. So dig deeper as you define the needs for your position, and make sure you cover these bases:

  • Have objectives in place and communicate them clearly to candidates. Knowing your long-term and short-term goals helps identify candidates with the appropriate skillset to help meet those goals. The most desirable candidates are attracted to positions with clearly defined expectations.
  • Define your ideal candidate before starting the search. The biggest challenge is deciding what qualities and skills are most important to meeting company objectives. Your company’s golden candidate will be a combination of educational background, applicable skills, work experience, and personality.
  • Put talent into the right position as quickly as possible. Time is money, as the old saying goes. The average time to fill a position in the transportation industry is about 50 days. During that time, other people will be pulled away from their normal duties to assist in the hiring process, which can reduce productivity. Evaluate where time is best spent, and which candidates are worth the extra effort.

Empower Your New Employee

A company should be prepared to give new hires every opportunity to develop their skills, and empower them to take on more responsibility. This means having metrics in place to ensure they are producing quality work from day one.

With a clearly defined understanding of long- and short-term goals, and a firm grasp of what your company is looking for in an ideal candidate, you will be in a position to recruit and retain top talent. Maintaining a consistent and proactive hiring method ensures that many of the obstacles facing most organizations will be in your rear-view mirror.

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