Radu Palamariu is MD of Alcott Global, Global Head of Supply Chain & Logistics Practice, co-author of bestselling book “From Source to Sold”
It’s not coincidental that several of today’s leading corporate executives were in operational roles before stepping into the C-suite. A research study conducted by Cranfield University, titled “Supply Chain Strategy in the Board Room,” addressed the importance of effective supply chain strategies and how they are embedded within the board agenda.
CEOs like Tim Cook (Microsoft) and Mary Barra (General Motors) are well known for their strong operations and supply chain management backgrounds. But Doug McMillon (CEO of Walmart), Revathi Advaithi (CEO of Flex), Jim Rowan (CEO of Volvo Cars) and countless others all come from core operations backgrounds as well.
During the pandemic, supply chain leaders have gotten a firm seat in the boardroom as business leaders contributing to the business visions of organizations. In this context, I believe that hiring for supply chain leadership roles has become increasingly important and strategic.
Identifying Supply Chain Leadership Hiring Challenges
In a recent study conducted by my company, we surveyed over 300 executives to gain insights into their biggest challenges when hiring for supply chain leadership roles.
Given the evolution of supply chain leadership as a strategic function who are expected to contribute to the organization’s business strategy, it’s not surprising that the executives surveyed overwhelmingly agreed that “finding candidates with the right skill set” (64%) is a major challenge they face.
Digital transformation and the implementation of supply chain end-to-end processes accelerated during the past years, making data the “new oil.” Similar to oil, data also requires refining through analytics, optimizations and automation in order to extract valuable insights and efficiencies that can provide added value to businesses. According to the responses collected by my company’s study, such skills are still being developed, and the market has a talent gap in areas such as data analytics, optimization and automation.
Three other less emphasized but still significant challenges revealed by the study were: “Reducing time-to-hire for open supply chain positions,” “retaining talent and reducing turnover” and “the lack of diversity in the talent pool.”
While the “right skill set” is becoming a buzzword, I hope to unveil below the actual expectations executives have in terms of the hard and soft skills supply chain leaders need to possess in order to be considered top talent.
Supply Chain Hard Skills
Supply chain teams themselves tend to be large organizations within companies, and to be successful as a supply chain leader, not only do you need to hone your skills but those of your teams as well.
To be seen as successful, most agree that those in operational roles need to keep a holistic view of the end-to-end supply chain operations. A more holistic view of the supply chain helps leaders identify areas for improvement, implement efficiency-enhancing strategies and ensure smooth coordination among various stakeholders.
The other important skills that need to be on every supply chain leader’s priority list are data analytics skills and an understanding of the latest supply chain technologies. Leaders should also have a firm grasp of risk management, inventory management and control of principles.
Lastly, other skills that the executives in my company’s study highlighted as important included sourcing and procurement strategies, ESG and sustainability practices, transportation management and optimization and an understanding of trade regulations and compliance requirements.
Understanding The Importance Of Essential Skills
Hard skills tend to be what gets you into a job, but soft skills are what help you progress in your career. In the supply chain industry, these essential skills are crucial for the whole value chain to function successfully.
Based on the survey, the top soft skills professionals need to have to be successful include problem-solving, collaboration, customer focus, adaptability and influencing skills. Conflict resolution, negotiation skills and presentation skills were also listed as important.
A leader needs to be resilient, adaptable, open to challenges and have a great influence on internal and external stakeholders. They should be able to lead their teams amidst disruption and challenges and develop strategies to meet the needs of their stakeholders.
Attracting The Right Supply Chain Talent
The market continues to have some gems of top talent when it comes to supply chain leadership roles, and there are many strategies on how companies can attract them. I’ve found that one of the best ways is to have a clear vision and communicate it well to the world. Ask yourself questions like: How does your company make a contribution to make the world better? Specifically, how does your supply chain make the world a better place?
Be clear on your supply chain narrative. In fact, as I previously wrote in a book of mine, I believe that narrative is one of the five key attributes of a great executive.
Conclusion
Effective leadership in the supply chain is about understanding how the whole supply chain works as well as understanding how to be agile, adaptable and a driver for transformation and development. The strategic hiring of supply chain leaders with the right skill set can be a competitive edge to your business, making the connection between supply chain management, profitability and shareholder value a practical application of what theory has already demonstrated.
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