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Digital Transformation Headhunter: The Way To Paperless Era

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Digital Transformation Headhunter: The Way To Paperless Era

Gone were the days when meetings are being held face-to-face; when transactions, sales and deals are being closed with physical interactions. Letters are just mere memories because people are sending messages virtually all around the world now. Whether searching for potential investors for your new business venture; candidates for a vacancy that needs to be filled in or ways to build your brand, being a digital transformation headhunter is quickly becoming a career that you need to keep an eye on if you want to change the game in building businesses and relationships with people for the better.

Starting Your Career As A Digital Transformation Headhunter

Some people have a negative connotation upon hearing the word “headhunter”. This maybe because of their bad experiences with one before. You cannot change that experience for them. Still, you can provide them with a good experience this time around and change their perception when you become a digital transformation headhunter yourself.

Tips For A Digital Transformation Headhunter

Here are some tips if you want to start a career as a digital transformation headhunter:

Be Resourceful; Exhaust All Options

During this time, when there’s an ongoing global pandemic, we all need to be resourceful no matter what our job or career is. As a digital transformation headhunter, the internet is a vital tool that has all the keys to doing your job effectively, moreover, efficiently. Communication has now been made more accessible, and you can do business in the comfort of your own home. If you urgently need to source out potential candidates for your company’s job vacancies, there are a lot of options that you can choose from to advertise the position. People are now addicted to social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Aside from having a heads-up regarding an applicant’s work experience and educational background, posting a job vacancy on Facebook lets you know an applicant in a more personal manner.

You can get a glimpse about what kind of posts they are interested in or share, thus letting them introduce themselves to you indirectly. LinkedIn is a more professional platform than Facebook. It is mainly focused on job hunting and companies building their corporate image and making them more well-known. The digital transformation headhunter can use this platform to promote the company’s current standing in the industry.

Moreover, let the public know what they are doing to give back to the community where their business is situated. Lastly, asking your closest friends and colleagues can be of great help in establishing your career as a digital transformation headhunter. Because what’s a better way to find people that you need to be connected to than to ask the people whom you are closest to?

 

Be Open-minded Yet Realistic

As a digital transformation headhunter, your role is very crucial to the success of one’s business. You are the one who will be screening applicants which will eventually be the future employees of a company, and that’s a very important task that you should not underestimate. When the best and most qualified applicants get hired, they are most likely the ones who will contribute to the growth and longevity of your company. Exercising fair judgment and looking for more than what meets the eye are the steps into achieving this goal. Sometimes appearances can be deceiving so you must go for someone who can bring something to the table, not just their clean and sharp looks. And being realistic to what the company can offer in return will surely attract the best out of the bunch.

Practice Professionalism And Excellence

Professionalism never goes out of style, but excellence would build your brand. Treating your clients whether they are investors, suppliers, managers, buyers, sellers, followers or even bashers, will make them patronize your service. Respecting their valuable time and showing gratitude in dealing with them would show what you are made of and who you indeed are as a person.

Professionalism goes best with excellence. While being a respectful and charismatic digital transformation headhunter is good, it won’t be enough to seal the deal if you aren’t delivering the goods. Being consistent and showing excellence in every task that you’re assigned to do is still the best way to put yourself up on top of the growing leaderboard of a digital transformation headhunter.

 

 

 

 

COVID-19 Supply Chain Resources & Strategies

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COVID-19 Supply Chain Resources & Strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic is distressing millions of people worldwide while also stamping severe economic consequences to dwell for months to come. The lockdowns and closed airspace and borders had put a significant burden on the world’s supply chains as existing stocks were depleted. This pandemic is a caution light for executives to work on their supply chain resiliency.

The global supply chain disruption illuminates the significance of risk management. Businesses need to strive to minimize, mitigate, and manage the supply chain disruption and to adjust quickly to the shifting landscape.

Supply Chain Digitization

The digitalization of the supply chain is how companies can start to strategize and attain business resilience. Fortunately, new supply chain technologies are emerging, and more are being developed; the traditional linear supply chain model is evolving into digital supply networks (DSNs). Functional silos are deconstructed, and organizations communicate and connect to their supply network to enable end-to-end visibility, collaboration, agility, and optimization using digital technologies.  Big data analytics from these technologies can also help firms streamline their logistics and shipping processes as they are significantly improved through automation and the internet. The automation and the use of robotics can also mitigate the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 crisis through the restriction of people’s movement.

Focusing On Short-term Strategic Planning

Shippers, forwarders, and carriers should concentrate their efforts on short-term solutions to alleviate the direct impact of the COVID-19 crisis. They have to accept and take the challenge of the new reality emerging from the crisis- digital selling.

Supply chain companies shall equip themselves with tools improving communication, allowing them to assess, analyze and draw actionable insights from customer and market data as they work in real-time, while also maintaining smooth transactions and business continuity in general.

With severe instability in supply and demand, companies must make strategic device pricing. Companies must regularly tailor offers at the right and profitable price as they engage with their customers through digital channels. They must focus on sensibly optimizing the costs of their products and services while managing their payables.

Securing the Supply Base

Supply chain companies must forecast demand for supplies in familiar and unprecedented crises and the severe volatility in demand internationally, regionally, and locally.  They must have the ability to work closely with all sizes of suppliers to recognize and comprehend the actual risks to supply and the ripple effect on quality, timeliness, service delivery, local ecosystems, and regulatory compliance. Open and just-in-time exchange of information must be ensured.

To secure supply base capabilities, organizations must mobilize the response team and create cross-functional contact points for responding to immediate internal and external intervention needs and business continuity. Organizations must unceasingly assess supply chain disruption on products, services, and supply chains using advanced analytics. Sense and prioritize risks and identify blind spots. Shortlist the small, medium, and large suppliers to monitor, support, and reposition the supply chain from a risk generator to a customer-centered growth engine.

Responding to the COVID-19 crisis can seem overwhelming as everyone was struck by surprise. But this is the time for companies to learn from the ordeal and ensure their supply chains become more resilient and responsible than before.

 

 

Difference between Headhunter and Recruiter

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Difference between Headhunter and Recruiter

In the fast-paced world of recruitment agencies, two terms seem connected yet actually differ significantly in words of their functions: the headhunters and recruiters. It can create a little bit of confusion for job seekers out there who are entirely unsure whether they are dealing with a recruiter or a headhunter during application.

But take note that even with differences, both these two are vital in searching for the right people for the right kind of job. On its core, both do the same job though with slightly different specifics and areas of concern that each of them handles.

To give us a more simple yet defined definition between the two, here are the facts that you must know about these individuals who serve the vital forces of the recruitment industry.

Who Are The Headhunters?

Their name might sound quite scary, and sometimes even people become suspicious of them. Yet headhunters are a legitimate firm, company, or freelance individuals that work on behalf of another agency to look for job seekers who can fill in a specified role in a company. The catch though is that most of the positions being passed to headhunters are often those that are badly needed by a company or in short, urgent. Unlike recruiters, some of the jobs being offered by headhunters are not always put into public.

In a basic sense, headhunters are considered as a type of recruiter whose target market is narrowed down. They usually employ and develop connections to different groups and individuals who can be a possible candidate for the positions that they offer. It is a great misconception that headhunters search only for individuals to fill in executive roles. Headhunters do also seek for anyone who can fit into any levels of position in a particular company.

All in all, a headhunter’s common denominator is that they all worked on behalf of other agencies or companies.

Who Are The Recruiters?

Recruiters, in general, are the people who carry the duty of finding candidates for a vacant position in a company. The primary task of recruiters starts from seeking out candidates to screening them before the final decision of the hiring manager will be made.

Unlike headhunters, recruiters work closely with hiring managers of the company. This means they are working as part of the company and not as an outside entity which is why sometimes they are referred to as internal recruiters. The advantage of dealing with a recruiter is that they can fill you in all the necessary details and information that you must know about the position you will take, your functions and responsibilities, and even about the company that you will be working to.

But there are recruiters also who, like headhunters, work on behalf of another company. These are usually recruiters from a recruitment agency that works closely with a company. This shows too that recruiters are more or less flexible as compared to headhunters.

 

 

The Internet Of Things, Industry 4.0 and Human Resources

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The Internet Of Things, Industry 4.0 and Human Resources

 

Imagine a future in which any object you could think of would be connected to the Internet, exchanging information with other devices to make your life more comfortable. Stop imagining because that already exists and is called the Internet of Things.

The Internet of things (IoT) is a technological trend that will revolutionize the business processes of companies and society in general and the labor market and the search and selection of the talent.

Refrigerators that detect their content and are in charge of making the purchase alone, mirrors that tell if a person has any symptoms of illness when looking at them or automatic translators that will allow users to understand each other in any language instantly are just some of the possibilities that the Internet of Things (IoT) will offer. The objective of this new technological trend is to interconnect everyday objects to the network digitally.

And although at the moment it is in a developing phase, its future is promising. A recent report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the manufacturer Cisco points out that the Internet of Things (IoT) represents a significant development opportunity on a global scale that could improve the lives of millions of people and dramatically accelerate progress towards achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals.

IoT Technological Evolution

All this will be possible precisely now because a series of technological conditioning factors that converge in this trend have been intertwined. First, lower hardware costs and the ubiquity of mobile access are facilitating higher device intelligence and seamless connectivity. Therefore, adding a few sensor chips or a wireless connectivity module to a new product is no longer a considerable price increase.

The market for person-to-person communication devices and services in developed markets is beginning to saturate. This saturation makes making machine-to-machine communications the ideal basis to market new devices and provides innovative services to businesses already the citizens.

Immediate Business Repercussions

This technological revolution is going to have consequences in the business world. The Internet of Things opens up enormous opportunities in many economic sectors such as healthcare, the pharmaceutical industry, energy, security, telecommunications, finance, or insurance.

However, the two areas in which the consequences of its application are beginning to be seen more clearly are industrial and transport. According to IDC, both currently hold the highest volume of investment in IoT in 2019, respectively. It is about 151,000 and 71,800 million euros.

Specifically, analysts say that the industrial market will experience the most significant growth in spending in this area. Industry 4.0 has already talked about the proliferation in factories of a good number of devices that optimize the load capacities of production systems based on the price of energy, the adaptation of their production lines, or sensors of consumption.

The opportunities are enormous, and companies must take advantage of this trend to change how they relate to their customers and thus improve the products and services they offer. This will also involve modifying the operation and processes of specific areas such as marketing, activities, or logistics. All this based on a new approach to organizing people that reformulate the concept of value and talent management.

The Labor Market, IOT And Headhunters

This new panorama, therefore, brings with it a direct consequence for the labor market. Thanks to the Internet of Things, the system vital to automate a large number of processes that, until today, were manual will be created.

Now, it is convenient not to see this as a threat, but rather as a transformation of the workforce, where little by little new positions will appear with a greater focus on the analysis and exploitation of information. Thus, skills such as data analysis, decision-making, problem-solving, creative thinking, and effective communication will be commonplace on the candidates’ CVs.

All these presents, from the point of view of recruitment and selection, a real challenge for companies. However, most companies are going for Headhunters to help recruit top talents and executives for these positions created by IoT.

There is already an increase in the demand for talent related to the areas of Big Data, Business Intelligence, data analysis, and innovation and development related to the IoT, to which we must add other technological profiles, which are also booming as programmers. .Net and Java, CRM consultants, and developers of mobile applications and e-commerce.

The next big challenge, of course, is for universities to be able to train professionals according to the profiles that the market needs. For this, related subjects should be taught, and students should be encouraged to design and develop projects in this regard.

Final Words

Internet of Things has other consequences that may directly affect the operation of the Human Resources departments. It is that including its management in the organization’s critical strategic activities requires having tools that allow measuring, monitoring, and evaluating the performance of employees, teams, and positions of responsibility about the established objectives.

Having a technology like Internet of Things, that is capable of providing objective and detailed data on processes, tasks, and operations in real-time and at any time and place, will represent an enormous competitive advantage. Of course, enjoying all of this will only be possible by implementing the latest generation analytical tools that, in addition to monitoring and evaluating current and past performance, allow anticipating possible future scenarios.

The Internet of Things is here to stay, and it is worth preparing for all the new features it will bring in the field of work and human resources.

Logistics Headhunter: Is It Important?

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Logistics Headhunter: Is It Important?

 

In the logistics business sector, it is not uncommon to detect symptoms of mismanagement and integration of supply chains, such as increased inventories, bottlenecks, losses, returns, losses, waste of time, among others. That usually reflects bad practices and a lack of technical knowledge or management skills among those who manage these chains.

To improve the performance of supply chains, various initiatives must be implemented, such as reengineering of processes, implementation of technological systems, design of integration strategies, among others.

However, all the previous measures require having professionals and technicians who have the knowledge and skills necessary to operate them successfully. Otherwise, the investment of time and money will yield little or no results.

Key HR Challenges In The Logistic Sector Of Every Company

The challenge is that the current supply of personnel with adequate supply chain training is minimal and usually with high turnover. The vast majority of educational institutions have limited themselves to offering supply chain programs only as a diploma and master’s option, omitting the structuring of the university and technical training programs at the bachelor level aimed at the management and operation of logistics.

Additionally, many of the university plans are misaligned to the current needs of companies and are based on outdated bibliographies, in addition to being primarily theoretical and not involving new technologies.

Therefore, the low generation of professionals and logistics technicians with adequate knowledge is a complex problem that, to solve it, requires joint actions by both the government and educational institutions and by private initiative through their areas, from Human Resources.

Expected Qualities of a Logistics Professional

Being a logistics professional requires a series of multidisciplinary knowledge in technical, economic, customs, technological, and interpersonal skills, which requires a good education and training program.

Operating a logistics network that today is strongly linked to suppliers and customers from other countries, and whose infrastructure uses technology (equipment, hardware, and software) also from other nations, undoubtedly requires command of English.

Role Of The Human Resources Area In The Development Of Human Capital

KPMG carried out the Rethinking Human Resources in a Changing World study, which gathered the opinion of 412 executives from organizations belonging to various industrial sectors, of which 37% are at the managerial level. Among the results, it is highlighted that 81% of the survey participants think that the management of human capital is a critical factor for the success of a company. However, only 17% believe that its human resources (HR) area has Sufficient effectiveness to attract and retain it.

In this sense, one of the challenges that organizations face is how to find talent when, in principle, it is scarce. Sometimes the problem starts when the profile of the supply chain executive being sought is not clear, which causes HR to obtain incorrect candidates.

It is necessary that the HR area, together with the areas involved, define, document, and understand the profiles of the positions associated with the supply chain, indicating the requirements in educational training, technical knowledge, skills, experience, salary, etc.

Will a Headhunter Help?

Once the companies are clear about the profile to look for, the next step is to locate and attract it. In this sense, organizations can no longer wait for the potential candidate to look for them. Now, they must also have a more proactive role in their monitoring, not only through traditional channels such as job offers pages, but also through networks like headhunters to conduct the recruitment activity.

What Challenge Comes Next?

Even if headhunters help to recruit top talent, another challenge for organizations is to retain it. According to a KPMG study conducted in 2012, the retention of skills and experience within the business will be the main activity to which the HR areas will focus on the following three years.

According to the study, 90% of the interviewees agree that loyalty represents up to two-thirds of the equation of the success of a company. So, it is worth noting that a committed employee can be between 27% and 37% more productive on an individual basis than one who is not.

To promote talent retention, it is vital to have an entire structure that supports employee development and stability. Within this structure several items are included, some are:

Excellent Work Environment (Without Discrimination, Harassment, Bullying, Among Others): The leading companies in talent retention have reporting lines, as well as 360 ° and organizational climate evaluations (evaluation of the boss, colleague, and subordinate on the evaluated) that allow them to monitor areas of opportunity in this regard periodically.

Balanced Workloads: Leading organizations, sometimes supported by specialists, perform resource utilization analyzes to identify areas of under or over utilization.

Career And Training Plans: It is considered as good practice that the employee has clear visibility on the future professional options and the company providing the employee with the means to develop the skills and acquire the knowledge required by the position to which they aspire to be promoted. The above through internal or external courses (continuing education and/or postgraduate).

Fair Compensation Schemes: People must be rewarded for their skills and results. An estimated seven in 10 employees value cash income but appreciate the recognition of their work, training, stability, and the future.

Innovation With Remote Work Schemes: 50% of companies have adopted a virtual or out-of-office work model.

Companies not only have to encourage the incorporation of students to carry out professional internships, social service, or as interns but also to change the focus of the use of human capital in these initiatives.

It is not uncommon to find fellows or interns in companies doing activities that do not add value or are not related to their area of ​​study. Sometimes, companies and the students themselves see in these activities, rather than a degree requirement, an opportunity for learning and training that benefits both the student and private initiative.

Final Words

The recruiting of talented human capital is, without a doubt, one of the critical elements to carry out the logistics transformation that most companies require to compete internationally. These talent hunt can be carried out by headhunters who find specific top individuals that are the best fit for your company.

Supply Chain Management

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Supply Chain Management

 

For any kind of business, it is essential that their production flow handling of their goods or services would be in top order, starting from the acquisition, handling, and processing of raw components/materials to products, goods or services up until to the delivery of either one of those to the customer themselves. This is where the “Supply Chain Management” practice comes in, to handle the said production flow.

 

Supply chain management is usually composed of a network of suppliers (which are the “links” of the supply chain) that provides raw materials to the organizations/companies linked to the supply chain. The management aspect of this is composed of six major components, which are listed below:

 

  • Planning
  • Sourcing
  • Making
  • Delivering/Logistics
  • Returning
  • Enabling

 

Supply Chain Management Evolution

 

This type of management has evolved over the years since it was implemented by previous companies and organizations decades before. Modern supply chain management usually revolves around data management, services and products bundling to solutions, which in turn affect product and service quality, deliveries, costs, customer service, and profitability.

 

Also, it usually takes advantage of generated data by the chain process, which are then curated by each company’s analytical experts and data scientists. Most data curated are analyzed in real-time to ensure efficient data feedback while maintaining minimal latency.

 

Importance of Supply Chain Management

 

Minimizing overall costs, wastes, and time used in the production cycle are the benefits of effective supply chain management. However, it is not completely perfect, and it is usually a stopgap by retailers and stores of companies in avoiding empty store shelves due to a shortage of supply.

 

Due to this, further improvements are being implemented in this system to achieve better benefits from this kind of management, by doing the following:

 

  • Identifying potential problems.
  • Optimizing price dynamically.
  • “Available to promise” inventory allocation improvements.

 

Right Software For Digital Supply Chain Management

 

Due to the constant evolution of the supply chain management, various organizations have taken the management practice digitally, aside from keeping its physical counterpart active, and resulted in the birth of various software that can manage supply chains via digital network akin to a physical network.

 

This digital version usually handles the supply information being curated to the monitoring of sales that will be the basis for most manufacturers on what to ship to their partnered organizations’ store shelves, reducing unnecessary additional costs for overstocking unneeded inventory.

 

Supply Chain Management’s Key Features

 

An effective supply chain management results in good business, with highly profitable returns and very satisfied customers and consumers alike.

 

The key features of an effective supply chain management are known as the “Five Cs” which are listed below:

 

  • Connected
  • Collaborative
  • Cyber-aware
  • Cognitively-enabled
  • Comprehensive

 

Those features are essential to the digital aspect of supply chain management due to it being connected via cloud-based commerce, which in turn connects to the physical side of supply chain management resulting in a complex and continuous system that handles organizational supply inventory for their partnered stores and retailer branches.

 

Logistic Headhunters: Why They Are Essential to the Logistics Business

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Logistic Headhunters: Why They Are Essential to the Logistics Business

 

As millions of moving parts occur daily worldwide, logistics brings order to this chaos by developing and using systems to the most efficient route, and track or deliver packages to anyone anywhere anytime.

 

Through the years, the logistics and transportation industry has grown at a fast pace. More goods are being moved in highways, oceans, and airways than at any other time in the human history. With the growth of the industry becoming increasingly reliant on developing technology and streamlined communication tools, an increasing hike among human resources and fulfilling the most demanding executive search assignments in the logistics industry have become even more important.

 

Partnering up with trucking companies, manufacturers, steamship lines, and air freight companies, among others, has allowed logistics headhunters to make their mark in employing a diverse cast of talents in more diverse roles in the industry.

 

Here are some advantages that you can get when working with a logistics headhunter.

1. Free job placement assistance

A reputable logistics headhunter will never charge any candidate for services offered. If you are ultimately hired for one of those job positions, the company will pay the fees for the headhunter, not you. Logistic headhunters are trusted by companies to make it easier for them to find the “perfect fit” for their job opening.

2. Internal job openings

With an expanded network of connections in the industry, logistics headhunters know about employment opportunities that aren’t even out on online job boards yet. As a hiring authority, companies that have challenging and urgent searches, and candidates who want to start a career path in the logistics industry can highly benefit from a logistics headhunter.

3. Utmost Confidentiality

Whether you are actively or passively searching, or just open to hearing about job opportunities, your logistics headhunter understands you as a candidate and your confidentiality. They offer career solutions without you having to be concerned about your current employer finding out you’re considering other career options or posting your resume on an online job board.

4. Customized Career Search

With their extensive connections and current knowledge of market trends and industry-specific demands, logistic headhunters are extremely thorough for advising on all aspects of a candidate’s job search engagement. A logistics headhunter understands candidate specifications in terms of skills, experience, interests, and all other necessary information to build into a customized career search profile.

5. A Range of Talents

Logistics headhunters often deal with a wide range of opportunities throughout companies, public and private. They source, screen, and qualify the right candidates to present to some of the most demanding companies in the logistics industry. Logistics headhunters will then organize interviews, handle feedback, and submit the offer to the candidate of choice.

 

Logistics headhunters have remained at the forefront of presenting and working with some of the top talents in the industry. Their process eliminates hundreds of wasted hours finding the perfect employees for a logistics company.

 

Within nationwide and global reach, working with a logistics headhunter with the experience, expertise, and extensive network of contacts in the industry will help bring more qualified candidates who precisely meet company needs.

 

If doing it yourself doesn’t add up, leave it to a logistics headhunter.

 

Logistic Headhunters: Why They Are Essential to the Logistics Business

How An Executive Search Headhunter Can Help Your Business

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How An Executive Search Headhunter Can Help Your Business

Executive search hunters offer massive help to the hiring process in the business sector. When a company loses an employee, it will search for applicants to fill in the vacant position. Seemingly, the traditional method takes a lot of time and cost. Through an executive search hunter, the process becomes cost and time-efficient. Also, it reduces the rate of turn-over. Most importantly, it prevents the company from hiring incompetent and less motivated employees (bad hires).

With the help of the executive search hunters, companies will a better experience of the hiring process. Here are some of the reasons why hiring a headhunter can help your business.

It prevents companies from employing bad hires

Bad hires refer to incompetent employees who don’t produce the right quality of work, don’t go along well with co-employees, and have bad attendance at work. Hiring the wrong employees through the traditional process is not cost-efficient. Because of bad hires, companies need to spend £50,000 (at least for a senior level). It is the total cost spent on training, decreased productivity, advertising for a new position, hours spent screening and interviewing new candidates, short-listing and many more.

With the executive search headhunter at work, top qualified employees are hired. A shortlist of qualified and competent employees is generated, and a thorough profiling and background check are done. As such, this reduces the chance that companies will spend much on ineffective hires.

It prevents damage to the corporate brand image

When companies appear more often in the search engine searching for prospective employees for a new position, this creates a negative notion. In the same way, a lengthy hiring process creates a negative impression on the company. Often, applicants will think that the company is not an attractive place to work.

With the help of an executive search headhunter, the hiring process becomes quicker. Also, since the headhunter provides companies with top-performing and qualified employees, there will be a lesser rate of turn-over. Hence, this builds a good image of the company.

It effectively hires experienced and skilled employees

Companies can’t afford to hire inexperienced workers. Corporate and skills training is only an additional cost which the employer has to shoulder upon hiring an unskilled worker. With the help of an executive headhunter, companies will be able to hire experienced and skilled workers to fill the vacant positions. Search firms will automatically generate the shortlist of needed skilled, experienced and qualified workers, which is time-efficient for hiring companies.

It provides companies correct and certified information of employees.

According to a 2017 employment screening benchmark, 85% of employees lie in their resumes. With executive headhunters, companies will be able to have verified information on their prospective employees. It is through comprehensive profiling and background check done by the headhunters. It prevents them from hiring the wrong applicants.

Conclusion

Hiring is a tedious process. It takes time and money to hire the best employees. Executive search headhunters will provide you with the best employees of your choice.

 

How An Executive Search Headhunter Can Help Your Business

 

The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work, and Workplace

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The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work, and Workplace

Everything around us is changing, and it is changing rapidly! What seems unrealistic and unachievable today is likely to become a regular affair in a couple of days. People, environment, technologies, economies, markets, transportation, infrastructure, everything is developing fast. And so is our workplace, nature of work and our organisations.

If we were to compare our current working conditions with those of a decade ago, we will find a prodigious change in almost everything. Desktops have been replaced with iPads, papers have been replaced with digital information, files have been replaced with hard disks and fax has been replaced with instantaneous emails.  From our office printer to the water dispenser everything has gone through a drastic change. In a sense, everything has evolved for the better!

Even if we set aside the materialistic gizmo, the credentials of our work have also evolved to a great extent. The gap between the management and the employees has narrowed down to almost a negligible level. Employees and subordinates are given importance in the decision making process for the business. The focus of the organisations has largely shifted to providing the best benefits and perks to the employees. Employee satisfaction has moved up the priority list of the industries so that the prime focus of their employees is on conferring the best services to their customers.

Employees too are nowadays required to be efficacious in their demeanor. Always being on the go is a mandate in today’s work culture. Monitoring and work assessment are almost done on a real time basis. Competitions are vigorous at all levels. Everyone is at a constant marathon with their peers and counter parts. Mistakes can be catastrophic, even if it is a silly one. There will always be someone amongst your colleagues or competitors to take benefit and skim at your blunder.

Work dynamics have changed.  The complexity of work has also increased. People are expected to be subject matter experts in their respective fields. At the same time, they are also expected to be multi taskers with knowledge on various others aspects. Hierarchy has been replaced by parallel systems. Team work is more pivotal than individual achievement.  Dependency on advanced technologies has become abundant. Human effort has been lessened with the use of these advanced technologies. Routine operations are automated, saving time and energy. As a result of which, job responsibilities of manpower have shifted towards strategic planning, growth, and innovation. With new trends hitting the market every day, modification in existing standards of every business house is indispensable.

Organisations in the present times have become dynamic.  Globalisation has uplifted the performance benchmark. Geographical boundaries stand no restraint when it comes to providing service. Organisations welcome multicultural workforce with ease. Diverse cultural background of the workforce, age difference, linguistic unfamiliarity, gender biases, etc. do not matter anymore in this cosmopolitan urbane work culture. They never let go of opportunities to develop and lead. What matters most is the success.  It is the new leader in this era of emerging markets. And success is the only constant in this ever changing milieu.

The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work, and Workplace

The Future of Headhunting in Supply-Chain Management

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The Future of Headhunting in Supply-Chain Management

The industrial revolution was a major revelation to the whole world back in the 19th century. It changed people’s perspectives of the working industry holistically. The fast-paced revolution was sort of like an eye-opener to the public. It was a race to the future, and no one saw it passing so fast.

In 2019, the game is different in all aspects. Machines and modern equipment are not new. Technology, with a brisk run, has caught up with the lives of all the people, and they are dependent on it. There are tribal hamlets without big changes in villages and forests still, but technology is surely catching up. It won’t be long before you get mobile signals inside all dense forests.

Where is business heading then? The global research and advisory firm Gartner predict that within a year, at least 50% of major business systems will have IoT in it, in one way or the other. IoT is the internet connectivity extended into physical devices and everyday objects, and we would already know how big a role IoT plays already in our daily lives. To see a person not using Google maps for navigation in a major city would indeed be a sight of rarity.

If you think this is the pinnacle of technological advancement, then count it only as the beginning.  We are about to witness some more action. Gartner also predicts that up to 36 million inter-connected smart devices will be installed in a decade and that it would generate over $300 million in revenue. This means IoT will have a huge role to play in how the supply chain operates for business enterprises.

SCM Revolution

Supply-chain management is the effective management of the flow of goods and services, involving movement, storage and delivery of finished goods and services from the point of origin to the point of consumption.  SCM calls for an integrated approach in design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply-chain activities. IoT has a big role to play here.

Many global firms recognize the transformation role played by the IoT in the manufacturing, retail, and service sectors. Most of the organizations depend on IoT solutions for locating objects, containers, and personnel. Smart mailboxes are used by postal services in some remote areas to find out if the boxes are empty. This saves unwanted journeys. Some pharmaceutical companies use sensors to monitor their temperature-sensitive products. When you order a product online, you get an online tracker to monitor its delivery. All these setups increase the productivity of the organizations. This is business intelligence in its higher echelons.

The IoT devices have revolutionized the supply-chain systems.  It is much easier to know the whereabouts of the products/goods in storage or movement. It also helps the companies to stay competitive in the market. Let’s talk about some of the major operational efficiencies of IoT, and you will know about the main advantages in the field because of it.

 

 

 

Asset Tracking: Bar codes and tracking numbers were usually used to manage the goods in the supply chain.  However, IoT has changed the entire game plan. The old methods are no longer the best. There are plenty of methods using which the whole process can be expedited.  RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is used nowadays as the main method of communication.  RFID and GPS sensors can be used to track the products. It’s not just a matter of simple tracking here. These sensors can be used to calculate and arrange a wide array of data. Fetching granular data like the temperature of storage is an example. The amount of time spent by cargo and the exact location of the goods and products is priceless information. This way, the companies can use the data as leverage to minimize the flaws next time. The labor and time can be easily managed. In business, excessive time and headcount mean money lost, and through IoT, the companies get to save a lot of it.  In a nutshell, the organizations have a wide array of data that they can use to improve and take their business to the next level. Quality control, on-time deliveries and product forecast – It all becomes easier and much better.

Vendor Relations: When we talk about healthy relations with vendors, it doesn’t mean a friendly handshake or how good you are in talking them into a good deal. It is much bigger than that. Data shows that over 60% of the value of a company is derived from its suppliers. It’s a huge share and that is exactly why it is important to have healthy vendor relationships. The information available through IoT plays a crucial role here. When asset tracking improves, the companies get a good chance to tweak their production schedules and charts to improve their overall productivity. This way, it’s easy to zero in on poor vendor relationships that cost the company money. How are the vendors handling the supplies they are sending you? How are they handling them once the product is made? The quality of products is important, and it reciprocates as good relationships with customers, helping in customer retention as well.

Forecast and inventory: When data gets messier, the whole system crumbles. When there is an expert way to handle data, then there is more clarity. The accuracy of IoT in handling inventories is commendable. The speed and accuracy of the operations are better than any human who can do the same tasks at his prime. Instead of a human, when there is a robot to scan the QR codes or handle the data, then the speed increases manifold. This is already a custom in most of the multi-national companies like Amazon who are experts in Supply Chain Management. The inventory can be tracked easily, and the supplies for stock and future can be managed much more productively. Who wouldn’t want error-free efficiency and preciseness in handling data?

Connected Fleets: People used to wait for ages for a mail to come and fall on their doorsteps. But gone are those days. It’s faster, and forget predictions and hope, you can easily pinpoint the exact time of delivery and location of a product. It is imperative in supply chain management to have a connected network of containers, trucks, vans, or any vehicle in that case used for the transportation of goods. Nothing is lost and all information is just within the reach of your fingertip. Where are the containers? How long will it take to reach the destination? What are the possible contingencies and how can it be handled without losing time and manpower? There are questions aplenty, but a connected fleet with IoT is the answer to most of these questions. Data is the key, and there is an improvement in every step forward. Manufacturers, vendors, retailers, customers and all elements in the operational structure can reap benefits using IoT.

Maintenance: A faulty system or machine costs a lot for companies when it’s supply chain they are dealing with. For this reason, it is important for the companies/manufacturers to constantly keep an eye on maintenance. Smart sensors through IoT have the power to keep everything inter-connected and intact. This prevents downtimes and blackouts. Prevention is better than cure, and that’s exactly what scheduled maintenance through IoT can do to your network.

Why is IoT a Game-Changer? Let’s Summarise

  • It’s reassuring that goods can be precisely located, both in rest and motion
  • Problems with the goods lost, or delay in delivery can be easily identified and rectified
  • Stakeholders get to know when they can expect to receive and process goods
  • Real-time shipment and tracking
  • Visibility and transparency of stock/inventory
  • Quality management and optimization
  • Efficiency in storage and distribution of goods and products
  • Time-management
  • Healthy vendor-relationships

Impact on Recruitment

All these developments act as a precursor to a new generation where all the activities and operations will be aligned using a technological handle that’s both easier to manage and good for business. The future is coming quicker than we can anticipate. An inventory on a ruled A4-sized notebook – those days are history. We need more skills and in another decade the market will be filled with millions of jobs that we have absolutely no clue about. It is kind of scary, but it can also be exciting if you are ready to adapt and change according to the evolving environments all around you.

When there is a technological improvement or new methodologies of actions in place in a company, it will surely call for a better scale of operation and the employees should be well aware of it. The skills required and key roles will change invariably.

Cyber Security is one such area that will play a huge role in the effective handling of all these companies. With most of the data and information controlled and managed through the inter-connected IoT, it is easy for a rival to use the same as a scourge to create a huge ruckus. As technology finds its way higher up the ladder, there will be hackers aiming to bring it down as well. Security is a big issue, and all data should be safe. Count this as a synonymous industry that’s growing with IoT.

 

When it comes to supply chain management, most of the transactions happen online nowadays. Social Selling isn’t new, but it is really important for recruiters. Sales professionals will have to research their leads and candidates to build a good rapport with the system.  Like social selling, there are many foreseeable changes and things that can never be predicted galloping towards us.

 

The Future of Jobs in SCM

IoT, 3D printing and big analytics are already playing a key role in changing the dynamics of the Supply Chain Market. In the wake of ever-changing patterns in the market, what jobs can we expect?

The future of demand planning: It could be all about cloud-based planning systems. The real-time drill could be different from how they are before. Online transactions and algorithms will change the entire mechanics of demand planning. The demand planner can become a business creator.  At the transaction level, the executive will be able to prioritize, analyze and solve supply-demand balancing problems. The commercial impact will play a huge role.

Production Planning: A production planner of the yesteryear will have to collaborate with robots than be programmed in the wink of an eye. Thousand of working pathways can be simulated and all the permutations and combinations can be tested within seconds. The IoT equipped machinery is from the future and just being able to push a button or turn the handle or knob on time, are the skills that wouldn’t matter to anyone.  The production planner has to be an expert craftsman. There is no need to manufacture long runs of low unit costs, and it can effectively improve business and increase the company’s profit.

Logistics Management: To a large extent, it will all be about dealing with customer satisfaction. The options for planning on building a load, making a route map and checking customer’s availability will be quite easy. There will be plenty of options available, and analytics and automation will ensure that it happens on time. Logistics could become the next uber-cool thing of the future. Custom-packing, drones, and pods will change the entire landscape of the delivery of the goods. Customer satisfaction and directing these automated machines in the right course will be the future of logistics management. Numbers and combinations won’t be a problem. It’s all about becoming a Logistics director.

Resource utilization: It’s all about sustainability. Optimal consumption of the resources and sustainability are the marks of the future. The executives will require machine learning for optimal resource utilization. The Supply Chain leaders of the future will have to reinvent themselves.

All the Skills Needed:

  • Strategic Planning and Big Thinking incorporating IoT and AI
  • Technological expertise and ability to adapt and apply Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and the IoT in the supply chain
  • Collaboration, networking and relationship management
  • Control Tower leadership and single-point management skills
  • Ability to learn, adapt and use technological resources
  • Risk management and mitigation
  • Data analytics and high-level decision making
  • The ability to work seamlessly across all boundaries of culture, geography, and trends
  • Ability to quickly improvise and read the current trends
  • Lean and business process re-engineering
  • Machine-learning

Role of Headhunters

Due to the tectonic shift in the market, there is an increased need to educate and constantly be aware of the technological advancements. Big Data, Telematics, Warehouse and Workforce Management, IoT, AI, and Robotics – there is quite a lot that’s happening and changing in the supply chain industry. To effectively be able to select candidates who are aware and knowledgeable of these changes can be a daunting task.

Specialist recruitment services can make a big difference here. For functions like IoT, IIOT 4.0, Connected Devices, Telematics, Warehouse Management Software, and Workforce Management Software, there are headhunters who can get the right manpower with adequate knowledge.

Role of Headhunters for Supply Chain

  • To find the right candidates who are aware of the growing changes in the market
  • To find manpower who are adept and equipped with machine learning
  • To spot the right talent according to the changing environments in the industry
  • Hire the right candidates according to varying requirements
  • Educating the candidates about the requirements of the company
  • Assess, monitor and prepare a talent pool
  • Increase in productivity for the company by right placement
  • Act as a resourceful bridge for the candidate and client

It can be a daunting task to have a set of people working and get them to learn the alphabets from A to Z. Instead of that, the headhunters help in readying the right talent for all jobs in the chain. No second thoughts whatsoever! Headhunters play the role of talent agents for corporate companies.

The changing Course

It is always about adapting to the conditions that keep on changing all around us. Someone with decades of experience won’t be able to survive if he is unaware of the technological shifts around him. Someone good at his job will not survive if he is not ready to learn. IoT and AI are going to take over the operational cycles, and as much as it is good for profit-making and error-free operations, it also calls for high levels of flexibility and adaptive approach from the employees. The world is changing fast and it is imperative to keep on running.

Headhunters play a major role without any doubt. It helps the candidates and employees get what they deserve, and act as a mediator. It directs both the parties in the right direction. For corporate clients, it’s about a painless selection process. For candidates, it’s about the right job! They act as a bridge. In a way, you can call them game-changers.

 

The Future of Headhunting in Supply-Chain Management