Whilst many are making a head start with their Christmas shopping, other people are keeping busy in the run up to the festive season, by actively planning a Christmas career change. That’s according to new research released this week by Total Jobs.
In fact, it found that two-million workers are planning a job move before Christmas, with 75% of jobseekers considering moving to an entirely different industry altogether.
Following recent negative press around the HGV driver shortages and the struggles around the rights of self-employed courier drivers, it’s fair to say that logistics work isn’t always painted in the most positive light. So, it is all the more refreshing to hear that the logistics sector is among the best at retaining its workers.
Stats compiled by Total Jobs indicated that 49% of logistics workers surveyed have remained in the sector, with each spending an average of 10.1 years in the industry and 7.2 years with the same employer.
So, for what reason do people choose logistics work? And for what reasons do they remain within the sector?
Why Work in Logistics?
Here are just a few of the many benefits of joining the millions who already work in logistics:
- Variety
Anyone considering work in logistics, will find there are varied roles to suit all different types of workers and their skill set. There’s so much more to logistics than simply the movement of goods. It’s about getting the right items, to the right people, at the right time. And that takes a whole lot of effort and involvement from many different roles.
Work in logistics includes stock controllers such as demand and supply planning analysts, warehousing and distribution management teams, operations and customer service operators, logistics managers and even those within supporting IT and finance roles.
For every delivery vehicle on the road, there’s a whole team of people in the background who keep deliveries moving up and down the country, on route to our supermarket shelves, pharmacies, businesses and homes.
- Job Satisfaction
Events of recent years have demonstrated the value of logistics to our everyday needs. From delivering vital medication and vaccines, everyday essentials and food. It’s an industry that we simply could not do without. Working within a role in logistics gives you a real sense of making a difference, because every person involved is pivotal in making sure a delivery reaches its destination on time.
- Growth
With the growth of e-commerce, there are ever widening opportunities to grow within the sector. Logistics roles tend to attract those with skills and experience in the field and there’s always plenty of opportunity to climb the ladder.
A Balanced Work-Life
According to the results gathered by Total Jobs, the majority (57%) of jobseekers cited work-life balance as the key motivation for a career move, above a higher salary (52%). Indicating that the key to customer retention is about creating an environment where employees feel they can meet the requirements of their role and still have time for friends, family and hobbies – fitting, as we head into National Work Life Week (11-15 October).
At Crown SDS, we’ve taken bold steps to encourage a better work-life balance within our logistics workforce. Notably, having recently reduced the contracted hours of our operations personnel from 45-hours per week, to 40-hours per week with the goal to increase productivity, flexibility and create a better engaged workforce.
“Reducing the contracted hours for our operations teams, without any amendment to pay has been hugely beneficial. We’ve been able to adjust working hours from 45 to 40 hours per week, increasing work-life balance and engagement, without any detrimental impact to our level of service to customers”.
Glenn Jones, Head of Operations at Crown SDS.
To support the reduction of contracted hours, we’ve overhauled the processes for our same day courier service to create a smoother, more streamlined operation. And we’ve introduced several new roles to offer more support to existing teams.
Glenn adds,
“After settling into the new routine, employees are better engaged and able to enjoy having more personal time – it’s a win-win for the employee, the business and it’s customers”.