Professional Development special feature
Heading: People at the heart
Intro: Investing in professional development isn't just beneficial, it's essential for business survival. As Prof. John Manners-Bell argues, companies that fail to train their workforce risk being outpaced by smarter, more innovative competitors. Focus finds out more.
Body: People have always been at the heart of the supply chain and transport industry and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. This means that for logistics businesses to remain competitive it is critical that they invest in the professional development of their staff, whether in operational, managerial or strategic functions.
Fostering an environment in which skills and knowledge are developed and valued can ensure that an organisation maintains industry-leading best practice in terms of competency, efficiencies, outputs and customer service as well as hardwiring resiliency and agility into the corporate culture. It also ensures that management are aware of, and embrace, the latest thinking on issues such as ethical and environmental standards.
In a world of innovation, new technologies and disruptive operating models, ensuring that the supply chain and logistics skillset keeps pace with new developments is a priority for business and government. As the industry becomes more automated, changing requirements will mean that investment in education and training will become more important – not less. However, the benefits of professional development - workplace education and career training programmes - can often be over-looked by both management and employees, not least due to pressures of work.
This lack of prioritisation has perhaps contributed to the UK’s lowly ranking in the World Bank’s Logistics Competence and Quality Score, ranking just 28th in the world. There is considerable scope to improve industry standards and hence make the entire economy more competitive. In my view, this should be a government priority and as such it is disappointing that the sector does not appear in its latest ‘Modern Industrial Strategy 2025’.
For employees, professional development can provide new skills and career opportunities. In a hyper competitive jobs market, it is more important than ever to stand out in the workforce and attaining qualifications at the same time as working the ‘day job’ is a sign that an employee is keen and committed to the industry.
In the past, many businesses in the sector have been wary of training their workforce, for fear that they will use the new skills to pursue a career at another company. However, the rewards far outweigh the risks. As Henry Ford once said, “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” By this he meant that an untrained work force is a guarantee of low productivity and eventually will consign the company to history, out-competed by smarter, more innovative rivals.
By fostering an environment in which professional development is encouraged and provided for, employees’ job satisfaction and performance improves, morale rises and retention rates increase. A survey undertaken for business networking platform, LinkedIn, found that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development. Creating a positive, learning culture within a company also demonstrates to staff that management is investing in excellence and success. It sends a very clear message that the company is committed to the highest possible standards, building resilience and agility through its workforce. Lower staff turnover also has the added benefit that best-in-class companies spend less on on-boarding new staff and minimise disruption.
What’s more, professional development spurs new ideas and innovative ways of doing things – challenging the status quo and ensuring other staff members must remain open and adaptive to change. It can result in positive competition – a rising tide on which all employees benefit.
Rather than result in a ‘brain drain’ as trained workers leave a company, professional development allows a business to attract the best talent. Prospective staff are attracted by opportunities for advancement and a strong commitment to learning demonstrates a culture of excellence. A survey undertaken by Gallup for Amazon found that 66% of workers aged 18-24 believed that learning new skills was the third most important attribute they looked for when evaluating new job opportunities.
I have been fortunate over the years to see the benefits of professional development at all stages of an employee’s career. For several years, I was involved in the CILT’s Aspire initiative which provides grants for people in the UK and overseas to participate on accredited courses. These awards resulted in some truly life-changing achievements, springboarding people onto the next stage in their career. Qualifications attained ranged from the CILT(UK) Level 3 Certificate in Logistics and Transport, Transport Manager CPC Road Haulage to the Certificate in Humanitarian Supply Chain Management.
But professional development is a never-ending process and not just for operational functions. Later this year, a new collaboration between Ti Insight and Bayes Business School will deliver a three-day course for senior executives on how to mitigate the impact of risk and politics on supply chains. Executives from a range of logistics and supply chain companies will gain not just from the programme leaders’ insights but will be able to share their own experiences – something which I too will learn from.
Whether providing foundational awareness to those with basic knowledge or limited experience of the industry; delivering practical competencies to those moving up the management chain or skills related to research and strategic planning, professional development is a critical part of an employee’s journey. In turn it is a highly cost-effective way for businesses to increase their own value, with the investment being repaid many times over. Professional development is essential, from both management and employee’s perspective. To adapt Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, ‘By failing to train (or be trained), you are preparing to fail.’
Prof. John Manners-Bell FCILT
Chief Executive,
Ti