The current economic environment is forcing job seekers to tailor their expectations to industry realities. Some senior candidates are even considering a 25% drop in packages, according to Dr Lynn RibtonTurner of Ribton-Turner Management Services, while general operational staff who have been retrenched accept what is offered in order to find employment. Director of Lee Botti & Associates, Kim Botti, agrees, pointing out that candidates are showing flexibility in their requirements, driven less by remuneration than the need to secure employment. And while GDP growth is expected to edge up to around 1.1% this year, freight forwarders are not too optimistic about new business that would require additional staffing, says Ribton-Turner. The upside of the economically static working environment is the improved availability of skilled staff – certainly at an operational level. “We have loads of skilled people – although many are not young and therefore difficult to place. The BEE requirements of the role are also important so we may have a lot of skilled people, but they’re often the wrong gender or race,” says Terri Smith of Tiger Recruitment. “Some candidates with very strong backgrounds and solid experience who have been in management positions are having to consider operational roles where they can in order to secure employment – and at a lower package than what they may have earned before,” says Botti. “Opportunities for school leavers and university students have also dwindled so we are not bringing in new ideas or fresh attitudes,” says Peter Cheetham of Professional Freight Recruitment. There’s general consensus however that the highest demand is for estimators and sales staff – as well as strong BBBEE executive candidates for top roles, with companies sometimes searching for up to six months to find an appropriate candidate. “When we consider sales vacancies there is an ongoing lack of successful competent field sales and business development managers. Successful sales staff are earning excellent commissions and their employers do not release them easily,” says RibtonTurner. “Employers are often disappointed at the short job tenure of the newly employed sales representatives. Comments have also been passed that the new breed of employees are not generally committed and loyal workers as was found in past decades.” “Hunter-type sales people with relevant industry success are not easily found,” says Botti, “so invariably the companies are turning to their management to fulfil a more general managementtype role. In addition, a skills shortage means that clients are more likely to wait for a suitably qualified individual who will be able to hit the ground running as they do not have the time and resources to train.” In terms of outlook for job-seekers for the year ahead, mass retrenchments are not expected although natural attrition is expected to continue. “It would appear from the early indications in 2018 that the global freight forwarders are in a holding pattern and only replacing vacancies if deemed highly necessary. Otherwise the work is spread amongst the existing team and new staff are not employed,” says Ribton-Turner. And then there’s the encroaching threat of technology which has junior jobs being replaced by computer applications – which allow outsourcing of work to countries with cheaper labour, like India. “While technology has taken over some of the work functions, we have also noted a change in the types of roles recruited in the industry,” says Botti. “Business analytical skills, planning and strategy with information fed through from various management tools, result in quite different positions than previously seen.” Clearly 2018 will not be a cakewalk. “But there is an air of optimism, of turning a back on the challenges and frustrations of a difficult 2017 with renewed energy to make this a very positive year,” she adds
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We have loads of skilled people — although many are not young and therefore difficult to place. – Terri Smith
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While technology has taken over some of the work functions, we have noted a change in the types of roles recruited in the industry. – Kim Botti
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