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Global Logistics HR Survey Series 2007/2008-what makes a good employer?

POSTED: 9:24 a.m. EDT, November 6,2007

Almost half of logistics and supply chain professionals worldwide are not satisfied with their current employer. The percentage of employees who are dissatisfied with their employer is significantly higher in Asia (55%) than in Europe (31%) and the Americas (37%). However, this is a matter of concern globally. These are key findings of Europhia Consulting’s global survey within the logistics sector, which was conducted together with several media and industry partners.

Human capital is a company’s most important resource. In today’s tight labour market it is the employer who must invest time and effort in HR Management and Strategies to become an ‘employer of choice’. But how do logistics and supply chain professionals view an ‘employer of choice’? What do companies have to offer to attract and retain talent?

The findings of Europhia Consulting’s second survey module within the Global Logistics HR Survey Series 2007/2008 answer these questions.

Employees’ view of an ‘Employer of choice’

Inspiring Leadership, a good atmosphere in the workplace, work-life balance and training / coaching are perceived as much more important to logistics and supply chain professionals worldwide than an above average salary or the company’s position and success in the market. This is consistent with previous research findings (see Europhia’s International Logistics Salary Report 2006/07 and Europhia’s International Career Motivation Report 2007) which have shown that salary alone does not ensure employee attraction and retention. As shown by the table below, a good atmosphere in the workplace could be identified as the most important characteristic Europeans and Americans use to determine a good employer, while Asians look for availability of training /coaching.

Rank	Asia	Europe	Americas
1	Training/Coaching 39%	Good atmosphere in the workplace 47%	Good atmosphere in the workplace 49%
2	Inspiring Leadership 33%	Training/Coaching 32%	Inspiring Leadership 47%
3	Work-Life Balance 31%	Inspiring Leadership 31%	Desirable Corporate Culture 44%
4	Salary based on performance 30%	Work-Life Balance 30%	Salary based on performance 42%

Characteristics an attractive employer should have

Fresh graduates value the same characteristics as experienced professionals. However, training and coaching is of particular importance to young talents. In contrast to more experienced professionals, fresh graduates are of the opinion that a good employer should be innovative, i.e. have innovative products, processes and strive for constant improvement.

Employees globally have similar opinions about the aspects of corporate culture that make a good employer. Logistics professionals across regions are looking for involvement and would like to be encouraged to voice their opinions and make suggestions. Furthermore, they want to be clear about the company’s strategy and direction. Regular feedback and open discussions about performance are particularly important to employees in Europe and the Americas whereas this is less so in Asia.

Rank	Asia	Europe	Americas
1	Employee involvement 37%	Clarity about company strategy 40%	Clarity about company strategy 47%
2	Balancing employees’ and company’s interests 35%	Employee involvement 38%	Leadership by example 37%
3	Clarity about company strategy 33%	Regular feedback on performance 38%	Regular feedback on performance 32%

Aspects of the corporate culture that make a good employer

Present gaps in company characteristics

The survey results suggest that the specific characteristics employees are looking for in an employer are often not present in companies. In addition, only 6% of logistics and supply chain professionals feel that their employer places high value on employees’ needs. Thus, it is no surprise that almost half of employees are not satisfied with their current employer.

The graphs below outline the gaps between employees’ desire for certain characteristics and the presence of these characteristics in employees’ current companies. Inspiring Leadership, Training/Coaching and Work-Life Balance are highly desired by employees worldwide but seldom present in the workplace. These gaps present a major problem to companies in the sector as they often result in employee dissatisfaction and higher staff turnover. They could also potentially create an unfavourable reputation for a company in the labour market. Thus, companies in the industry need to improve in several areas to become or remain attractive to their current as well as to potential future employees.

From: europhia
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