Hiring for supply chain & procurement to recover slightly this year: Survey

Over half of supply chain and procurement professionals across Southeast Asia say their teams are hiring again this year, according to new survey findings by executive recruitment firm Ethos BeathChapman (EBC). This is in contrast to the hiring freezes and layoffs that dominated the industry in 2020, when most of the firms that typically relay on supply chain and procurement services—including aviation, retail, hospitality, and F&B—saw a major slowdown.

However, the hiring will be moderate at best, with the majority—37 percent—saying their teams are hiring only for replacement roles, and 22 percent saying that layoffs are still likely to happen this year. 

Unsurprisingly, many survey respondents expressed worry about their continued employment. Over 40 percent are concerned about either their ability to secure employment or the stability of their company, with even some executive-level leaders apparently worried that they might not be able to hold onto their existing jobs or find new positions.

And the jobs themselves appear to be changing as well. 39 percent said they have been subjected to longer working hours and an increase in workload as a result of COVID-19, and 69 percent predicted that roles on their teams—including their own—would be restructured this year to take on new responsibilities. Another 54 percent said they expect to see greater emphasis on digital transformation, automation, and adoption of technology, possibly following up on 2020's digital acceleration.

Robert Wisdom, director of EBC's supply chain and procurement practice, said that the industry has been shifting towards digital transformation, data analytics, and automation for some time, and these trends will continue.“While the market will not expect an abundance of newly created jobs in 2021, there will be optimistic opportunities for supply chain and procurement professionals to upskill and embrace new responsibilities in 2021.”

The survey findings do indicate a demand for upskilling, with over half the respondents saying the best support they could get is training, events, or networking opportunities. Others would like either guidance on how to upskill or time off from work to upskill.

Possibly because of lack of support, though, only 24 percent of the professionals surveyed are actually upskilling themselves. Almost 50 percent are instead responding to the situation by looking for a new job—suggesting that turnover in the industry will continue to be high this year.