SUPPLY CHAIN
In 2018, companies hired many professionals in the areas of product management, EHS (Environment, Health & Safety), plant management and QA/QC. Procurement professionals also received job offers at approximately the same level as the previous year, and we expect an increase in offers in 2019.
The rising average age of employees in the transportation and distribution industry is perceived to be an issue, and many companies are attempting to lower it through hiring. This situation makes it difficult for professionals in their 50s to change jobs, even though they may have excellent skills and a wealth of experience. Conversely, requirements for the skill set and experience of candidates in their 20s and 30s are not extremely high in comparison to previous years. We are seeing a trend in which excellent candidates in their 20s and 30s are receiving job offers from multiple companies after starting their job hunting, and some companies have even taken on the risk of hiring new graduates.
Managers tend to choose candidates who have a clear outlook for their future career, and they view communication and career management skills as important criteria for selection. In 2018, we saw a trend in which companies carefully selected candidates. However, since young bilingual candidates are very popular, especially among foreign-affiliated companies, we expect more companies will attempt to win the competition for the limited number of candidates, prompting the screening and hiring processes to accelerate in 2019.
The number of talented bilingual professionals with experience in the supply chain sector is much lower than the number of available jobs, leading to an overwhelming sellers’ market where qualified candidates have many choices. There are many factors that influence the decision to change jobs other than the corporate brand, including competitive salaries, growth potential at the company, a corporate culture with good communication, transparent career steps and a workplace environment where employees can work comfortably. Even companies with a strong brand will have difficulty hiring employees unless they are able to sell themselves to candidates in job interviews.
In 2018, we saw progress in the hiring of non-Japanese professionals in the supply chain sector. The value companies place on skills and experience has opened the door to talented non-Japanese professionals, and we expect this trend to continue in 2019.
Recent financial conditions have boosted the demand for talent, and candidates 29 30 are becoming more aggressive due to the imbalance between supply and demand. As a result, the average salary offered for new jobs has gradually increased. For instance, exceptionally strong candidates are being offered an annual salary that is 12-15% higher than that of their current job, which is another trend we expect to continue in 2019.
With the yearly increase in activity in the field of international logistics, there continues to be many job openings at freight forwarders for sales and operations positions in the Kansai region as well. For temporary and contract employees, openings for trade administration positions and overseas sales assistants are increasing, and this trend is expected to continue in 2019. In particular, job openings for temporary employees with experience in trade administration tasks are expected to increase.
In the Kansai region as well, supply chain optimisation for procurement, distribution and sales is being widely implemented based on Industry 4.0 technologies. In line with this, procurement and distribution management specialists such as supply chain planners, supply chain analysts and procurement managers capable of utilising data to set estimates are in high demand.
CONTRACT
In supply chain departments, there has been a trend toward a deeper understanding of flexible work styles among both employers and employees, and the numbers of offers for temporary and contract employees are continuing to increase. Companies that hire these employees tend to seek talented candidates who can handle specific systems or have technical expertise. However, there are significantly more job vacancies than there are professionals with relevant expertise, making hiring quite difficult.
With the yearly increase in activity in the field of international logistics, there continues to be many job openings at freight forwarders for sales and operations positions in the Kansai region as well. For temporary and contract employees, openings for trade administration positions and overseas sales assistants are increasing, and this trend is expected to continue in 2019. In particular, job openings for temporary employees with experience in trade administration tasks are expected to increase.
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