Ribton Turner - Management Services
Career Guidelines
Recruitment
in the Freight and Shipping Industries - February 2010
2009 for us at Ribton-Turner
Recruitment, specialising in Freight
and Logistics recruitment, was a year of darkness with our
clients (both freight
agents and shipping lines)
restructuring, retrenching and realigning their organisations. The
‘jobless’ were losing houses and motor vehicles, and running up records
of debt with the credit bureau. Even senior level, respected
individuals in our industry were experiencing difficult times. It has
been a tough time financially and emotionally speaking for many.
Now in
February 2010, (as they
say, the darkest hour is before the dawn),
we without doubt in the job market are experiencing the ‘break of day’!
January saw our computers being flooded with curriculum vitae from the
retrenched, unemployed and new graduates and surprisingly from employed
candidates who were unhappy with the retrenchment processes initiated
in their companies – many felt their organisations had behaved in a ‘heartless’ or
disrespectful manner in the processes in which colleagues were
retrenched. During January, whilst many clients were still on vacation,
we were unsure if the job orders would start to open up or whether
caution would rule the market.
Bottom
line now is an increasing demand by employers for skills; competent sales staff are still a
priority, however, clients seek a clear record of success and proof of
commission earned and at least a covering
of cost. Sales contracts
with Freight Forwarders often ‘spell out’ the period of grace within
which Sales Executives should be on track against target. There is a
dire shortage in the market of competent, reliable, successful sales
individuals at all levels.
As the freight volumes increase our clients are reassessing their need for "engine room" staff, experienced sound controllers for ocean/air imports and exports. The need for import staff appears greater at this stage than the request for export skills. The optimistic, positive clients are also driving forward and requesting talent in various operational, sales, financial and human resources management positions. There is a definite sense of revival returning in the market! Some companies are hesitating and looking for contract/temporary staff perhaps restrained by IR/legal processes or alternatively preferring to put ‘toe’ in the water rather than leap in.
Speaking to a wide variety of International
Freight Forwarders increases in
volumes (imports mostly, sadly
not revenue yet) are happening and they are gearing up for growth. It does not appear that this increased activity
is linked only into the
2010 requirements for the Soccer
World Cup – we believe that there is longer vision at play with