Swanson: Put People Back in the Cargo Picture
Jake Swanson, global head, sector strategy, DHL Industrial Projects
The biggest challenge that we face right now because of the pandemic is getting the necessary face time with the young folks trying to come into the industry. This is a challenge mainly for the next generation as they need this interaction to learn the necessary skills that will help them to grow and to understand what is going on in their respective roles.
When I was breaking into the industry, I learned a significant amount from just listening to conversations of my more senior colleagues or having the ability to walk over and ask my colleagues or mentors how to do this or that or to explain to me what this means or why are we doing things in a certain way.
The pandemic has meant that working in the office is significantly limited and this type of interaction does not occur organically as much as it used to. Remote working definitely has its advantages and I believe is here to stay, but it can create some challenges when trying to inspire the next generation.
Another challenge is that during the pandemic, organizations have been less willing to take on interns, therefore we are losing an opportunity to proactively attract talent to our industry. Internships are great ways for organizations to develop relationships with the next generation and university programs and to make evaluations prior to making decisions with regards to employment – essentially allowing for better employment decisions.
To address these challenges, breakbulk and project cargo organizations should proactively engage new hires and have regular follow-up meetings and training programs to help them as they come into the industry. I think that Face-Time meetings – either internal meetings or with clients/subcontractors and particularly on site/at the port/on the ship – is critical for their growth. The next generation needs to see and hear things with their own respective eyes and ears to get a better feel of what they are doing. This will help them to make better decisions in the future and relate to messages that they receive during operations and critical situations.
Mentorships and shadowing programs would also be something that I recommend. Allowing the next generation to look over your shoulder and see how an industry professional or executive works and the way he/she thinks offers tremendous insight and vision for them as they look toward their own futures.
Organizations also need to take an interest in and develop an internal process for developing the next generation of leaders. Essentially, spend the time and energy and dedicate time to bring up the next leaders of your organizations. At DHL we have training programs and High Potential programs and many other engaging leadership development and management trainee programs. Senior leaders and executive management should be involved in these programs, engaging and inspiring the next generation.
Organizations should feel that if they do not inspire the next generation, someone else will.
