Logistics firms chasing Singapore talent raise the bar on jobs
SINGAPORE: Amid strong demand for logistics services, companies in the sector are banking on creating jobs with better progression to close the talent gap, though some roles remain hard to fill.
Work conditions are also improving as logistics firms here shift to providing higher-value services, industry players told The Straits Times.
One such firm is SFS Global Logistics, which handles temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical shipments that require specialised packaging and highly trained staff to ensure the goods stay intact.
Chief executive Roger Chew, who founded the company in 2006, knew he needed to make a change for the firm to work through crises like the Covid-19 pandemic and attract more workers.
“When I first embarked on a career in logistics in October 2002, I was astonished by the amount of manual work and paper generated from executing a shipment,” said Chew, a former commando officer of over 12 years.
Hence, he deployed a virtual “control tower” – cloud-based software allowing staff to guide company operations, check shipment data and look up internal procedures remotely.
Chew said this allowed him to offer more flexible work arrangements to many of his 22 employees in Singapore, aside from drivers and warehouse workers whose physical presence is needed.
Despite the change, hiring remains a challenge due to a lack of candidates who already have the needed skills. It is also hard to find people willing to take on intensive training in the firm’s highly regulated niche despite the prospect of salary increases, he added.
The push for better jobs and work conditions comes amid a rosy hiring outlook for logistics, with recruitment firm Manpowergroup reporting in December that the transport, logistics and automotive sector topped a list of nine sectors when it comes to plans to take on more staff in the first quarter of 2024.
The sector was also the most likely to give larger average bonuses of at least a month’s salary, according to the same survey of 525 Singapore employers.
According to Manpower Ministry wage figures released in July 2023 for full-time employees, the median gross wage in 2022 for an air cargo officer was S$3,972 and that of a logistics and maintenance planner in the transportation and storage sector was S$3,849.
A spokesman for industry body Singapore Logistics Association said demand is emerging for data analysts, system engineers that can design and maintain autonomous technology, cyber-security specialists and sustainability officers. It chalked the expansion in career options in the sector up to evolving global supply chains, increasing reliance on ecommerce.
“When I first embarked on a career in logistics in October 2002, I was astonished by the amount of manual work and paper generated from executing a shipment.”
Roger Chew