Thriving Amidst a Competitive Supply Chain Labor

Risk Management, Labor Management, Technology Faced with a labor shortage exacerbated by the pandemic, MD Logistics developed a recruitment strategy to attract talent for present-day conditions as well as allow for continued growth.The ChallengeIn recent months, the logistics labor market has experienced an unprecedented shortage of interested and available labor. As the demand for online shopping continues to increase, so too does the demand for fulfillment centers with a ready team to fulfill orders. To attract new talent, logistics providers are now thinking of new ways to entice talent to join their teams.MD Logistics is no exception. Our local market has experienced tremendous growth within the past couple of years. This coupled with the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the supply chain industry has led our internal human resources team to adapt their talent-seeking strategy. The SolutionThe current labor market outlook seems to be the new "normal" for the foreseeable future for the logistics industry. Knowing this, we had to work through a strategy to attract talent that would not only work present day, but one that would be able to scale as we continue to grow as a company and adapt to challenging market conditions. Focus on respect and company culture: For us at MD Logistics, our team-focused company culture is what makes our organization unique. Leadership at MD has always placed an emphasis on creating a culture of respect, preferring to give current team members the opportunity to advance to open positions within the organization. Additional internal resources: As we looked to evolve our hiring efforts, we realized we needed to add a recruiter to the human resources team. Our recruitment specialist works as a bridge between outside applicants and our internal teams to match the right talent to the right position within the organization, also balancing partnerships with staffing agencies. We have also leveraged our existing employee network and offer a referral bonus to our team members who refer someone for an open position. We know our company's biggest assets are the people who make up our team; having their endorsement of a potential candidate carries a heavy weight. Invest in technology: To better service potential applicants who are searching online, we have invested in technology and systems that allow us to post available positions on our website. In addition, for those who don't have easy access to a computer, we have made applications available in the lobbies of all of our facilities. External initiatives: We have also placed a focus on partnering with community organizations who have access to potential job candidates.Veteran organizations have been a great partner for finding former military veterans a path forward to leadership within our company. Other organizations we are consistently learning from are central Indiana labor and economic groups, who provide insights into the current business and labor environment, as well as provide visibility to candidates who are currently enrolled in logistics programs.To learn more:email: info@mdlogistics.comphone: 317-838-8900web: mdlogistics.com