Opportunities abound for supply chain professionals as more companies have moved their regional hubs to Singapore due to the country’s reputed capabilities in logistics and global distribution. While more jobs are expected to be available looking ahead, Brinda Cheng, Senior Consultant at Robert Walters Singapore, remarks that industry professionals need to also consider the changing demands of the sector.

“With greater automation and increased productivity, supply chain professionals will need to upskill themselves to keep up with emerging requirements, and show that they can think and act strategically to add more value through the work they do,” Brinda highlights. “Globally, there is a louder call for sustainable supply chain practices and ethical sourcing. Professionals will be expected to develop, manage and implement such frameworks.”

Read on to find out more about Brinda’s expectations of the labour market and hiring trends for Singapore’s Supply Chain, Procurement & Logistics professionals in 2024.

Sector will continue to go digital and green

The sector’s focus on technology is expected to last through 2024 as companies continue to enact digital transformation initiatives. Organisations will look to apply data analytics to improve operations across different functions in the supply chain – with forecasting, inventory management and supply chain visualisation being some of the key areas of change.

With the shift towards a green supply chain, Brinda says that companies will also vie for talents who can effectively incorporate sustainability into their operational processes.

Lastly, there will be more jobs created within distribution and logistics

Demand for talent across various functions

In 2024, the logistics and distribution, planning, and sourcing and procurement functions will see the highest demand for talent.

Talent with the right blend of technical and soft skills will be highly sought after. Some valuable technical skills include process optimisation, digital transformation, data interpretation and analysis, carbon footprint management and green facilities management. Meanwhile, soft skills that will help candidates stand out include adaptability, learning agility, great communication and problem-solving skills, and stakeholder management.

Candidates to be motivated by upskilling

Brinda expects that lateral movements are more likely among junior roles and functions with similar skillsets. This will be most prevalent among junior candidates who look to develop themselves across supply chain verticals, with the end goal of establishing themselves as end-to-end, strategic supply chain experts. “Hence, they are unlikely to stay in the same role for more than two or three years,” she says. “Companies may find it challenging to entice younger candidates to take on heavy administrative roles such as order processing and logistics.”

Meanwhile, senior candidates with skillsets in heavy administrative tasks will need to upskill or risk being left behind.

There will be a greater need to embrace digitalisation and transformation – both in operational processes and the mindset towards work.

Salaries expected to go up

In 2024, salaries are expected to rise within the sector due to competition for strong talent. Candidates who are confident of the value they can bring will approach opportunities with higher salary expectations.

As such, when it comes to talent attraction and retention, it is advisable for companies to appeal to employees by remaining agile and open to transformation. Companies will do well to demonstrate a willingness to embrace change, and to set clear directives to ensure business continuity and resilience. Providing opportunities to upskill will also have a positive impact on employee retention.

Find out more

Request access to our 2024 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in the Supply Chain, Procurement & Logistics industry in Singapore.