Words from an Expert

Our hiring expert on this case study, Lincoln Halstead, is the General Manager at Kenco Logistic Solutions and has spent his career hiring and managing logistics employees. Key attributes in his industry are:

  • Safety
  • Security
  • Quality Management
  • Financial Management
  • Communication
  • Bench Strength

People are the keys part of what makes a supply chain organization performance unmatched. Processes ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them everyday and systems provide the speed and accuracy required to be the best in the industry.

We asked Lincoln to describe an outstanding distribution manager: An outstanding distribution manager is someone who demonstrates strong interpersonal skills, excellent communications skills and strong problem solving skills. It's also important to have someone that is trustworthy, dependable, flexible and loyal to the organization, solves problems and issues directly and in a timely manner and is knowledgeable of his operations and his people.

Have you made any particularly bad hires? Yes. I hired an operations supervisor that was not willing to be flexible as the organization went through changes.  He was difficult to manage because he was a person that couldn’t take constructive criticism well.  What I learned from that – flexibility is a key trait since business today is constantly changing.  

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Who Gets Hired?

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Case Study 2

A growing medical device company has increased sales and doubled warehouse capacity due to bringing on new clients.  They want to hire a Distribution Manager to set up the floor plan for the new space and work with the Warehouse Manager to create new processes, implement procedures and build relationships with shipping carriers. The company is also exploring a change in their business model from logistic distribution centers to direct shipping and wants the new manager to be involved in this project.

How the search was conducted:

We conducted a search in 3 of our databases; each one consisting of 3,000 candidates. We reached out to all local distribution centers to network and obtain referrals from current managers. Also, we posted the position on two major job boards and on Linkedin. After accumulating and reviewing resumes of potential candidates, we narrowed down the search to 20 candidates based on a variety of factors including experience in logistics, whether or not they had experience with the set up of a warehouse and our determination of chemistry fit based on our knowledge of companies in New Jersey. These candidates were interviewed and 5 of these were chosen to be presented to the company. References were checked on these 5 to verify work history and culture fit. The company chose 3 candidates from this pool for a 5 step review and interview with key management.

The company management team has conducted the interviews and must make a decision by the end of September.  They want to make sure they hire an individual who can guide them in setting up the new warehouse space, who has good management skills and who can set up and manage inventory for them.

  Based on the candidates below, who do you think should get the job?

  Candidate 1      Candidate 2      Candidate 3  
             
 

Bob

Bob is currently the Supply Chain Manager at a pharmaceutical company where he has been for 4 years. His previous positions include 8 years as a Warehouse and Safety Manager for a pharmaceutical company that he left when the facility closed and 10 years as the Distribution Manager at a regional distribution center of a Fortune 500 company where he was promoted upward through 5 positions.  He has taken courses in Business Management and is ISO 9001 certified.  He has experience in customs, safety and quality assurance.

 

Frank

Frank spent 13 years as Distribution and Warehouse Manager in a global company.  He was a key manager during two acquisitions that led to over 50% growth and tripling of warehouse space.  He was responsible for streamlining procedures and negotiating contracts with major shipping carriers, while reducing costs.  His focus is on management of employees to increase skills and reduce absenteeism and turnover.  His previous employment was 10 years in a distribution company where he had 3 different promotions within the shipping department.

 

Craig

Craig has been with his current logistics center for 14 years.  He is responsible for all warehouse management, billing to clients and all customer service problems involving logistics.  His distribution center has been used as the model for training new managers and setting up inventory systems. He headed the project to take this center from a manually run system to a MRP system. He also coordinated a move into a larger facility and set up the inventory system for the warehouse. Prior to this position, he spent 10 years as the operations supervisor for a major freight carrier.

View the Results

Industry Benchmarking

Workers in the supply chain area can look to APICS The Association for Operations Management as a reference point for operations and logistics issues. “Since 1957, individuals and companies have relied on APICS for its superior training, internationally recognized certifications, comprehensive resources, and worldwide network of accomplished industry experts to increase bottom-line efficiency and effectiveness.

”Earning certification through APICS can enhance career experience, while joining APICS enables logistics personnel to network and share best practices.

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