With the moving services industry undergoing huge change in recent years, there has been a massive shift in the expectations of senior employees in the industry. Gone are the days when a general manager would simply manage the day-to-day operations of a removals company. Instead, they are looking for experienced individuals who are able to lead, improve performance, develop client relationships and aid a company’s strategy for long-term growth.
As the moving services industry is becoming more commercially focused, senior positions are changing as well. The managers of moving services companies are no longer just looking for candidates with operational experience. They are looking for senior staff who have industry-specific knowledge and also possess leadership skills and commercial awareness.
The Increasing Demand for Experienced Leadership
Some of the key roles that require senior talent in the moving services industry are General Managers, Sales Directors, Relocation Project Managers and Business Development leaders. These roles play a far greater part in a company as it grows and tries to expand its market share. Senior staff members are not just expected to run the day-to-day operations of a business but also to drive commercial growth, manage key accounts, retain customers and respond to changing customer needs and expectations.
Senior hires are required to lead commercial growth, manage large and key accounts, increase customer retention and tackle changing customer needs and expectations to ensure the long-term success of businesses in the moving services industry.
Most professionals in the moving industry are currently employed and looking for a new challenge, greater career advancement, greater growth and greater reward in the long term. They will be looking for jobs such as Relocation Project Managers or Sales Managers for moving companies within the industry.
The lack of available experienced professionals from the moving services industry has created a huge gap between employer demand and candidate supply. Consequently, the competition to hire the best senior talent in the market has increased dramatically.
Why Traditional Recruitment Methods Often Fall Short
Most removals companies use the same type of recruitment for senior roles in their moving services business as other companies. This type of recruitment is usually very poor and most companies fail to select the best candidate for the role. This is because the removals recruitment process is not focused or targeted. Most senior removals professionals are not looking for a new job and are not regularly searching job boards for removals jobs.
General recruitment agencies will struggle to source the right candidates for senior recruitment within the moving services industry. They lack the specific industry knowledge that is required to find the right people for the roles that are available within removals companies. Senior recruitment is not just about filling a job vacancy; it’s about finding the right person to bring into a business to help lead the company to future success. This person will influence the way in which the business operates and will play a key role in driving growth for the company.
What Senior Candidates Are Looking For
As a general rule, when looking for senior roles within moving services companies, professionals today are not looking for a job simply to be paid a salary and hope for promotion after a few years. The vast majority of people are looking for opportunities where they can experience growth, have influence and be able to develop professionally. Financial reward is also a major consideration, but there are many factors that any professional would take into account when considering a number of alternatives before choosing the best option for them.
Most senior jobs in the moving services industry are advertised as job vacancies and presented to potential candidates as a role in an organisation. However, as noted above, senior candidates are looking for much more than a job in an organisation. They are interested in a role that will present them with the opportunity to add value in terms of leadership, management and specialist skills, and to be part of an organisation’s growth plans over the long term.
How Businesses Can Improve Their Hiring Strategy
The most successful companies at senior recruitment are taking a long-term and strategic approach to the process. This means fully outlining the role on offer as well as the company’s goals and objectives and the leadership experience required to meet these goals and objectives.
Consider how you will recruit the most suitable person for the role as quickly as possible. The strongest candidates will be snapped up by another business within days of them applying for a vacancy. A clear communication strategy and effective recruitment process are key to securing the best person for the role in the shortest space of time.
Even for removal jobs, it is recommended to look outside of the normal pool of applicants for hire. The majority of professionals currently working in the moving services industry are not actively looking for new employment. However, this does not mean that they would not be interested in discussing a number of different opportunities were they to be approached in the right way.
The Importance of Specialist Recruitment Expertise
Experts in the specialist recruitment field such as Alchemy GTS have a wealth of knowledge regarding the current market as well as networks within the relevant industry. Therefore, when seeking senior staff for your moving services business, it is recommended that you look to hire the services of a recruitment expert. Alchemy, for example, has over 30 years’ experience within the removals, relocation and logistics fields. Also, they have an international network of recruitment specialists from more than 50 countries around the globe. This means that they can identify the correct qualities needed for long-term success for roles within the above sectors, and then go on to place the very best candidates within the relevant jobs.
Final Thoughts
The way in which companies in the moving services industry go about recruiting needs to change. The traditional method of recruitment used by many companies to fill removal jobs for short-term contracts is no longer sufficient when looking for senior positions. A more considered strategy is needed to ensure that any person hired for a senior position is able to add value to the company in the long term and assist in the company’s growth.
Taking a more thoughtful and strategic approach to your recruitment will allow you to attract, select and retain the very best people for your business in the long term. Get in touch with our team today at info@alchemygts.com or visit Alchemy GTS to start or find your expansion journey.
