Service CouncilTM is pleased to announce the launch of a strategic partnership with RL People, a global recruitment agency that is dedicated to supporting reverse logistics, aftermarket and circular economy organizations. What is the driving factor for creating this partnership and how will it benefit the Service Council community?
Early returns from the Service Leader’s Agenda survey have made one thing clear: recruiting, training and retaining talent remains the chief concern for service organizations. For the third year in a row, service leaders are reporting that workforce and talent shortages will have the most significant impact on their business heading into 2024, beating out other external factors such as changing customer expectations, supply chain shortages and the volatile economic climate.
Service leaders have cause to be concerned. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, at the start of 2023, America had over 10 million job openings in the U.S.—but only 5.7 million unemployed workers. Globally, Manpower Group reports that nearly 4 in 5 employers reported difficulty finding the skilled talent they need in 2023, up 32% from 2018.
The lack of available workers to fill roles isn’t the only driver behind the talent crisis. Service supply chains and aftermarket sectors are becoming more complex as assets grow more sophisticated. Traditionally, service jobs were considered a blue collar, “turn the wrench” type of role. While this is still true for some organizations, we are also seeing service-led executives gaining a more prominent position in the C Suite, and even many entry-level service roles are requiring more technical certifications or even a university degree.
If service organizations want to mitigate these challenges, they must start thinking outside the box. This was the driving factor in seeking a strategic partnership with RL People. Service Council exists to provide meaningful value and tactical solutions to the most pressing challenges faced by our community. As we began exploring ways that we could help service executives alleviate the talent crisis, we realized that this partnership was a natural fit. While this partnership is new, Service Council and RL People have had a longstanding relationship and their Managing Director, David Watson, currently sits on our Technology Advisory Board.
Existing Service Council members will gain immense benefit from this new partnership. RL People has a combined 70 years of experience in the industry and work with multinational organizations around the globe to find the right fit for their team. Founded in 2017, they have amassed a large network of skilled individuals across reverse logistics, circular economy and service supply chains, and cover a full range of positions, from entry level to C Suite. They have experience in over 20 sectors, including IT, OEM, Logistics, Retail and Financial Services. However, it is their understanding of service culture and ability to recognize the skills necessary for success in service-led roles that truly sets them apart from other recruiters.
Stay tuned as we begin rolling out more details about this exciting new partnership in the upcoming weeks!
If you are interested in learning how Service Council and RL People can help support your organization’s talent journey, please get in touch.
