Why Technology and Culture Underpin Workforce Resilience

With more than two decades of experience in workforce and human capital management, Neil Pickering, Director of HR Innovation at UKG, works with HR, payroll and operations leaders to turn people strategy into measurable business outcomes.

His focus is on using technology to build differentiated cultures, unlock productivity and align the workforce with enterprise goals.

From logistics hubs to manufacturing plants, Neil helps organisations across the supply chain rethink how they attract, deploy and retain talent in an increasingly complex operating environment.

Here, he speaks with HR Chief to explore workforce resilience, the evolving role of human expertise and the escalating competition for supply chain talent, while considering what this means for C-suite decision makers.

How do you see workforce resilience contributing to overall supply chain resilience in the coming years?

Resilient supply chains are built on a flexible, engaged and resilient workforce. In times of disruption, from trade wars to environmental shifts, it is the adaptability, creativity and problem-solving capacity of people that often determines whether an organisation can keep operating effectively.

Technology and processes can only go so far if the people using them are not present and equipped to handle rapid change. 

Building workforce resilience involves more than training. It means fostering a culture that encourages growth and collaboration, empowers individuals to make decisions and provides them with the psychological safety to raise concerns and propose new ideas.

It also requires investment in wellbeing and work-life balance so that employees have the energy and focus to adapt under pressure. Organisations that prioritise this will have a decisive advantage when the next disruption inevitably comes.

As automation and AI take on more tasks, how should organisations think about the evolving role of human expertise?

Automation and AI are redefining the operational landscape by handling routine, repetitive and data-intensive tasks with remarkable speed and accuracy.

However, the supply chain is not just a network of processes; it’s a network of relationships, decisions and judgement calls. Human expertise remains essential in areas where nuance, negotiation and creativity are required. 

The future will not be a choice between human or machine, but rather a thoughtful integration of both. Successful organisations will redesign processes and roles to ensure that people focus on the highest-value activities: strategic thinking, innovation, customer engagement and cross-functional collaboration.

This will require careful change management to drive reskilling and upskilling programmes, as well as leadership that understands how to nurture human capabilities in parallel with technological adoption.

What trends will most influence workforce planning for supply chain organisations over the next five years?

Workforce planning in the supply chain is moving from an annual budgeting exercise to an ongoing, adaptive process. Several trends are driving this shift: volatile global trade conditions, supply constraints, climate-related disruptions, regulatory changes and evolving consumer expectations for speed and transparency. 

In this environment, leaders can no longer rely solely on historical patterns to forecast demand. Instead, they must plan for multiple scenarios, often simultaneously, and be ready to pivot quickly.

This means building flexible labour models, cultivating a multi-skilled workforce and ensuring that planning is informed by real-time operational and market data. 

A culture that embraces agility, rather than treating change as an exception, will become a hallmark of successful supply chain organisations.

Amid talent shortages across logistics and distribution, what strategies will make supply chain roles more attractive?

The competition for talent in logistics and distribution is intense, and wages alone are no longer enough to attract and retain skilled people. 

Today’s workforce, in addition to the basic expectations of fair and accurate pay, also wants purpose, progression and flexibility. For supply chain roles, that translates into offering clear career pathways, providing opportunities for continuous learning and demonstrating how their roles are essential to their organisation and the global economy. 

Organisations must also work to improve the everyday employee experience. This could mean more flexible shift patterns, greater self-service and determination of working time and holidays, better tools for communication and collaboration, and investment in safe, inclusive and supportive workplaces.

Embedding sustainability and social responsibility into the business also matters, as employees increasingly want to work for companies whose values align with their own. 

Firms that succeed in these areas will not only attract talent but will also benefit from higher engagement and lower employee turnover.

How can workforce strategies contribute to a more sustainable supply chain?

Sustainability in the supply chain is often discussed in terms of carbon emissions, sourcing practices and packaging, but the human dimension is equally important. A truly sustainable operation must sustain its people and their communities as well as its materials and processes. 

Workforce strategies can play a significant role by designing schedules that minimise fatigue, ensuring access to health and safety resources and fostering an environment that values employee input into sustainability initiatives. 

Training staff to think about resource efficiency and sustainability in their daily work can also yield measurable environmental benefits. Moreover, a workforce that feels valued and supported is more likely to innovate in ways that contribute to long-term sustainability goals. 

In short, people are not just part of the sustainability conversation – they are at the heart of it.