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Specialist logistics and supply chain recruitment firm BiS Henderson recorded a 20% jump in the number of new executives it placed in the second half of last year, which, it said, paints a different picture of the UK market following the Brexit vote.

It said the year-on-year increase ran contrary to expectations of “doom and gloom” in the post-vote market, and indicates a growing demand for logistics executives.

Chief executive Andy Kaye said he had been expecting a reduction in hiring following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

“But that simply hasn’t materialised – far from it,” he said.

Instead, Mr Kaye continued, middle management and upper management roles had been experiencing strong demand, with companies keen to “future-proof” themselves.

“Following the downturn, many companies cut back on their graduate recruitment programmes,” he said. “Whereas organisations would have taken on 20-25 graduates a year, more recently they have been only taking on 10 or fewer.

“This change has led to a shortage of talented individuals coming through the pipeline, and the impact will be felt for some time to come.”

In addition, jobs related to e-commerce last year accounted for more than a third of BiS Henderson’s activity – with annual placements in the sector doubling since 2014.

Chief operating officer Mark Botham explained: “The greatest call for skills is for individuals who understand logistics and supply chain activities related to e-commerce.

“Managing processes around single-item picking and the preparation of small orders is highly complex and requires talented people with strong problem-solving skills, the ability to communicate well and who are up-to-speed on warehouse technology.”

However, on the shopfloor there are likely to be “looming” problems regarding labour hire for warehouse operations, he added.

“The flow of people from Eastern Europe has slowed significantly and that will put pressure on middle management roles,” said Mr Botham.

“Logistics and supply chain managers will have to become more creative about how they source labour and need to develop strategies to cope with a tightening labour market.

“I believe automation will be very much on the agenda, and this could well be why organisations are seeking talented individuals capable of implementing such technology,” he continued.

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