Finding a qualified candidate for your logistics company, let alone the just-right candidate, is tricky these days.
Recruitment and retention struggles are holding back many operations from scaling growth. Unfortunately, not all companies can afford to be in constant recruiting mode.
However, Lean Solutions Group is flipping the script on labor woes with quite literally a foreign concept — outsourcing, primarily through nearshore locations.
Lean Solutions Group, based in Coral Springs, Florida, is alleviating the struggles of U.S. logistics companies to acquire qualified, skilled talent through an innovative outsourcing model that enables its clients to augment staff. Lean Solutions’ approach is to set up satellite offices for clients, staffed with workers who adhere to the client’s processes and culture.
The staffing, back-office logistics, technology and sales and marketing solutions provider has seen tremendous growth in its nearshoring services, leading companies to untapped labor markets ripe with qualified talent.
More than 500 U.S.-based companies have set up satellite offices in emerging markets with Lean Solutions Group — and the numbers keep growing. The company’s head count has dramatically increased from 1,500 to 8,500-plus workers in just three years as it continues to grow in Colombia, Guatemala, the Philippines and newly launched operations in Mexico.
“The market is softening and there’s a lot of uncertainty as we head into 2023, so it’s really important that companies look at workforce optimization not as something that’s just cost effective but as something that’s actually foundational to business health and business stability,” said Ryan Mann, marketing director of Lean Solutions Group.
Mann explains that a fully optimized workforce is one that maximizes its efficiency and customer experience while minimizing operating costs. This can only be achieved when people, processes and technology are successfully aligned.
“To get the most out of your technology, you have to have the right processes,” Mann said. “And to get the most out of your processes and technology, you have to have the right people.”
Tatiana Charris, branch manager at Lean Solutions’ Bogota office, the company’s second-largest in Colombia, said continuing to develop is always top of mind.
“When you think of Lean Solutions Group, you definitely think of growth,” Charris said. “And that growth is not limited to the company. It trickles down to each one of the employees.”
Charris is a prime example of Lean Solutions’ keen ability to find candidates with high potential. She joined the company as a business coordinator, rising through the ranks to manager in just two years.
Charris detailed her branch’s recent growth and rigorous hiring and training processes in a fireside chat with FreightWaves’ Kevin Hill at the F3: Future of Freight Festival in November in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
“We had just 600 people assigned to the Bogota branch when I joined,” she said. “Now we’re closing in on 2,000. So it’s really an example of how Lean grows in each of our locations.”
Lean’s embracing of technology has greatly improved its recruiting efforts, such as its use of an AI-infused solution that enables the company to process an average of 6,000 resumes a month.
“We’re in a constant recruitment mode,” said Robert Cadena, Lean Solutions Group’s CEO and co-founder. “We’re filling 300 to 400 seats a month with quality talent for a multitude of skilled job positions.”
Lean Solutions Group, however, doesn’t hire just anyone who applies. Charris explains that each branch adheres to hiring standards according to the requirements of the company’s clients in the United States.
“We go to each of the locations and we scout for the best talent,” said Charris, adding that the skill sets of each candidate are meticulously analyzed.
Lean Solutions Group also makes sure to hire highly educated and English-proficient workforces for its nearshoring clients.
In addition to undergoing selective hiring practices, candidates must complete a comprehensive logistics and transportation training course before they can interview with Lean’s client companies.
“It’s a game changer for our clients,” said Charris, noting how it gives logistics companies peace of mind knowing that their satellite offices understand their objectives from day one.
“Lean is the right solution for any company because we’ve perfected the alignment — people, processes, technology,” Cadena said. “We use technology to find the right people, ensure that our customer experience is excellent and continue leveraging technology to improve our processes.”
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More from Lean Solutions:
Lean Solutions Group launches satellite offices in Guatemala and the Philippines
Lean Solutions adds business process outsourcing to nearshoring offerings