Express Delivery Builds Relationship of Trust

“In express delivery, the most important is not only delivering a package, but building a relationship of trust with customers through committed reliability,” says Donna Kong, Human Resources Director, DHL Express Hong Kong.

Kong comments that nowadays in logistics industry, talents are required in various job categories. “To ensure timely delivery of goods from one location to another, it requires a team of talents ranging from operations, finance, human resources, sales, marketing to customer service.”

All-round Talents in Demand
As the industry places much focus on customer service quality, speed and accuracy, DHL hires job seekers who can demonstrate that they are team players and have the motivation to go the extra mile to meet customer demands. “They need to have a quick and active mind, and to be resourceful, flexible and sensitive enough to react to unforeseen circumstances,” Kong says.

“Candidates should demonstrate their passion and commitment to the career,” Kong says, advising candidates to understand more about the company they are going to interview, including its products and services, industry positioning, competitors and customers. Employers in the logistics industry also look for candidates with excellent communication and listening skills, and problem-solving ability. Kong points out that hard skills and soft skills are equally important. “Hard skills such as industry knowledge and professional expertise, as well as the ability to solve problems, are crucial. Soft skills such as interpersonal skills, communications skills, teamwork, a commitment to excel and creativity are also indispensable.”

In the industry, customer service, sales and operations staff are in the highest demand. Kong says that talents are always in need because logistics is now a major industry in this new era of economic dynamism. “It is one of the most important sectors in which Hong Kong plays a key role. Over the years, Hong Kong has built up the infrastructure to support her role as a leading logistics and multi-modal transport centre for the region and as the gateway to mainland China.” Professionals possessing analytical power and exhibiting an international mindset with sound knowledge of the international economy are therefore in high demand.

Double-digit Growth
Kong believes that the logistics industry in Hong Kong will continue to be promising as a result of the economic growth in China that drives a greater need for logistics throughout the entire region. As the industry has experienced annual double-digit growth in the past few years, tremendous development opportunities are available for talents. Kong advises those with the aspiration to join the industry to equip themselves. “Take logistics and supply-chain management courses if you are interested to develop a career in the industry. Strengthen your interpersonal and customer-serving skills in order to excel in this service-oriented industry.”

Advance to be Industry Leaders
At DHL, career advancement is provided to staff. The company has a structured review and appraisal system and staff know how they can advance within the company with the training provided. “Progression and growth are what employees can expect from DHL. We invest to develop our staff to make them leaders of the industry,” Kong says. The company’s culture of learning encourages staff to enhance their skills and knowledge by attending training programmes in-house as well as from outside.

Being confident about the future of the industry, Kong says, “China’s booming economy demands for professionals to provide quality express and logistics services. Certainly there will be plenty of opportunities for professionals with an innovative mind and the determination to succeed.” DHL’s commitment and confidence in the industry are shown in their investments in both China and Hong Kong markets. They have invested US$210 million in setting up the Central Asia Hub in Hong Kong. The hub is now under expansion and will be able to process 35,000 parcels per hour, up from the current 20,000 parcels per hour.

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