If I only looked at offer letters, I’d assume supply chain and logistics people move purely for money. But in the conversations I have every week, I hear something very different.

Not long ago, I met a Transport Coordinator who, on paper, had no reason to leave. Good brand, decent salary, permanent role. When I asked why he was really looking, he paused and said: “It’s not about the money anymore. I just want to feel like a human being again.” When candidates drop their guard, their reasons for moving usually come back to three main things.

Pay: “Just make it feel fair”

Pay matters, of course. But very few people say, “I need the highest offer in the market.”
What they actually tell me sounds more like:

• “My role has doubled in scope, but my salary hasn’t moved.”
• “A new hire has come in above me for the same job.”
• “No one can explain how pay decisions are made.”

For most, if pay felt fair and the conversations were transparent, they’d be much slower to take my call.

Culture: how people behave on a bad day

In supply chain, culture shows up when everything hits at once – trucks queued, system down, customer shouting. That’s usually when people decide whether they can stay or need to start looking elsewhere.

Off the record, I hear about:

• Being spoken to poorly in front of the team.
• Unrealistic overtime.
• Leaders promoted for tenure, not people skills.

On the flip side, many will accept a slightly lower offer for basic respect and a voice.

Stability: not calm, but clarity

When candidates say they want stability, they don’t mean nothing ever changes.
They work in supply chain; they know better!

What they want is:

• Roster stability so they can plan their lives.
• Enough resourcing that every week isn’t survival mode.
• Leaders who explain what’s changing and why.

I recently worked with a Senior Coordinator choosing between two offers.
One paid a bit more but was vague on rosters and “still working out the structure.”
The other was slightly lower on base but clear on shifts, expectations and reporting lines. He chose the second:

“I can adjust to the salary, but I’m not going back to constant chaos.”

If you’re hiring in supply chain, you’re not just competing on salary bands.
The candidates I speak to are weighing up three questions: Is the pay fair and explained? What’s the culture like when things go wrong? And can I build a life around this job without burning out?

If this resonates, I’m happy to connect and share what I’m seeing across the market and where roles are falling short, before candidates walk.