As the indirect procurement industry has been forced to respond to many changes over the past few years, from the recession to globalisation, recruiting the right kind of procurement professional can be crucial to a business’ ability to adapt to change. While at one time the main focus of procurement leaders was to control costs, it has been suggested that having communication and networking skills, as well as good stakeholder engagement, is just as important.
A survey of 120 purchasers carried out by recruitment firm Barclay Meade recently found that as many as 59 per cent of purchasers are concentrating on stakeholder engagement and are therefore eager to recruit staff with impeccable networking skills. Indeed, the survey, seen by SupplyManagement.com, revealed that stakeholder engagement is only beaten in a list of priorities by cost savings.
In third place was supply chain management, cited by 52 per cent of purchasing staff, followed by supplier development (42 per cent) and supplier quality (41 per cent).
“One of the key interpersonal skills for many employers is effective relationship building and the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels of an organisation,” Russell Soan, associate director of procurement and supply chain at Barclay Meade, told the news provider.
The website reported that one of the interviewed procurement leaders said a successful buyer networks successfully both within the organisation they work for and through external connections. People entering the profession are also seeing a change to the industry that senior procurement leaders would not have seen. Malory Davies, editor of Supply Chain Standard, wrote in a blog recently about her experiences of sitting on the judging panel at the European Supply Chain Excellence Awards and witnessing the expertise of the professionals involved.
She said that the awards allowed the judges to see how professionals are responding to a changing business environment through globalisation.
“Despite the volatility in the world economy, the success of globalisation is resulting in rising wages in the Far East as well as rising global commodity prices,” she wrote, noting that it is leading businesses to bring manufacturing back into Europe to reduce costs and simplify supply chains.
Talent management and acquisition will be a key topic under discussion at ProcureCon Indirect, 24-26 April 2012 in London. For more information visit procurecon-indirect.com.
To read this article in full visit thevaluechain.net
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