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Four steps to successful procurement recruitment
Recruiting procurement experts can be a lengthy and costly process, particularly if you employ the wrong person, or indeed nobody at all. Here at Three P, we follow a tried and tested process to attract the right type of candidate and ensure they don’t “get lost” in the system due to internal inefficiencies or delays. It’s not rocket science, but it’s fast, efficient and delivers very effective results – something that we’ve seen both in our own, and the recruitment we’ve done on behalf of our clients. Here's a quick summary of the process for those looking to kickstart procurement recruitment.
1 Define all the needs – then keep them to yourself
Defining the needs for the position is essential to find the right candidate, but they don’t have to go in list form in a job ad. Long lists of must haves and nice to haves can be very off-putting for potential employees. List the key requirements and the company culture, then tell the reader what’s in it for them. Tell them how important they’ll be, what opportunities they’ll have, who they’ll be working with and what the bottom line is in terms of salary ,holidays,place of work etc. Think about what you want to know when applying for a job. This will make your job ad stand out from the crowd, which is what you’ll need to attract the best candidates.
2 Set a realistic timeline
Set a realistic timeline for the recruitment process. Don’t focus on the internal processes in your organization – talented people won’t wait around because you have too many layers of management approval. They’ll move on, to your competitors. Streamline where possible but make sure you have the process in place to support a fast response – and not just a response for candidates you are interested in pursuing. Let the people you are not interested in meeting know that they aren’t being considered for the position. They will respect your decision and without any badwill. Don´t leave them hanging.
3 Greet then meet
Have a quick chat with interesting candidates before inviting them for an interview. A quick informal discussion as part of the invitation process is a good sounding board for any interview. The initial call may only confirm if they are available on certain dates, or it may provide more information about their career plans,current situation, or more. Either way, it’s a good ice breaker before the interview which will provide you with a much more in-depth understanding of the candidate.
4. Put them to test
Before a second interview, testing a person’s skills with a typical scenario that they will face in their role is worthwhile doing. Your organization may have standardized candidate assessment tests which are good recruitment tools but we like to explore the day to day as well. Assuming this goes well, final candidates move to a second interview before selection is made.
This whole process – from job ad to job offer should be achievable in weeks rather than months. A tip is to avoid recruiting over the summer and new year where possible.
Help when it’s needed
If you’re struggling to find procurement experts or are unhappy with the results from your recruitment agency, come to the Procurement Professionals. We can help you attract and employ staff that will bring long-term value to your organization.
If, on the other hand, you’re a procurement professional looking for a new challenge, get in touch. We have the ideal position for you.
