PurchTips edition #338

Being able to accomplish a true procurement transformation takes years. It also takes a high-performing procurement team.

Building the perfect team and keeping it performing at a high level for years requires proficiency in the three steps of procurement talent management. Those three steps are:

Recruiting – Recruiting involves determining the ideal profile of the procurement professionals you wish to hire. The profile will describe the personality characteristics, education levels, experience, skills, and qualifications that one needs to have to be considered a “good candidate” for the job. Once such a profile is developed, you can start marketing the open positions to attract candidates.

Training – Procurement training was once thought of as merely a one-day process to teach someone how to create a purchase order. Today, it is a continuous process that is required for even the most experienced individuals to keep up with the rapid advancements in the procurement profession. You should have a procurement training curriculum in place for each position in your organization and a plan for training incumbents and new hires alike. The Strategic Procurement & Supply Management Body of Knowledge® (SPSM-BOK®) Mastery Model is an example of such a curriculum.

Retaining – Once you’ve spent the time and money to recruit and train the ultimate procurement team members, the last thing you want to do is lose them. It is a myth that money is the only true retention tool. There are plenty of techniques you can use to keep top procurement performers on your team throughout its transformation. Having a balanced management style that neither micromanages nor abandons your employees is just one of the many techniques available to you.