Can You Automate Procurement Recruiting?

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Procurement staffing and recruiting specialist Andrew Jones joins the Source One Podcast once again to comment on emerging trends in supply chain talent management. This time, Jones takes a predictably skeptical look at rapid digitization in the space.

Social media, online job boards, and the so-called 'Tinder effect' have already started to change the shape of recruitment in Procurement and other industries. Jones doesn't dismiss these changes outright. "LinkedIn," he remarks, "has mostly changed recruiting for the better." It's easier than ever, he suggests, for organizations to both cast a wide net and target highly-specific applicants. These tools, however, are far from fool-proof.

Organizations who've historically taken a hands-off approach to vetting supply chain talent will likely find that applications and online portals only exacerbate their worst tendencies. "It's a classic case of garbage in, garbage out," says Jones. "The talent an organization manages to attract and retain is only going to be as good as the effort they put into locating, assessing, and ultimately on-boarding that talent."

Sometimes going the extra mile in Procurement recruiting is as simple as picking up the phone, but even this is often too much for overworked and understaffed organizations. The right Procurement recruiter empowers an organization to consistently go the extra mile and put a human face on their efforts. Jones suggests that the importance of the human element in recruiting cannot be overstated. Relying on technology alone, he says, leaves organizations vulnerable and under-equipped.

He concludes, "Even the most advanced tool isn't going to eliminate the need for an effective Procurement recruiter. Technology might help you 'swipe left' on mismatched candidates before wasting time on an interview, but they can't help you decide between equally promising candidates." Like any emerging Procurement tool, recruiting technologies can only work to their full potential with help from dedicated experts willing to put in the necessary effort.