5 tips to improve procurement recruiting

Many companies across the U.S. have job openings they are desperate to fill; the same is likely true of your procurement team these days. The value of a highly effective approach to sourcing was certainly underscored by the pandemic, and companies small and large are now looking for great hires that can make them more efficient.

However, you have to consider whether you are doing enough to truly attract top talent. If not, you may find yourself struggling to compete as COVID-19 variants continue to take hold in the U.S. and beyond.

The following tips should help you get a little more out of your procurement recruiting process:

1) Write better job descriptions

First and foremost, the job descriptions you post on your own website and any career sites should be thorough without being overly long, and lay out exactly what you are looking for in a candidate, according to Planergy. To truly attract top talent, you will also want to make sure you clearly list the precise salary and benefits offerings you bring to the table.

Are you doing what you can to attract top procurement talent?

2) Look high and low

Your old recruiting strategies likely won't work if you have been too narrowly focused on where you source your candidates from, Planergy advised. For that reason, place listings on as many sites as you think will be relevant. While you certainly don't want to sift through hundreds of applications for a single opening, the specificity of your listing should help keep applicants to only those who are qualified.

3) Ask for recommendations

No one knows better than your employees what it takes to work in your organizational system, find new ways to innovate within those parameters, and what you're looking for in terms of a great candidate, according to Harver. For that reason, establishing a referral program that rewards people for suggesting great hires — whether they're friends, family or former colleagues — could help simplify your recruitment efforts dramatically.

4) Make sure your offerings are more than just competitive

When it comes to establishing baselines for salaries, benefits and perks, you can't just let the market dictate what you're offering, according to recruiting expert Scott Dance, writing on LinkedIn. These days, it's wise to go above and beyond the market, because that few extra thousand dollars per year — or more generous health insurance package — could be what differentiates you from your competitors, and makes you that much more effective and efficient as an operation. In that way, the best workers available end up paying for themselves.

5) Make it easier to apply

Finally, keep in mind that job seekers have likely gone through just about every application process imaginable — and therefore know what they like and what they don't, Dance added. For that reason, your application process should be as straightforward as possible. Allow people to just attach a cover letter and resume to an email, or fill out a quick form on your website. Making candidates jump through hoops is a great way to discourage the best ones from following through with their preferred method of application.