HR Buying & Procurement: The Missing Link

Despite the differences between roles and responsibilities, HR and Procurement have a lot in common. Both are responsible for acquiring talent for the company in the form of employees, suppliers, or contingent workers. Both negotiate contracts on behalf of the company. As your HR professionals visit the next big conferences, potential contacts could blur together. There are plenty of benefits for streamlining the communication between your HR and Procurement Departments both before and after a conference. Established responsibilities between the teams means no one does the same job twice. With the presence of potential vendors at many of the HR tradeshows, your human resources professionals have a unique opportunity to cultivate new partnerships. Procurement should take advantage of their presence by communicating present needs. Trade shows are centralized networking opportunities for all involved, but both departments can’t attend every conference. Maximize your company’s presence by communicating the missing pieces from each face of the business. You could augment your Procurement team’s efficiency by having HR communicate their pain points before they spend time cultivating relationships that aren’t the right fit. For example, say your Procurement team is tasked with sourcing a new background screening provider, a vendor that would interact directly with HR. When searching for a vendor, there are several factors to consider:

• What went wrong with your previous background screening provider?
• What loopholes cost your HR team time and money?
• What other services could HR potentially need that a new background check company can contribute, such as drug screening?
• Could a member of Procurement or HR present a pre-existing contact from networking events to build from?

These questions could apply to any third-party vendors, such as finances, transportation, delivery, and/or manufacturing products.  

Consistency, Coherence, & Contracting Fluency

Procurement should also share their tactics and talking points with HR going forward with established suppliers. When the language from the contracts stays consistent throughout your organization no matter the department your corporate partners interact with, you stand a much greater chance of developing a beneficial and lasting relationship with your supplier. You create a contracting fluency that resonates with their representatives, something their people will appreciate and respect. This coherence also ensures that everyone from HR to Procurement to the vendor clear understands what’s expected of the supplier, such as:

• Expected turnaround time
• Priority services
• SLAs
• Levels of communication

Communication Prospers When It Happens Often

An article by Matt Evans on theHRDirector suggests that HR and Procurement can also keep each other up-to-date on trends within their respective markets and the popular opinions of new service providers. Communication between these two departments, including an exchange of tips, data, and information,  streamlines the process, which ultimately has positive results for your bottom line. The need for a productive relationship between HR and Procurement also lies in the rising popularity of hiring contingent workers. Staffing agencies can only recommend the right people for the job when they know the specific needs of your company and the key characteristics necessary for the jobs they’re filling. The field of procurement is changing, and this is the time to expand its reach within your organization. Make the most of this conference season with a system set up for procuring, adapting, and maintaining the biggest additions to your supply pool, a system where HR and Procurement provide expertise in all aspects of your business. Every chance to learn something new is a chance to move your company forward. Connect with us through social to share your thoughts!