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Procurement & Recession

The UK procurement sector has boomed over the last two years which has resulted in an increase in the number of purchasing opportunities in the market. At Search we have seen more purchasing administrator jobs and chief procurement officer positions than ever before.

During a recession, businesses are all the more aware of the importance of an efficient supply chain which in turn has made companies evaluate the performance of the products and services they receive. Businesses have streamlined their suppliers by asking them to provide a full range of products instead of awarding more business to those who can offer the largest range. In turn, many companies have re-tendered their business which has driven down costs, reducing the number of suppliers they buy from.   

Many procurement departments are moving towards category-focussed teams whereby an individual will focus on a specific purchasing area. From a recruitment perspective, we have seen an increase in demand for experts in specific categories as businesses have changed their approach towards suppliers.

At Search we have recently worked on a number of supplier engineering opportunities. Finding people with the right skills has been extremely challenging and this has highlighted to us a skills shortage within the market. As a result, some clients have taken a more radical approach by recruiting graduates into these roles; finding people with the potential to be successful in purchasing and providing them with the relevant training and development to do the job and complete the MCIPS (Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply) qualification.

Whatever approach a business takes, as we recover from the recession, never has there been a more crucial time to tighten their supply chain and hire professional procurement specialists.