Improving the procurement image

Procurement should promote and market its image inside and outside the business to attract the best staff.

Procurement Director at international pharmaceuticals firm Merck Serono, Giuseppe Conti, said that an upgrade in image is necessary to drive applications.

“Upgrading the image of your procurement department is one area of opportunity. If you work for Google, L’Oreal or Apple then, probably, you do not need to work that much on brand image of your department – people will just apply because they love the company. It’s a bit more difficult if you work for a less well-known organisation,” Conti said.

Despite the increased importance of procurement teams as a result of globalisation and trends such as corporate responsibility, the function still has difficulty competing for the top talent against finance and marketing.

Procurement heads could improve the external image of their department by writing articles in trade magazines, appearing at conferences or talking at business schools.

"You have to make yourself more visible to the external world, so when potential talent Googles you, they can see that your company brings some value to them,” Conti said.

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