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Category: Development

  • Career development opportunities with Bramwith

    Career development opportunities with Bramwith

    Career development with Bramwith 

    Career development and progression aren’t just about climbing the ladder to the highest-paid, most senior roles (though these are also valuable ambitions!). Career progression includes all the activities, goals, opportunities and aspirations we have along our entire employment journey. At Bramwith, we take pride in guiding every colleague through their career development, giving them every chance at success. 

    For some people, success might mean working hard to get a promotion, take on more responsibility or even open a whole new arm of the business (as our Managing Director, Amit did when he launched our New York office). For others, success could mean focusing on learning new skills or moving to various parts of the business to get a 360-degree view of how it all works, operationally and culturally. 

    So, how do we make sure we offer and deliver the right career development opportunities for the breadth of skills and talent we are so proud to have at Bramwith? Here’s a short overview of how we support career development at our procurement and supply chain recruitment consultancy and why we have made it a priority since we started out in 2006. Make sure to read until the end to hear some stories of our team and their journey with us. 

    How we encourage and support career development at Bramwith 

    We listen

    From the very first day in their role, Bramwith colleagues are encouraged to tell us about their ambitions and how they would like to see their role and their career evolve. We want to know what kind of learning style people respond best to, and we want to find out which areas of the business are most interesting to them. We want to understand their goals and what success means to them. The we can start making it happen. 

    We create a career development strategy

    We do want to know what your so-called five-year plan is but we are also interested in what the individual journey should look like and how we can best work together to make it happen. We set realistic targets but also provide ongoing training and development that will help you achieve the success you deserve. When things are proving too challenging we discuss the best strategy going forward. We encourage our team to learn from past experiences and apply those learning to future actions. 

    We offer mentorship

    Learning from one another, sharing ideas and offering the voice of experience: these are all incredibly valuable aspects of career development. We are a close-knit team and we are a friendly one, too. Many of our top consultants have benefited from mentorship programs and cross-team support and are more than happy to help rising stars in the team in the same way. Mentorship is a wonderful experience for both parties and it is one of the things that keeps our team so strong and loyal. 

    We offer opportunities

    Much of our ongoing success as a procurement and supply chain recruitment leader is down to our commitment to developing and supporting our team. As you’ll see from the consultant stories below, promotions and growth opportunities happen regularly at Bramwith, often very early on in the career path. We want our people to succeed and be proud of themselves and their place in the company. We want them to realise their ambitions and make their mark in the world. We prioritise well-being and we never put our colleagues under unnecessary pressure. 

    We want our team to be rewarded for their hard work and to feel supported, included, accepted and valued. 

    To give you a flavour of how the career development path at Bramwith works, and the opportunities on offer, let’s hear from Amy and Rohan.

    Career development experiences from Bramwith Consultants

    Amy’s Story (Senior Consultant)

    Amy joined Bramwith when the pandemic and lockdown were in full force. The hybrid opportunities available at Bramwith meant Amy was able to take on a full-time role with us, working from home for four days a week and spending one day in the office when restrictions allowed. As Amy lives a long way from Bramwith HQ this means she has more time to spend with friends and family rather than commuting, while still being able to enjoy the benefits of being in our central London offices. 

    Although she works remotely, Amy says it makes no difference to her feeling part of the team; “Bramwith is a really inclusive, forward-thinking business and everyone makes sure I am included and that I never feel left out.

    “From the very first day, I felt like a valued part of the team. The onboarding process was really well-organised and I understood very quickly how career development worked and how I could progress from trainee to consultant. The targets were well-communicated and the team took the time to answer all my questions, which is important when you are getting to know a company and how it works.

    “Transparency and communication are crystal clear right across the company so everyone has the same understanding of what is expected and everyone has shared goals. There is plenty of trust and scope for autonomy. It’s a really friendly place with lots of enthusiasm at every level and there’s a strong work ethic across the company. I also really appreciate the amazing benefits on offer, including team holidays abroad and lunch clubs. 

    “I am delighted to report that I have now progressed to a role as a Senior Consultant. I am excited about my future at Bramwith.” 

    Rohan’s Story (Consultant)

    Rohan started with Bramwith over a year ago and within seven weeks at the company was offered a promotion! He tells us; “My experience at Bramwith has been incredibly positive. I am a very career-minded individual and was excited to discover that there are plenty of growth opportunities and a clear pathway for career progression that is readily available for those who work hard and can prove themselves.

    “The Bramwith team environment is set up for employees to succeed and there is a great deal of investment placed on learning and development support and opportunities. It’s a young and aspirational company that is energetic and has a supportive cohort.

    “I love that there is strong leadership from the top with amazing access to learning from the directors and senior managers who are all positive role models for the team. There are very clear boundaries and targets in place with healthy competition that makes working at Bramwith highly motivating. Everyone is provided with a clear path showing how they can progress in their career within the company.”

    If this sounds good and you’d like to find out more about developing your career at Bramwith contact our friendly team today. 

  • How to Mitigate Impact of Ukraine War on Supply Chain

    How to Mitigate Impact of Ukraine War on Supply Chain

    As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to escalate, the supply chain sector is reeling from the shock of one of the most devastating and unpredictable global developments in living memory. It is also bracing itself for a long journey of disruption, rising costs, logistical challenges and product shortages. 

    The vast majority of markets are likely to be affected and the effects will be far-reaching. It is vital that supply chain leaders do all they can to mitigate the impact and prepare for significant ongoing disruption, as well as a long and arduous recovery. 

    Here are some ways businesses can reduce the impact of the Russian-Ukraine conflict on the supply chain. 

    Continually monitor the impact business-wide

    As we mention above, the effects of the conflict are and will continue to be far-reaching. Naturally, supply chain leaders will be keeping a close eye on rising commodity and fuel prices, as well as specific circumstances that will affect their suppliers. It’s also important to assess new risks to your business that are associated with cybercrime. This is very challenging to do without the right expert support. If you don’t have a team internally that can handle this, speak to a cyber security company that can help you with detecting, mitigating and responding to cyberattacks. 

    Manage supplier relationships

    Naturally, this is a high priority of all supply chain companies, even during business as usual. Right now it is more important than ever. Your suppliers are likely to be under a great deal of pressure so it is vital you don’t add to it. Make sure they know you are there to help wherever you can but keep non-urgent enquiries to a minimum and factor these companies into the monitoring activities we mention above. 

    Make sure you have complete visibility

    Having the right technology is essential. You will need end-to-end visibility of your operations at all times. If you are concerned about any weaknesses in your IT or operational infrastructure they need to be addressed as a priority. You will also need advanced analytics packages and experts monitoring them to alert you to any new risks or problems. 

    Re-evaluate your supply chain and product offering

    Unfortunately, the situation is unlikely to improve in the near future. So, it’s time to think carefully about how resilient your business is as it stands. You may need to make some tough decisions based on your ability to manufacture in the short and long-term and how this might affect your operations and cash flow. 

    Try not to be too reactive

    This follows from the previous point. While it is critical that you remain realistic and proactive, if possible it is important not to be too reactive. The procurement and supply chain sector has weathered all manner of storms in the last few years; the pandemic and the EU exit to name just two. If you can adapt your business strategy to be more flexible and tackle the current challenges presented by the conflict in Ukraine it should not only make your business stronger it will also help to support the rest of your supply chain during this challenging time. 

  • Hiring Amazing Neurodivergent Staff

    Hiring Amazing Neurodivergent Staff

    I read an interesting article by Daniel Lane from Baringa  on his experiences with ADHD.

    Members of my family have been diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia (including myself) and I’m positive many others have Neurodiversity traits that have never been tested and fully diagnosed. All these diagnosed family members struggled at school before finding ways to work through their difficulties and flourishing at university and in work, developing into international CEO and MD roles etc and it got me thinking about Neurodiversity as a whole.

    One of the roles I champion at Bramwith, alongside my Recruitment Director role, is to be Bramwith’s Diversity & Inclusion Champion, which means internally and externally I champion diversity. This means I work closely with diversity bodies such as Business in the Community, MSDUK and WeConnect International to better understand and drive positive change around D&I. I also work with all Bramwith’s clients (when they’ll let me!), giving advice on how they can be more proactive in widening and attracting candidates from more diverse pools, ultimately allowing them to have more diverse workforces, which in turn allows those businesses to be more successful.

    Reading Dan’s article though, it struck me that very little is discussed about Neurodiversity when talking about D&I, as 95% of the conversation is about gender and ethnicity.

    Did you know that 1 in 7 people has a neurodivergent condition? It’s estimated that in the global adult population that 10% are dyslexic, 5% are dyspraxic, 4% have ADHD, and 1-2% are autistic.

    For those who are new to this, Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways; there is no one “right” way of thinking, learning, and behaving, and differences should not be viewed as deficits. Classic Neurodiversity approaches include:

    Ø Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) people may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviours (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active

    Ø Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) people may show differences in communication, learning, and behaviour, though it can look different from person to person

    Ø Dyslexia affects how a person processes language, and it can make reading and writing difficult. It can also cause problems with grammar and reading comprehension

    Ø Dyspraxia affects a person’s motor skills. Motor skills help us with movement and coordination

    Ø Dysgraphia affects a person’s writing abilities

    Ø Dyscalculia affects a person’s ability to do maths

    Ø Auditory Processing Disorder is a problem with the way the brain processes the sounds a person takes in. It is not caused by hearing impairment

    The more I have researched and started to understand Neurodiversity, the more it strikes me that in some way we are all a little Neurodivergent, we’re all presupposed to be a bit Autistic, ADHD, Dyspraxic, Dyslexic etc, partially at least. Everyone is different, we all have our little idiosyncrasies (whether they’re good or bad!) and that’s what makes us different. It should also be pretty obvious as well that we all have different drivers, ways of learning, things we like and dislike and ways that we all approach problems. We know all this already, so the idea that there is a “normal” person is pretty laughable really, who is this normal person? If you know them, I bet they’re pretty boring as well! So why does our education system, our hiring processes and people management largely be so restricted to a “one size fits all approach”?

    I do not proclaim to be an expert in everything Neurodiversity related at all, so this blog is more about me raising this thought and question for those who read it about how as employers, work colleagues, parents, friends etc we are considerate that our friends, colleagues, sons and daughters etc may need us to take a different approach to get the most out of them and help them to achieve their potential. As a parent myself, I am definitely thinking about my kids who are both very different but wonderful in their own unique ways.

    I think there is still a big stigma, a lack of awareness, and lack of appropriate infrastructure (such as office setup or staffing structures) and these can cause exclusion of people with neurodevelopmental differences. Understanding and embracing neurodiversity in communities, schools and workplaces can improve inclusivity for all people. It is important for all of us to foster an environment that is conducive to neurodiversity, and to recognize and emphasize each person’s individual strengths and talents while also providing support for their differences and needs. I think there’s also a need to see specialists to assess if we have Autism, ADHD etc, so we can learn about ourselves and start to play to our strengths and learn to manage our weaknesses.

    This brings me nicely onto my next point. Neurodivergent people have some fantastic strengths that others may not have.

    1.      Neurodivergent people often know what their strengths and weaknesses are, which is built from a lifetime of creating workarounds to allow them to reach their full potential.

    2.      Many Neurodivergent people struggle for years with activities so have to work harder than others to form ways of “making it work” which can lead to excellent problem solving skills, thinking outside of the box and even better listening skills. So any business will probably find a lot of their most innovative thinkers have ADHD, Autism and other Neurodivergent traits, whether they are diagnosed or not

    3.      People with ADHD may have trouble with time management, but they often show high levels of passion, drive, and creative thinking.

    4.      Many neurodivergent people are strongly focused on social justice. What some consider rigid hyperfocus on rules can be better understood as a natural tendency to intensely believe in the import of fairness and justice. This focus on fairness, combined with deep empathy, leads to individuals who will fight passionately to protect the welfare of the disenfranchised and the environment.

    5.      Two facets of Nonverbal Learning Disability (NLD) are a phenomenal long-term memory, and an ability to hyper-focus on individual details. When you combine those two, you get the ability to draw connections between things that seem completely unrelated.

    I’m sure I have missed loads of other fantastic traits of Neurodivergent people, but hopefully that gets you thinking about how you could communicate better with your friends and colleagues, as employers how you could utilise people who view the world differently to you, how you can get the most out of them and in turn be more successful.

    Please let me know what you think. I’m sure there’s literally millions of people out there who know a lot more about this than me, so would love to hear from them if I have missed the point, if there are other strengths missed etc.

  • Top procurement and supply chain events for 2022

    Top procurement and supply chain events for 2022

    As we tentatively brush off the shackles of the pandemic it’s time for procurement and supply chain professionals to start preparing for in-person events again. Naturally, this won’t be possible for everyone but we are willing to bet that all the events listed below will be making sure those who prefer or need a virtual option will be well catered for. 

    Whether you attend in person or across the ether, it is vital that the procurement and supply chain community continue to build alliances and learn from one another. Networking and sharing knowledge and ideas are what makes our sector so vibrant and forward-thinking, after all. 

    So, without further ado let’s look at some of the top procurement and supply chain events for 2022. 

    Gartner Supply Chain Leaders Forum 2021

    11–12 July 2022, Hertfordshire, UK

    The Gartner Supply Chain Leaders Forum 202 aims to connect supply chain and operations executives in person and virtually over the course of two days. Here they can share valuable insights on supply chain risk, circular economy, customer centricity and much more. Planning is currently underway and Gartner will be sharing details soon on their website and social media. 

    Last year’s forum included keynote speeches and fireside chats from senior procurement and supply chain figures at Cisco, Lenovo, Schneider Electric and Nike. The topics covered were wide-ranging and included sustainability, digital transformation, risk, the circular economy and many more. 

    2021 also offered the opportunity to engage directly with C-level supply chain leaders and operation executives on the big trends and issues facing our community, society, and planet. These one-to-one meetings are likely to feature in 2022’s event so make sure you sign up quickly to secure a place.  

    Visit the website. 

    Procurement and Supply Chain Live

    27-28 April 2022, Tobacco Dock, London

    Touted as the leading procurement and supply chain conference, this two-day event will be held both in-person in a great East London location, with content streamed live. 

    Procurement and Supply Chain Live is one of the best events for networking with a fully catered central space to form new business relationships and catch up with established contacts. The conference program is pretty impressive too with speakers from Uber, The Boston Consulting Group, EcoVadis and many more leading lights in our sector. 

    Seminar topics include supply chain risk and resilience, digital procurement and transformation, supply chain sustainability and supplier and contract management.

    Visit the website. 

    Total Supply Chain Summit

    May 23-24, Radisson, Heathrow

    Another great event that has gone hybrid, the Total Supply Chain Summit is a must-go for supply chain and procurement professionals who want to make new connections, expand their business and get the lowdown on the latest trends in our sector. 

    The event guarantees an audience of pre-qualified buyers, and the option to view attendee profiles and set up 25 minute meetings beforehand. 

    Visit the website.

    Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition, 

    October 13 2022, SEC Glasgow 

    This one-day event is a great opportunity for manufacturers, supply chain professionals  to discuss the most challenging issues facing the industry. It’s also a great forum for identifying opportunities and building alliances. The event will include stakeholders from the food and drink, energy, renewables, electronics, aerospace, biopharma, Medtech, healthcare, construction, textiles, procurement and precision engineering sectors.

    Expect enlightening discussions around the following topics; Industry 4.0, 3D printing, digital manufacturing, robotics and automation, industrial blockchain, sustainability, maintenance and asset management. 

    Visit the website. 

    The Supply Chain and Logistics Expo

    25-26 May, Citywest Hotel, Dublin, ROI 

    This established event across the Irish Sea promises two days of insights across a wide variety of industry challenges including implementing digital technologies, addressing skills gaps, increasing employee engagement, managing risk and volatility in an ever-changing global economy  and how to harness the power of disruptive technologies such as big data, IoT and robotics. 

    Speakers include representatives from the Irish Importers Association, Alba Consulting and Shippeo. 

    Visit the website.

    These are just a few of the events and forums that are happening this year. There are likely to be many more announced as the year progresses so make sure you check on social media for the latest updates. 

    We are always interested in hearing about procurement and supply chain events, so if there are any we have missed please get in touch. We hope you enjoy any events you attend either in person or virtually. Let us know how you get on! 

  • How to promote soft skill development with a remote workforce

    How to promote soft skill development with a remote workforce

    Promoting the development of soft skills in the workplace has enjoyed more recognition in recent years, and rightly so. If you take a moment to imagine what your workplace would be like without colleagues that are effective communicators, good decision-makers and know how to solve problems before they escalate, you’ll see straight away why soft skills matter. 

    With so many of us still working from home, how do both colleagues and business leaders continue to promote soft skill development effectively? 

    From choosing e-learning programs that will genuinely interest your employees to providing mentorship, read on to discover some top tips on promoting soft skills with a remote workforce. 

    Help people understand the soft skills they need to thrive

    We all think we’re pretty self-aware, but we aren’t always spot on about our own strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the soft skills that we were ‘good’ at in the physical workplace might not be the ones we excel at when we are working from home. Just because you were confident with speaking in person with your colleagues or clients doesn’t mean you’ll feel self-assured and be at your best when conducting meetings via video conference. Heaven knows I have struggled. 

    Self-assessments and peer assessments can help identify which skills you need to develop and why. Peer reviews can be incredibly eye-opening, in a very positive way, helping us to understand our behaviours and motivations better and to identify ways we can feel more happy and productive in the workplace. The process should also create a welcome opportunity for remote working employees to interact on something that isn’t directly involved with their work. Bringing people together and maintaining bonds is now more important than ever.

    Provide the training materials that people want to use 

    While there are a number of worthwhile e-learning content providers available, there are also a lot of programs that aren’t worth the time or effort. We’ve all been asked to sit through a poorly designed training program with tokenistic multi-choice questions, and we have all hated every minute of it. 

    Soft skills are so important to people in procurement and supply chain jobs. Be the company that surprises your employees with a genuinely interesting, insightful and useful soft skills training program. We promise that they will thank you for it. The best way of going about this is to ask them what they want to learn and why. You could also ask for recommendations from your team, your peers, or even from your LinkedIn community. 

    Remember that there is no blanket approach to learning and development. Particularly when it comes to soft skills. Every one of your employees will have different needs and these must all be catered for. If your team isn’t sure which soft skills they need or want to develop, consider finding an online test that uses machine learning to reveal their strengths and weaknesses and work from there. 

    Develop a remote mentorship program

    During conversations with friends over the last couple of years, I have been saddened to hear how mentorship programs have fallen by the wayside due to the pandemic. We have all been under an incredible amount of personal and professional pressure, but now that life is edging back to the so-called new normal, it’s time to get those initiatives back on track. 

    In a remote setting, this has the potential to be awkward for both the mentor and the mentee so it is vital that people are placed with genuinely suitable partners, or groups. And remember it is a two-way street so why not try to pair someone who wants to improve their listening skills with an employee who wants to improve their spoken communication skills, for example. 

    We hope these ideas for promoting soft skills development with a remote workforce have been useful and have given you a few ideas on how to unify your team as they continue to adapt to new ways of working. 

    As we mentioned before, procurement and supply chain professionals cannot thrive without a range of soft skills. The ability to remain calm under pressure, to negotiate diplomatically and empathise with others are all hugely important skills and need to be cultivated. 

    It continues to be a challenging time in our sector and naturally you won’t always get things right. Hopefully, the above suggestions will have given you some food for thought. 

    We’d love to hear about your experiences with promoting soft skills at your workplace so please do get in touch with your ideas and recommendations.  

  • Sustainability in procurement and supply chain in 2022

    Sustainability in procurement and supply chain in 2022

    Sustainability continues to be a hot topic in the world of procurement and supply chain. Forward-thinking companies are looking for ways to source low-impact, environmentally friendly and ethical produce, and identify methods for reducing waste throughout their operations. 

    This article takes a high-level look at the sustainability developments in the coming year. From shifts in consumer attitudes to digital transformation, read on to discover how sustainability could impact procurement and supply chain in 2022 and beyond.  

    Consumer attitudes to sustainability

    Consumers are demanding a more robust approach from the brands they buy from and companies are rightly falling over themselves to prove their environmental credentials. 

    Consumers had begun to prioritise sustainability even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Now it seems the trend is accelerating. PwC’s June 2021 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey revealed that half of global consumers say they’ve become even more environmentally friendly in the last year. Furthermore, a 2021 survey by Getty Images found that 69% of respondents said they do everything they can to reduce their carbon footprint, which is an increase from 63% of those surveyed in July 2019. 

    If your business is committed to sustainable practices, it is important to promote your values and achievements on your website and marketing collateral and use concrete data to back them up. If you have implemented an innovative energy saving system or committed to an impressive carbon reduction target, why not shout it from the rooftops?  

    Post-pandemic approaches to sustainability 

    As the pandemic continued to impact on businesses and communities, climate experts feared that environmental efforts could be curtailed by governments and business leaders in favour of economic recovery. While this could still prove to be the case, we are hopeful that the increasing consumer appetite for sustainability as outlined above should help maintain a balance between getting the world back on its feet financiall and doing the right thing to mitigate climate change. 

    Experts predict that 2022 will see an acceleration of automated, local supply chains that will create more socially and environmentally friendly options. However, this may force clarity on the trade-off between higher cost relative to what may be available elsewhere, and commitment to lower carbon. Without appropriate mechanisms and guidance such as internal carbon taxes, this is likely to cause tension in the procurement and supply chain sector in 2022.

    Sustainability and digital transformation 

    We’ve talked a lot about digital transformation on our blog and how it can help tackle the biggest challenges to procurement and supply chain. Digital transformation offers valuable opportunities for businesses that want to accelerate their sustainability strategy. Brands can use big data analyses to drill down into carbon data, for example. They can then use the findings to adapt and improve processes based on what they observe. 

    The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to identify opportunities to increase product life cycles, instead of disposing of the products at the end of their supposed usefulness. Machine learning technology and big data analysis can also predict carbon footprints of alternative supplier options and identify risks in the supply chain that might impact sustainability programs. 

    All these initiatives can help to build deeper resilience into supply chains and meet sustainability goals. But in order to succeed you need the right team on board. If you are looking to upskill or digitally transform your team, contact the team at Bramwith today. We have access to the top procurement and supply chain talent and we would love to help. 

    Adopting an ESG Framework

    While environmentally-focused sustainability is critical, the strategy should be part of a wider ESG framework. ESG can be described as follows: 

    • E – Environmental criteria: The resources and energy the business uses, its carbon footprint, the waste it discharges etc. 
    • S – Social criteria: The relationships the business has with customers, suppliers, communities and the general public. 
    • G – Governance: The systems, processes and controls a business puts into place to comply with laws and regulations, to govern itself and satisfy stakeholder requirements.  

    So, in addition to honouring your environmental responsibilities, a holistic sustainability strategy incorporates your commitment to better labour standards, executing a robust corporate governance strategy and much more. Each element of your ESG program overlaps and supports one another so it’s vital you take all of them into account when developing and executing your sustainable business strategy. 

    While we don’t know what challenges 2022 will bring, we can be sure that the most successful procurement and supply chain businesses will be those that are committed to better governance, listening to their customers, mitigating risk and ensuring they have the top talent on board to succeed. 

    If you need support in the coming year with building your procurement and supply chain team, or if you are looking for a new role in procurement and supply chain, talk to us. We can help.  

  • How to boost brand awareness to attract the top talent

    How to boost brand awareness to attract the top talent

    Whether your business is new to the market or a well-established player, attracting the top procurement and supply chain talent is vital. The trouble is, recruitment is an increasingly competitive world and you need to be able to entice the best people before your competitors do. 

    This may all sound rather unfriendly on the budget, but it needn’t be. Candidates are increasingly seeking out employers that offer something special. Whether that be a strong commitment to diversity, an amazing workplace culture, or a learning and development program that they just can’t resist. While we highly recommend that you offer these benefits in your workplace, you also need to know how to reach these candidates in the first place. 

    This article will talk you through everything you need to know about attracting the top procurement and supply chain talent. From defining your brand message to enlisting the expert support of a procurement and supply chain recruiter, read on for some tips on how to boost brand awareness to attract the top talent. 

    Define your brand message

    Today’s procurement and supply chain candidates want to work with authentic, credible, forward-thinking companies. If you haven’t got a good grasp on what your brand stands for, the top talent will see straight through you. Now is the time to define your brand values. Sit down with your marketing and communications team, your product developers, sales team and any other relevant stakeholders and identify the things that make you special. Then find the right words and sentiments to express these attributes. That doesn’t mean shoe-horning in loads of meaningless superlatives and marketing speak. It means finding your unique voice and expressing yourself honestly to the world. Which leads us neatly onto the next point… 

    Promote your brand message

    Promoting your brand message on the right channels is key to your success. You should have a pretty good idea of the kinds of demographic you are trying to attract and the social media channels they use. Think about the news and ideas they would like to hear about from you and in the formats they would appreciate. You can then work with your marketing team to devise an actionable, audience-focused communications strategy that will promote your brand to the right people, in the right place at the right time. 

    Promoting your brand and attracting the best people is incredibly important, but talent isn’t all you need to succeed. Check out our top tips for building your perfect procurement and supply chain team. 

    Get employee recommendations

    One of the best, if not the best, trust indicators is recommendations from your employees. Not every colleague will feel comfortable about leaving online reviews. But where appropriate ask your teammates to post a recommendation on Glassdoor saying they enjoy working for your firm and explaining why. This might be the brilliant training you provide, the ongoing support they get or the feeling of camaraderie that runs throughout your organisation. Anything that will instil trust and confidence in someone who is considering working at your company. 

    Outsource your recruitment

    The best procurement and supply chain recruiters work hard to build your brand on your behalf. Not a bad deal I am sure you’ll agree! At Bramwith, for example, we ensure we get a thorough understanding of your business and its USPs; the great reasons to work for you and what you can offer the right candidate. We then present this information to the ideal candidates and make sure you are at the forefront of their minds when they are considering their opportunities. 

    We also work proactively to source procurement and supply chain candidates who aren’t even actively looking for a new role. So, we can put your business at the front of the queue when they decide to take the next steps in their career. 

    Promote your business and your team

    When looking for their ideal procurement and supply chain job, the majority of candidates will check a company’s social media channels and website to get a feel for their ethics and values, as well as what they actually do. It’s therefore a good idea to include a hub or a few pages on your website to show what you stand for as a brand and what you offer your people. A meet the team page works well though if you have a large workforce you would need to limit it to the senior management. But make sure you make the profiles friendly and approachable! 

    Another good way to present a human face to your brand is to include employee video interviews, talking about what they like about working for you, what their average day is like, the challenges they face and how they overcome them, and so forth. 

    We hope this short guide on how to boost brand awareness to attract the top talent has been useful and informative. If you need any help with recruiting the very best candidates to your business, contact us today. We are experts in filling the top procurement and supply chain jobs and we would love to help.

  • The top supply chain tech trends for 2021

    The top supply chain tech trends for 2021

    The journey towards digital interconnection has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend is reflected in Gartner’s report on the Top Supply Chain Technology Themes for 2021. Gartner’s analysis usually identifies individual technologies that are shaping the sector, but this year they have focused on overarching themes that incorporate several or more technologies. 

    Here is an overview of Gartner’s top supply chain trends for 2021. 

    Hyperautomation

    For the uninitiated, hyperautomation is a disciplined approach that helps businesses to identify, vet and automate as many business and IT processes as possible. It is business-driven and can include any or all of the following technologies, tools or platforms:

    • Artificial intelligence (AI)
    • Machine learning
    • Event-driven software architecture
    • Robotic process automation (RPA)
    • Business process management (BPM) and intelligent business process management suites (iBPMS)
    • Integration platform as a service (iPaaS)
    • Low-code/no-code tools
    • Packaged software
    • Other types of decision, process and task automation tools

    Even before the pandemic, the procurement and supply chain sector was crying out for automation technologies that could take some of the burden out of transactional processes and mitigate errors in increasingly complex supply chains. Software service assistants, robots and other automation platforms will play a vital role in ensuring the sector can cope with future challenges and demands. 

    Digital Supply Chain Twin (DSCT)

    The Digital Supply Chain Twin (DSCT) is a digital representation of the physical supply chain. The DSCT is derived from all the relevant data across the supply chain and its operating environment. It helps ensure that local and end-to-end (E2E) decision making is aligned horizontally and vertically throughout the entire network. 

    Immersive Experience and Applications

    Many of us are already familiar with immersive experience tools such as head-mounted displays (HMDs), wearables, and smartglasses. This technology, once the stuff of science fiction, is now being used to improve supply chain processes. Christian Titze, vice president analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice explains how it helps; “Pioneer companies already benefit from outcomes, such as safer working environments, faster repair times, improved work error rate, better collaboration and retention of skills and knowledge.”

    Edge Ecosystems

    Edge ecosystems are made up of edge computing and edge data processing applications that can be used by technology managers in the supply chain to reassign and replan large swaths of data processing capacity to the edges of enterprises, where things and/or people produce or make decisions. For example, edge ecosystems could be used to track and monitor condition or temperature requirements across multiple phases of a product’s life cycle.

    Supply Chain Security

    As the name suggests, supply chain security aims to create a more unified approach to tackling security risks such as cybercrime or counterfeit goods. The ultimate goal is to have a holistic, scalable and digitally connected end-to-end security network that will support and protect the entire supply chain and its people. 

    Environmental Social Governance (ESG)

    Every supply chain operator has the opportunity and moral obligation to play their part in protecting the environment. A key part of this is mapping and assessing ESG risks and opportunities. The ESG technologies that are currently available enable companies to track the origins of products, such as palm oil or soy and align with corporate biodiversity and climate change goals. Not only do these activities help mitigate environmental impact but they also offer an opportunity to positively influence brand perception and improve brand image. 

    Embedded AI and Analytics

    Embedded AI and analytics are software capabilities that deliver real-time reporting, interactive data visualisation and advanced analytics and intelligence directly into an enterprise business application. These technologies can be used in the supply chain sector to support warehousing by using mobile robot controls or intelligent robotic picking systems to leverage embedded analytics.

    Augmented Data Intelligence

    Gartner describes augmented intelligence as a “design pattern for a human-centred partnership model of people and artificial intelligence working together to enhance cognitive performance, including learning, decision making and new experiences”. 

    Augmented data intelligence is a combination of a number of technologies that help to facilitate advanced data processing on top of a data platform. These powerful insights can inform and improve decision making and enhance supply chain processes by allowing supply chain professionals to analyse multiple data pipelines simultaneously. 

  • Top tips for integrating your team back into the workplace

    Top tips for integrating your team back into the workplace

    Looking forward to being back at work? Champing at the bit to get out in the world again? It has been an incredibly hard year or so, and while the relief of additional freedoms is palpable, there are also a number of concerns around approaching the so-called ‘new normal’. Particularly when it comes to heading back to the workplace. 

    It is the responsibility of every business leader and manager to make sure their team are comfortable with returning to the office and making sure they have put all additional health and safety measures in place. But there are also a number of important things to consider to make sure every member of your team is confident about the transition. 

    From defining your policies to acting on employee feedback, read on to discover everything you need to know about integrating your team back into the workplace. 

    Talk to your colleagues

    The best way to find out what people want and need is to – you guessed it – ask them! You can do this via a survey, or virtual or face to face chat – whichever method you think your team will be comfortable with. Make sure you keep the questions open-ended and assure your colleagues that their opinions will be listened to and acted on. And then, of course, follow that through. 

    Outline a strategy for workplace policies

    A robust, actionable and meaningful strategy is key to your success. It may change over time but the more you can demonstrate to your employees that you have thought your plan through and taken on board the above feedback, the more they will have confidence in your leadership. 

    What this strategy involves will depend on the nature of your business and how your team operate. You will need to take into account any individual circumstance that could have a knock-on effect on your colleagues coming into the office, such as isolation periods or unexpected sickness – so, naturally, you will have to consider how tasks and responsibilities will be covered. It is vital to ensure that your policies are not discriminatory against any of your staff. This can be a complex issue so if you are unsure it is best to get professional advice before you proceed. 

    Create a plan for what the workplace will look like

    When you have defined the HR-related aspects of your plan you can start thinking about how the physical office will look like. If you do this well, and while considering the different needs of your workforce, it should provide a soothing balm to any concerns or anxieties. It also creates a platform for discussion so any further requests can be heard. 

    There are too many health and safety considerations to go into in this short article, but you will find plenty of information on the HSE website. One thing that will be universal to all procurement and supply chain businesses is the need to ensure you have the right technology in place to manage hybrid or home working. You may also need to factor in the increased use of tech for presentations in-house. Whiteboards and suchlike might not be so welcome in the board room, for example. The key message here is to start planning as early as possible. Doing so means you stand a much better chance at creating and actioning a plan that works. 

    Make sure everyone has the same employee experience 

    It was hard managing teams remotely, and there will be similarly challenging situations when managing teams that are 50% in the office and 50% working remotely. Something to be very careful of here is remote workers being penalised for being physically in the office. Managers don’t usually mean to do this, but it does happen. Try to make sure that employees feel trusted when working from home and that they are not being micromanaged or monitored more than people who are in the office. 

    Alongside keeping an eye on how your employees are talked about or treated you can also support this by using genuinely collaborative project management tools, including remote workers in discussions, and making sure they are invited to social occasions. When they do come into the office, try to ensure they get as much face time with team members as possible and not just those they work closely with. 

    Be prepared to adapt

    The chances of integrating your team back into the workforce and everything to go swimmingly from the get-go are fairly slim. And that’s OK. People have been through all sorts of turmoil in the last 18 months and we are all feeling frazzled, unsettled and a bit fed up with it all. Tempers might fray. You may need to ditch seating plans, give up on project management platforms that aren’t fit for purpose. You might need to sit down with your team and re-evaluate what it is you actually want from your future workplace. 

    It may be a bumpy road ahead when integrating your team back into the workplace. But as long as you listen to your colleagues, take their ideas seriously and try to accommodate their needs, you shouldn’t go far wrong. 

  • How to find your dream employer

    How to find your dream employer

    Many of us have changed our priorities or had a career epiphany in the last year or so. There’s nothing like a crisis to make you reconsider where your life is headed or what you want to achieve. If you have started to reevaluate your career path or you’ve decided to pivot your career entirely you’re not alone. According to recent research from Reed over half of their survey respondents say they have changed their priorities when searching for a ‘dream employer’ since the pandemic hit. 

    So, when you’re looking for a sustainable long-term career in procurement and supply chain, how do you decide what aspects of an employer to prioritise? And how do you then identify the businesses that can offer you what you want? Read on to discover some top tips on how to find your dream employer. 

    Define your goals

    Even the most talented procurement and supply chain professional is likely to struggle if they don’t know what you want from a role, or a company. The Reed survey found the majority of respondents (38%) were looking for a salary increase, which is what you’d expect. Just slightly behind in second place with 35% of the vote was wanting a company that treats its staff better. This is very encouraging when you consider that an HSE report revealed that 828,000 people in Great Britain suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety between 2019 and 2020 alone. It’s certainly time to prioritise our well-being. 

    So, whether it’s better remuneration, a healthier workplace culture, job security or training and progression opportunities, make sure you establish your goals before you start your search. And if you aren’t sure, don’t worry. Talk to one of the consultants at Bramwith. They have plenty of experience with helping candidates discover their dream employer and are happy to help. 

    Identify the employers you’re interested in

    Keeping the goals and ambitions from the earlier step in mind, try to build them out into a wider picture of what your dream company looks like. Here’s a list of questions to start you off: 

    1. What business sector, or sectors, are you interested in working in? 
    2. Do you want to work for a large organisation or a smaller venture?
    3. Do you want to work at an established firm or a startup?
    4. What kind of management structure would you prefer/do you thrive in? 
    5. What kind of workplace culture would you enjoy? 
    6. Where are you prepared to travel to? 

    Find out where the job opportunities are

    Sometimes fate intervenes and your dream employer is hiring right now and you are 100% suited for the role. But even if your ideal company isn’t on the lookout at the moment there’s no harm in contacting them to see if you can submit a CV for them to keep on file. If they don’t encourage that approach, consider following them on social media or asking your recruitment consultant to keep an ear open for you. 

    If you have your goals in mind and are open to hearing about opportunities from a variety of companies then settle get yourself set up for a good look at the various job sites and social media and get those keyword searches refined with your requisites and nice-to-haves. 

    Refine your list

    For some people, it’s more effective to cast your net wide in your initial search then narrow it down once you have done your research. For others, a more comfortable approach is to zoom in on the perfect roles and try your luck before expanding your search. If you are in the latter group, feel free to move on now to the next section. If you are in the former, it’s time to refine your list. 

    Job specs can say a lot about a company, but it’s definitely worth extending your research to the company’s marketing channels and even review sites like Glassdoor to get a broader view of the company values and whether you will be a good fit there. Many businesses have a ‘meet the team’ area on their website that will tell you more about their story. They may even have recruitment-focused social media channels. If you do check review sites, take the content of the posts with a pinch of salt. They are often written by disgruntled employees and you don’t want to miss out on your dream job because of biased reviews. 

    Perfect and submit your application

    Once you have your dream employer in your sights, it’s time to refine your CV and target it at the company, or companies you’ve chosen. Even if you have updated your CV recently it’s important to revisit the content and make sure it is aligned with the job spec the employers are advertising. Need some guidance? Check out our top tips for producing an outstanding CV. 

    We hope these tips for finding your dream employer have been useful. It can be a long journey to finding your perfect job, but it’s worth it in the long run. Always keep in mind that you are not alone and that there is plenty of support out there for ambitious job seekers. If you want to talk about the next steps in your career or learn more about the fabulous clients that Bramwith works with, and the opportunities available with them, give us a call. We are specialists in procurement and supply chain recruitment and we could help you find that dream employer.