Top tips for sourcing the best global talent

Attracting and retaining the top talent is key to the success of every procurement and supply chain business. The need to accelerate digital transformation, and engage the notoriously hard-to-reach Millennial candidates are priorities for firms right across the United States. 

With more and more of us choosing to work remotely or in a hybrid arrangement, traditional workplace culture has shifted, perhaps irrevocably. This presents many exciting opportunities for businesses struggling to attract talent based in their local area. If employees aren’t required to be present in the office and are rarely needed to attend in-person meetings or events, it is now possible to source procurement and supply chain candidates from other areas of the USA or even different countries altogether. 

So, how do you go about sourcing the best global talent? How can business leaders and recruiters ensure their business is an attractive prospect for the top procurement and supply chain talent? Let’s take a look. 

Devise a strategic workforce plan 

As with every business strategy, the best place to start is by creating a plan. Think about where your business is heading and what your current and future goals are. Are there any market developments, threats or contingencies you need to factor in? If you need to revisit your current recruitment or training budget now is the time to do it. 

Once you have your workforce plan in place you can sit down with all relevant stakeholders; department heads, HR leaders, finance managers and so forth and work out where your skills gaps are, right now and as far into the future as possible. Don’t forget to factor in the need to manage new and emerging technologies such as AI, Big Data, cybersecurity and machine learning.  

Make a list of the top priorities and keep a wishlist to one side for a later date. You can then start formulating a strong value proposition for future employees. 

Create an Employee Value Proposition

Developing a strong EVP is central to your recruitment success. This is your chance to clarify and demonstrate exactly what you are offering prospective employees and why they should choose you over all the other procurement and supply chain companies out there. 

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all document. You will need to create different versions of the EVP for the different ‘personas’ or job roles you are trying to attract. For example, when trying to engage graduate candidates or people who are looking for their first role, you will probably want to focus on promoting development or training opportunities. For more senior and experienced candidates you might zero in on the salary and benefits package, or emphasize the level of impact they will be able to make. 

Get a thorough understanding of the global markets you want to approach

If you have your sights set on candidates in specific countries or territories you will need to do your research on the market and work culture in each place. This includes getting a thorough understanding of local labor laws, any visa restrictions, skills availability, differences in qualifications and any other rules or regulations you might need to consider. It’s also important to find out what candidate expectations are in the places you are targeting including salary and benefits, hiring process, social media usage, development opportunities, workplace culture, holidays and work hours, flexible working and so forth. 

The better you know who your ideal candidate is the easier it will be to find them and convince them that you are the business they want to work for. 

Work with the best recruitment specialists

Sourcing the best candidates takes time. Searching LinkedIn, creating advertisements for trade publications and recruitment sites and so forth can really eat into your work time. Then there’s organizing and conducting interviews, screening candidates, going through the selection process and so on. 

If you could use more hours in the day (and who couldn’t) and want to have access to the best candidates in procurement and supply chain it makes sense to work with a specialist recruiter.