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HR Buying & Procurement: The Missing Link

Tammy Cohen, PHR, SHRM-CP
May 30 2017
This conference season, talent acquisition and procurement lie in the forefront of our thoughts. Potential partnerships pile up and new opportunities lie in the palm of your hand via business cards and information sheets. But afterward comes the time to organize, reach out, and get to work. When that happens, how will your Procurement Department interact with your HR attendees? Will they interact? If any of the potential vendors become part of the supply chain, procurement gets added to the equation.
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!

About Tammy Cohen

Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record.

About InfoMart

InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.

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