Indirect vs Direct – are transferable procurement skills a thing of the past?

Indirect vs Direct – are transferable skills a thing of the past?

By Gail Pyrah, Founder and Senior Partner

Should a candidate’s ‘direct’ or ‘indirect’ category experience be a determining factor in the recruitment process?  It never used to be, but we’re seeing a change in the way procurement professionals are hired.

There was a time when a good quality purchasing professional could transfer sectors without anyone giving it a second thought.  They could also move from sourcing raw materials in manufacturing or components for the auto sector to buying IT or Marketing with little or no concern.  The technical skills were a given; relationship management and the ability to work with key stakeholders were the critical success factors.

So, are employers missing a recruitment opportunity? At GPA we don't have a definitive answer to the question of transferability, nor do we believe there is one. We support the idea that good quality candidates have transferable skills and provided they have other skills and capabilities and the right attitude, they should be able to work across most sectors and most categories.

We believe there are a set of  key ingredients that make a successful procurement candidate – (see our seven part guide for candidates on Becoming the Ideal Procurement Candidate ). These  include both indirect and direct procurement skills candidates should understand, including Strategic Purchasing; Process; Project Management; Operational Purchasing; Change Management and Interpersonal skills. 

Our challenge when interviewing candidates for our clients is to try and assess their capabilities around the above criteria and to gain an understanding of how they manage their specific categories: sourcing strategies, the projects they manage or are involved in, the supply management process, stakeholder management and buy in, key deliverables which should always be quantifiable at some level and personal drives and motivations etc.

Talking to so many candidates daily, we are able to spot a talented individual very quickly.  We accept that it can take time to build up category specific experience and we will always try and keep an open mind when working with such an individual who wants to gain a new category experience.

How flexible are you prepared to be?