4 Objectives to Set Yourself in 2022

What are you looking to achieve this year? We’ve got some hot tips on objectives you really need to set yourself in 2022.

If you’re an ambitious procurement professional (and let’s be honest, which of us isn’t?), it’s likely that you have spent the early part of 2022 setting yourself a whole new set of procurement objectives. And, after 2020 and 2021 (the less said about them the better) inspired a huge number of people to change jobs and even careers, 2022 looks like it will be a year in which numerous opportunities are presented for what you might be able to achieve in your career.

It is traditionally the time when people in all careers sit down, individually and with managers, to consider, discuss and set down their aims, objectives and targets for the year. PDRs might not be everyone’s idea of fun, but they do have major benefits in keeping us all on track and in line with wider organisational strategies.

With PDRs and careers in mind, we spoke to procurement professionals in our network, and discovered that the majority wanted to achieve at least one of the following four career-related procurement objectives this year.

We’ve outlined these objectives below, as well as how you can go about achieving them.

1. Apply for a more professionally satisfying role

Much has been said and written about the pandemic forcing us to question our goals and aspirations, including whether or not our chosen career is truly right for us. Given the intense demands placed on procurement teams during the pandemic, and now looking likely to continue into the future, many procurement professionals have questioned whether they are in the right role.

This can take many forms. Perhaps you like your job, but just cannot continue working the hours it requires of you. Perhaps you are well-paid, but would prefer a procurement role in a different industry that’s more meaningful to you. Or perhaps you want to move away from procurement altogether.  

If your procurement objective for 2022 is to change jobs to something that is more professionally satisfying, then there’s never been a better time to achieve it. The ‘Great Resignation’ has opened up an abundance of new roles and opportunities, at the same time as we enter what many people consider to be a candidates’ market.

If this is your objective, make sure you have a killer cover letter to get you noticed, and ensure you brush up on these tough but critical interview questions. 

2. Get the promotion you deserve 

While there are a number of new opportunities open to procurement professionals, one area that has not been so active for those staying in their current roles is in promotions or pay rises. The pandemic has created a level of instability, not to mention fluctuating demand and lower incomes, that organisations are looking to weather before they are able to support pay rises or bonuses that they may have handed out in the past.

That may change this year. With yet more people anticipated to move organisations and the lessening impact, we hope, of the pandemic, organisations will have to review their strategies in order to create the stability they need to push on. This may take the form of new opportunities, pay reviews and even new bonus schemes, designed to hold on to their valuable talent.

So if you are looking for promotion, or that elusive wage bump, this year, here’s how to prepare for the conversation.

3. Acquire new, in-demand skills 

One of the great things about choosing procurement as a career is that it requires continuous learning and development in order to stay ahead of the curve. Who can say they’ve managed to get through the past two years without learning anything that they can apply moving forward?!

The pandemic has accelerated procurement’s need for certain types of skills, particularly in the area of technology, and in some cases it’s been hard to keep up. If you don’t feel like you’ve quite caught up yet though, don’t worry. If you are looking to upskill this year, the first thing you need to do is identify the most in-demand skills organisations are looking for right now.

You probably want to ensure you get the right mix of soft and technical skills, but do this all without going in search of a training budget, or ending up out of pocket yourself. Just as well there are plenty of things you can do without spending a penny!

4. Do more for the planet

With high expectations of our profession, sometimes it’s easy to forget that the work we do isn’t just important for our career or for our organisation, but it’s also critical for the ongoing welfare of our planet. 

Now, we’re not saying you’re wrong if this isn’t one of your objectives for 2022, but we really think it might be in your interests to reconsider…

Whether you want to reduce your carbon emissions, stamp out modern slavery in your supply chain, or simply understand ethical sourcing best-practice, you’ll be able to find plenty of great learning and development at our Big Ideas Summit 2022 in London this March.

Beyond this, as helping our community to source more ethically is one of our key focuses this year, we’ve also got plenty of resources to help you do this, including answering key questions on how much consumers and companies care about ethical sourcing and how prepared your supply chain is for carbon net zero.

Whatever you are looking to achieve this year, make sure you get your plans in place now and set yourself up for success by working out what you need to help you achieve them. We can’t wait to see what you all accomplish!

Can you think of any other ways that Procurious could support you in achieving your objectives this year? Please let us know in the comments below.