What Will My Procurement Career Look Like in 2021?
Every Procurement and Supply Chain Professional felt the earth move in 2020 – but the good news is it revealed a fertile career landscape. Here’s what we’ve got to look forward to.
Professional sportsman Carlton Fisk once said: “It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That’s what defines your career.” And while he spoke those wise words years ago, we think he was probably referring to 2020. But after what was likely the most career-disrupting year of all time, what do we have to look forward to in 2021?
A lot.
So much has changed when it comes to the procurement career landscape, and despite how much COVID has affected everything, many experts believe that when it comes to careers, things have changed for the better. We spoke to Naseem Malik, Managing Partner at MRA Global Sourcing, to understand what we should all expect from our procurement careers in 2021 … and specifically, all the things we might have to look forward to:
You might be able to get a job anywhere
In days that now seem like a lifetime ago, if you lived in London and wanted a job in New York, you’d have to move – obviously. But now? Perhaps not. Remote work has replaced in-office work for the majority of people, and there has never been a more exciting time to explore opportunities that may not have been geographically accessible to you before.
Naseem has certainly noticed this trend:
“Many organisations are now opening up their talent searches geographically due to the safety and newfound comfort of remote work. This presents procurement professionals with the opportunity to significantly broaden their horizons.”
Not only can remote work open up more opportunities, it can also enable some much-desired conveniences. Naseem believes that now remote work is becoming more accepted, more procurement professionals may be based where their supplier bases are. For anyone who has experienced the pain of late night or early morning conference calls with suppliers, this will be a very welcome change!
You’ll be able to enjoy the security of permanent work once again
Worldwide, there’s much talk about the disruption of talent-on-demand, otherwise known as freelancing or very short term contracting. And after a disruptive 2020 where many of us may have been furloughed or laid off entirely, the last thing we all want is more threats to the coveted permanent position.
But we shouldn’t worry too much, says Naseem. He believes:
“Procurement will resist the talent-on-demand model and will not rely on contractors and independent consultants at the expense of the permanent workforce.”
“It will resist that model due to the risks associated with pursuing it: low morale, diminished productivity and poor internal relationships.”
If you’re an expert in supplier diversity, this could be your year
For as long as Procurious has existed, we’ve maintained that diversity of all kinds is important: both supplier diversity, and diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This year, more than most, both of those things will be prioritised. In fact, if you are an expert in supplier diversity, you may find yourself with opportunities you never imagined. Naseem explains:
“One of our clients recently rotated their procurement departments’ supplier diversity leader into a role where they headed up the entire company’s diversity and inclusion hiring initiatives.”
“They identified that the leader had the exact right skills and expertise to do this.”
Ever imagined yourself as your company’s Head of D&I? If so, this might just be your year.
If you’re talented, there are still jobs in abundance
With millions of jobs lost worldwide, those of us out of work (or similarly, those of us who want to move jobs) are worried about our prospects. But if you’re talented, says Naseem, you don’t need to worry. While there might be a lot of people unemployed, talent is just as scarce as it’s always been.
As a talented procurement professional, Naseem recommends the following:
“Know your worth, and ensure the new role is the right fit from a cultural perspective, as well as a career path and compensation perspective.”
If your company is digitally savvy, you might just get a promotion
Many of us may have worked remotely for the first time last year. If we did, we’re likely to have discovered several things. One of those things would have been that it is that bit more challenging to create relationships and exert influence over Zoom calls.
Yet it isn’t impossible, and for companies that have excelled at digitising their workforce and keeping everyone productive (and procurement professionals who have readily adopted this), everything workwise will be going well.
So well, in fact, that there might be a nice surprise in store. Naseem believes:
“Companies that are digital natives and those who have location independence as part of their culture will have an easier time promoting people … if they’ve been able to replicate, in a remote environment, the visibility and camaraderie that comes from office interaction.”
Your pay won’t take a nosedive
Company profits plummeted last year, and this has many of us worried about our compensation. But like many other things for procurement professionals, we just need not worry about this, Naseem maintains.
He says:
“Compensation will continue to stay robust in the procurement function. With the continued demand for talent still prevalent, salaries will keep pace and companies that traditionally pay well like pharma and tech will leverage this by attracting talent from industries that aren’t as competitive.”
In 2021, there sure seems like there’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to procurement careers. What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments below.
