Job market stability continues into fall and winter
By Lisa van der Pool -- Purchasing, 11/18/1999 7:00:00 AM
"Strong and steady" are the words being used by recruiters as we continue to move into the fourth quarter. "Deseasonalized results have shown barely perceptible changes over a full three years" says Jeffrey Joerres, Manpower president and chief executive officer. "We haven't seen an unbroken trend of this length since the 1976-1979 period." Joerres adds that he "sees no trend toward reduced employment in the economy but a long-term reorganization is still under way."
Other hiring professionals concur. "The economic outlook continues to be steady going into fall and winter. The expansion is slow and steady," says Scott Crowell, director of purchasing recruiting at Fortune Personnel Consultants of Greensboro, N.C.
"The next six months the industry will continue to be strong--the demand for professionals continues," says Ron Burton, president of Career Search, Inc.
Proven skills
Obviously, purchasing professionals need to know what companies want in terms of new hires. Despite the changing role of purchasing, one of the most important attributes continues to be experience.
"I'm seeing a lot of activity in the lower-level positions--but the key is to find an entry-level buyer with a few years of experience," says Crowell. "It is much easier to find people with experience who are in the middle levels." The trick for companies is to find someone with good experience--but not too much, otherwise they won't be able to afford them.
"I'm seeing activity in the upper to middle levels," says Burton. "Companies are trying to bring in strong and experienced people to help their companies move forward."
In addition to having industry experience, companies also look for someone who has, at the very least, a four-year degree. Many times they also are hunting for more specific skills.
According to Burton, some skills that are beginning to become a necessity in purchasing departments are knowledge of "demand flow, Kanban, and just-in-time (JIT) practices. Experience with software packages such as those supplied by SAP AG, Oracle, and Bann also are useful. A masters degree is a plus, but not required."
Engineering skills also are fast becoming the norm in purchasing departments. "Companies want purchasing engineers," says Crowell. "More and more companies are looking for technical degrees. The reason is because of the way the supply chain is expanding new-product development; the purchasing pro must have technical expertise. He or she must be able to read blueprints and have material expertise," says Crowell.
These skills are especially useful in the electronics and automotive industries.
Purchasing pros of tomorrow
Purchasing managers of yesterday may have been all about negotiation, but purchasing is much more than that now. Says Burton, "The purchasing department is a premier department and an extreme profit center. Purchasing departments need people who understand vendor relationships."
"The best purchasing professionals have an understanding of all the different departments, including those at customers," says Crowell. "Today's buyers interact with more parts of the company."
Areas to watch
All areas are active this quarter, according to hiring professionals. "Everywhere is hot across the board, " says Burton.
"The strong areas are still the Midwest and the Southeast," says Crowell. Top industries are "automotive, electronics, and plastics."
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