Ask for a raise

By Damon Francis -- Purchasing, 10/19/2000

According to PurchasingMagazine's monthly business survey, the job market for purchasing professionals remains extremely tight. When asked the following focus question, "How would you characterize the current job market for purchasing people?" 89% of respondents say that the market is either average or tight, while only 11% report a poor job market. A large number of respondents report that these three skills are in the greatest demand this month:

1. MRP (materials requirement planning) is a hot spot. Many respondents note a serious deficiency in the amount of professionals with five or more years of MRP experience. Materials managers with the ability to lower cash flow while justifying inventory entitlement are few and far between.

2. Computer literacy and Internet savvy. Multiple respondents report that a paradox exists in the purchasing function. A purchasing vice president from Owensboro, Ky., reports, "Those with experience lack basic PC and Internet skills." Spreadsheet and basic software knowledge is surprisingly in short supply. Also, part of Internet savvy can be considered knowing when not to use the Internet for purchasing functions. Multiple respondents report that dependence on Net sourcing is increasing while individuals with sourcing know-how are tough to find.

3. Attendance. Just as restaurants and bars are having a hard time filling out their staffs because unemployment is so low, just finding responsible people to show up is an issue. Competent workers are in heavy demand at all levels of the purchasing profession, but especially at the function's lowest levels. Midwestern factories, especially, are having a difficult time finding people for the most mundane of tasks. One senior buyer from Hastings, Mich., reports huge problems finding "people who have basic reading and writing skills, and who will also show up for work every day." A purchasing manager from Westborough, Pa., notes, "people simply aren't willing to show up for work every day" as does a purchasing manager from Shoemakersville, Pa., who is desperately seeking workers with some semblance of a sense of responsibility.

By most accounts the job market for purchasing professionals is experiencing a heyday. A senior buyer from Springfield, Ore., reports, "I have never seen a better job market for purchasing professionals." Here is how the markets compare across the country:

Tightest job markets, Northeast and Midwest: 52% of respondents from the Northeast characterize the current job market for purchasing people as "tight," the largest percentage from any of the regions. Forty-three percent report an "average" job market while only 5% consider the market "poor." The Midwest was right behind the Northeast with 46% of respondents rating the market as tight, 43% as average, and 11% as poor.

Poorest job market, Pacific Northwest: 25% of Pacific Northwestern respondents classify the current job market as "poor," the highest percentage of all regions this month. A majority (51%) of professionals responding to the survey believe the job market is "average," while only 24% believe the market to be tight.