As a leader, it is your job to constantly question the status quo. However, it is not only your job, but the direct responsibility of everyone in the business to ensure that you are running your business as efficiently as possible.
In some industries, the health of the bottom line can be directly linked to the quality of partners that you work with. Issues often come to light when this quality can no longer be guaranteed – the biggest dilemma for any business is when relationships and results start to slide. When is the point where a business should think about reassessing their partners and looking for alternative options?
Actually, the process has never been easier, but many businesses don’t examine their current arrangements regularly enough or carefully enough to realize the benefits.
Supplier loyalty was arguably very important in the recession. There was a common survival instinct between a business and their suppliers. “Better the devil you know” was very much the name of the game. However, now the economy is turning the corner in many countries, businesses are start to wonder if they are getting the best possible deal.
[no_blockquote text=”Suppliers are starting to grow again – they are developing, adding capability and capacity. They are looking forward to increasing their share of a growing market, and seeking new partners to fuel that growth will be a key part of that strategy. The beginning of an economic upturn is a crucial time to take advantage of these new partnership opportunities.” text_color=”#ff6600″ title_tag=”h6″ width=”” line_height=”” background_color=”” border_color=”” show_quote_icon=”yes” quote_icon_color=”#ff6600″ quote_icon_size=””]Are you sure that you are getting best value with your current partners? Do you know the market well enough to be certain of this?
There are a few basic procurement techniques that could give you a better understanding. Keeping your current suppliers on their toes by running a tender is the familiar process in the market. You should make it clear to them that you are not actively looking to change, and they should certainly be given a fair chance to prove their worth within the market, but if the advantages of changing supplier are considerable, it may be hard to resist.
Another trend might be that price is not the only consideration any longer. During the recession, it was hard to look beyond the financial numbers, but now other considerations such as supplier culture, quality of service (on a consistent basis) and their “fit” with the wider business will come into view. Suppliers have multiple influences on how a business is run, and business have to have a good hard look at whether the relationships are giving them everything they require.
Now, coming to the question of choosing a recruitment partner….Has your focus on price affected the quality of the candidate experience? Do your recruiters understand your business as well as they might? Are they true partners or are they held at arms length, not trusted but merely tolerated. Have they got a certainty in the future of your partnership and are they interested and able to invest in improving the relationship?
Many businesses now have a need to make consistently ‘good’ hires to deliver their forecast growth plans. Are they sure that they have the right partners representing them in the evolving candidate marketplace?
As with many other areas of business, recruitment is a complex business. Are companies making sure that they have the right partners in place to make the most of the upswing in the economy?
Réncái Group, partners with our customers to provide confidence in delivery of all their current, and future Skills Resource needs. To discuss how our support can help the realization of your business growth goals, reach out to us, as we’d be very happy to help.
