How does corporate social responsibility affect procurement recruitment?

Ethical procurement recruitment is not new. It has been around for some time now and many businesses favour it. As global sourcing has become the norm, it is important that businesses ensure that their suppliers are compliant. This social conscience helps in procurement recruitment and allows organisations to attract the best talent.

Attracting the right people 

Ethical procurement is gaining importance as more professionals want to work for organisations that place emphasis on brand integrity. So, while you are discussing contract management and supplier relationship management (SRM) with prospective employees, you can easily broach the topic of ethical procurement. This, in turn, will allow you attract top talent even if your organisation is a small one.

There are many procurement professionals who are unable to identify ethical issues in their supply chain. Not only can this have a major financial implication, but it will also adversely affect the company’s brand integrity, which is something that potential employees (and investors) tend to research.

Prospective employees today are worried about the footprints businesses are leaving. When an organisation has strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable practices in place, it gives assurance to these recruits that their welfare and that of the environment are important to the organisation. This helps to set an organisation apart from the competition and attracts the best talent.

Ethical procurement and recruitment

It has now become a foregone conclusion for many companies to hire only those who are well versed in standards and policies regarding ethical matters related to their industry.

With that in mind, it is best to be knowledgeable about the following:

• Developing supplier requests for quotations to ask suppliers about their CSR policies
• Knowing the basic requirements of ETI Base Code for quality
• Creating policies that comply with anti-corruption, anti-modern-slavery, anti-fraud and anti-bribery
• Thorough understanding of Health and Safety accreditations, like ISO18001
• Knowing about ISO14001 (environmental accreditation) and ISO9001 (quality management systems with a focus on sustainable and ethical practices)

Those looking for procurement and supply chain jobs should be thoroughly prepared in these areas, as that is what companies with strong CSR are looking for in potential employees.

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