Buyer Reality

2603, 2018

Buyer Reality: Stand Out

By |March 26th, 2018|

How can you be the best supplier in the MSP supplychain? That’s a difficult question to answer. As a career procurement professional who now advises enterprise clients through SIA’s Contingent Workforce Strategies Council, I have come to sympathize with the struggles many suppliers face in trying to succeed in these programs. And it starts by […]

2709, 2017

Straight Talk: In Tune

By |September 27th, 2017|

A s the role and remit of procurement functions continue to evolve within organisations, it is critical that our supplier relationships and engagement models keep pace. This is especially true in the contingent labour category, where the provision of external talent can have a direct effect on business success.

The contingent labour category — perhaps more than most — requires procurement and our talent suppliers to be jointly […]

2609, 2017

Straight Talk: Know Whom You Work With

By |September 26th, 2017|

A combination of misplaced co-employment fears and invisibility cloaks shield contingent workforce professionals from seeing the sometimes darker side of staffing — the commoditization of people. The new world order of indentured servitude. But savvy managers are catching on.

We know that, while the majority of staffing suppliers run their businesses well and live up to […]

2305, 2017

Dos & Don’ts

By |May 23rd, 2017|

I came to the buy side of the equation by way of the staffing industry. With my newfound understanding of the client’s day, my sales strategy — as a staffing supplier — would be different. My day is similar to my staffing days: putting out fires, vendor management and focusing on cost reduction. But I […]

105, 2017

Miles to Go

By |May 1st, 2017|

It’s almost that time of year when those dreaded words will be uttered from backseats everywhere: Are we there yet? I remember enduring my family’s 17-hour drive from Texas to Pennsylvania — with no technology to entertain me. Kids nowadays have no idea how easy they actually have it. My daughter has deemed any trip […]

2703, 2017

The PB&J Implementation

By |March 27th, 2017|

Having recently survived an MSP implementation as a buyer of staffing services, I understand wanting an on-time, clean and precise deliverable that is seamless and successful.

However, I understand that depending on what hat you wear, the definitions and motivations behind those goals will differ. Nevertheless, we all want the same thing.

Given my experience, I have […]

1510, 2016

Don’t Be Shy

By |October 15th, 2016|

Whether we’re out at the customer’s site with suppliers or events; whether we negotiate, respond to emails or participate in calls: We talk, we write, we listen. In short, we communicate. Because we are driven by the objectives to create a better programme, to deliver a better service, to foster innovation and to motivate others […]

110, 2016

Straight Talk: A Compelling Tale

By |October 1st, 2016|

I’ve spent most of my career in what seems to be an ongoing request-for-proposal process; first on the provider side, and now as a buyer. Regardless of which side of the table you sit, I think we all agree that the RFP process is expensive and time consuming. But it’s one that we’re fully invested […]

108, 2016

Straight Talk: Don’t Cold Call

By |August 1st, 2016|

As a talent acquisition leader, I receive several unsolicited calls a day from vendors who want to do business with us. They often are quick to emphasize all the value that they add to the process. I find that interesting because I cannot imagine a scenario where that would work for me. I understand that […]

106, 2016

Straight Talk: Fishermen: Nets Need Not Apply

By |June 1st, 2016|

Email. We live and die by it. We receive hundreds a day and have to prioritize where to spend our time.

We don’t mean to ignore you, but sometimes you give us no choice. We receive countless uncustomized template sales emails and Inmails. The worst kind fall into the categories below:

Fake Vague Relationship. “Hey! It’s been too long! Remember that long convo we had that […]