4 Traits That Make Millennials A Perfect Fit For Procurement Automation Software

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Experts estimate that millennials will make up half the workforce by the year 2020. This is can be a terrifying prospect for hiring managers, who’ve heard that millennials are entitled, lazy, and refuse to stay in a job for more than a few years. Luckily, those stereotypes aren’t holding true for all millennials and they’re not the only traits that define this generation.

In 2014, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and ThomasNet held a 30-under-30 competition to discover the best young supply management professionals in the industry. They received over 200 nominations and said, “The quality of talent blew us away.” Millennials already in procurement are exceeding expectations and destroying stereotypes. In fact, they tend to have four key traits that make them a perfect fit for working in procurement.

Opportunistic

Millennials do have a reputation for job-hopping. A 2016 Gallup poll found that 60% of millennials are open to new job opportunities and that 21% of millennials change jobs during any given year. They’re the generation most likely to switch jobs and to seek out new opportunities by changing positions within their company.

Job hopping isn’t about lack of loyalty. Millennials are impatient and constantly seek new ways to innovate and grow. Because you can leverage those traits in procurement, you can make millennials an asset in the department. Also, using their skills helps keep them engaged enough to stay. As procurement teams grow and expand their reach, don’t be surprised to find your millennial employees right in the thick of things searching out cutting edge solutions.

Collaborative

Millennials are used to living in a global world. Since most have this global perspective, they’re ready to work with diverse, multi-generational teams. On the whole, millennials learn quickly, listen well, and have the confidence to contribute on teams. ISM’s 30-under-30 competition described every one of their finalists as “highly collaborative.”

If your company gives them an opportunity to engage, advance, and contribute millennials will likely stay with your company. Give them a sense that they’re making a difference by working in procurement. And with that sort of motivation, they’ll become one of the most dedicated members of your team.

Innovative

Millennials aren’t afraid to think outside the box. And data doesn’t scare them, either. Give millennials a large amount of complex information and they’ll find innovative ways to use and present it. In today’s fast changing global economy, having people on your team who can take in new information quickly and come up with innovative solutions is an invaluable asset.

In addition, a millennial working in procurement isn’t just thinking about logging hours and earning a paycheck. Typically, they’re more motivated by the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to their organization and the world. Millennials will want to work with your team to make a positive impact. For example, a millennial might spear-head your company’s new green procurement initiative.

Tech-Savvy

Most millennials are very comfortable with technology. Using technology comes second nature to them and they’re familiar with using it for work, communication, and to connect. As more and more companies switch over to automated business processing systems, it’s to your advantage to bring in more tech-savvy employees.

In procurement, millennials are able to leverage their digital communication skills to coordinate across the supply chain. Their technological skills also give them an advantage when using automated purchase order software. In fact, it might be hard to keep up with millennial employees’ collaborative, opportunistic innovation if you don’t have automation software. Contact us today and get your procurement system up to speed with NextProcess’ Purchase Order Module.