With a few strategies and tools, public procurement directors can recruit new, diverse staffers

Yes, being a public purchasing professional is a much-coveted career that can have a big impact on a community, says Celeste Frye, principal and CEO of Public Works Partners, a WBE/DBE/SBE-certified urban planning and consulting firm. “From purchasing quality foods for school lunches or environmentally sustainable trucks for trash collection, procurement managers have a significant role in these processes.”

She offers this tip to help public procurement directors in local and state governments recruit more professionals as procurement team players retire. “Focus on results and impact. Millennials and Gen Z workers are motivated by accountability and making lasting changes in their communities. The procurement function is one area where lasting and impactful change can happen.”

Frye urges governments seeking new staffers to show recruits how public procurement is relevant in 2023. She adds that procurement policies are making states and localities more equitable and inclusive to all, including black, Indigenous, people of color, women, and other under-represented groups. Through those policies, Frye explains, “State and local procurement offices are aligning their mission with the values of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) professionals to ensure that government policies are working for everyone. For instance, cities and states are pushing aggressive policies to ensure minority- and women-owned businesses can fairly compete on government bids against large, multinational corporations.”

Frye says there are ways that local and state government procurement offices can boost diversity and inclusion in recruiting, hiring, onboarding and training. One of her suggestions: Agencies should revisit their job descriptions. “Make your job descriptions inclusive and inviting to all candidates. For starters, make the job titles clear, use gender-neutral language, stop using jargon and acronyms, and eliminate any ‘wants’ or ‘requirements.’ These simple changes can help attract more candidates.”

She also advises agencies to carefully evaluate job applications. “Ask applicants to remove information that can influence a hiring manager’s initial impression. By asking applicants to remove demographically identifiable data, such as GPAs and the names of universities and colleges, hiring managers can judge applications without predicting their work performance.”

Frye suggests that agency recruiters look beyond the traditional trade conferences and hiring circles if they seek to hire new professionals for their teams. “If you’re looking for diverse candidates, go right to the source. Post your job descriptions on affinity groups and networks directed at BIPOC communities. Recruit from historically black colleges, community colleges and other schools you don’t typically get any candidates.”

As procurement departments face increased workloads, they may want to consider using cooperative contracts. Frye notes that in some cases, cooperative procurement contracts can save time and boost staff efficiency in overworked and understaffed local government procurement departments. “Cooperative procurement provides opportunities to streamline purchasing from multiple agencies and entities, which reduces time in procuring and contracting goods.”

Frye believes public purchasing managers have gone the extra mile during the height of the pandemic. “They have ensured that much-needed goods and services are in place to navigate the crisis.” She explains that the global epidemic made people aware that change is inevitable. “Yes, procurement managers are overworked, but what the pandemic spotlighted are the outdated purchasing systems of state and local governments. Procuring goods and services could have been streamlined if systems, processes, and policies were adaptive to the pandemic’s evolving needs.”

Public Works has a thought-leadership piece on this topic titled “Pandemic Innovation: Lessons Learned for Small Business Support.”

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].