Episode show notes
“It’s not hard to find bodies if you want bodies, but the best people have options. You’ve got to be approaching them.”
When good procurement people have the power to choose their path, it takes proactivity to create a quality team – as Sermet Baykaner has done proficiently through his career to date.
With names like Carnival and Unilever under his belt, Sermet – Bourne Leisure’s Group Procurement Director – is this week’s fantastic guest on the Talent Talks podcast.
Join us as we touch on attracting talent in a competitive market, convincing the C-suite to support the procurement agenda, and integrating sustainability business-wide.
This episode of Talent Talks covers:
-
- Building sustainability into the overall strategy
- How to attract talent when good people have options
- Solving the C-suite’s needs, rather than focusing on what you can deliver
- What’s evolved in procurement and how Sermet has adapted to that
The Talent Talks Podcast is proudly sponsored by Staverton Consulting. Staverton Consulting delivers tangible and sustainable cost reduction as well as reducing business risks throughout the supply chain for private equity backed businesses, SME’S and growth companies. For more information please head to stavertonconsulting.com.
Episode highlights
“We have more skills in our toolbox than we’ve ever had before. One of my challenges is making sure that the business and leaders understand we can do a lot more than just savings.” – 9:40 – S-J Aldridge
“I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a set of shareholders or a board where they go, ‘Don’t worry about the ROI, you just do the right thing’.” – 8:40 – Sermet Baykaner
“It’s not hard to find bodies if you want bodies, but the best people have options. You’ve got to be approaching them.” – 15:20 – Sermet Baykaner
“The sales pitch is aimed – as all good sales pitches are – at what they want and need, not what you think you could do right now.” – 24:50 – Sermet Baykaner
“Private equity is what it says on the tin – they buy, they make the company more profitable, and they sell it in a few years. So you’ve got a much more focused time period to go after it.” – 33:55 – Sermet Baykaner
“I think the risk to our profession is if we try and stick our heels in and say that there’s a way to do procurement, and it’s the way we’ve always done it.” – 41:50 – Sermet Baykaner
Links & references
Sermet Baykaner – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sermet-baykaner-9435834/
Bourne Leisure – https://www.linkedin.com/company/bourne-leisure/
Martin Smith, Founder & Director of Talent Drive – https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinsmith2009/
