Here comes the Google Generation – are we ready?

Young people who grew up in the 1990s are beginning to join the workforce. Rebecca Howard asks whether we have the online tools needed to train them as procurement leaders.

They spent their teenage years with the Internet as a way of life for finding information and making contacts. Emailing and texting are second nature. The Google Generation, born towards the end of the twentieth century and starting to enter the workforce now, are our future leaders.

A third of the UK population will be over 60 in twenty years, so we will rely on these people to lead the procurement profession as baby-boomers exit the workforce and head for retirement.

The Google Generation thrive in an environment where they can discuss topics, share intelligence and ingest information online  -  and this has big implications for those of us involved in learning and development. While these young people are well used to seeking knowledge on the web, Google Generation buyers may not take naturally to the kind of classroom and on-the-job style training currently predominant in procurement.

The increasingly widespread techniques of eLearning provide the solution. This has been an area of growth for global corporate learning, and suits Google Generation buyers in several ways.

First, It is just-in-time. Users access exactly what they need in the right quantities at a time that suits them. Second, eLearning is moving away from static modules into learning management system-driven portals that provide access to functional social networks and communities of practice. Third, Googlers are highly mobile in terms of career and home location, and on-the-go learning tools enable them to access continuous professional development that fits around their lifestyle.

The business case for eLearning is already clear. Significant cost savings are possible because travel and venues are eliminated. The Learning Management Systems where eLearning are often hosted enable measurement and reporting of training outcomes, demonstrating a return on investment. Learning content management is better controlled through electronic systems to safeguard the learning assets that are key to functional expertise.

The question is therefore whether procurement capabilities are “trainable” in an online environment with the same effectiveness as other methods. We can all identify with the frustration of technology-based information exchange sometimes taking longer and being less personally engaging than a simple discussion. But there are ways a Google Generation buyer can be served by eLearning for certain key procurement capabilities.

In the area of Supplier Selection, for example, cross-functional teams can be well supported in the sourcing, selection and contracting process by web-based communication and analysis tools like eRFP. Because many of the learnings in the contracting area focus on process and policy, this area is suited to organisation-specific learning reference materials stored electronically and accessible by all relevant parties.

In Cost Management, excess reliance on Internet market research can create its own challenges, with patchy data integrity and high volume generating a lot of information but little intelligence. However, sharing market trends and personal experiences with peers online helps to engender confidence in cost management and makes this capability particularly suited to online networking and interest groups.

And in the vital area of Supplier Relationship Management, we often rely heavily on the Internet and email, even though this type remote communication is not best suited to building trust and establishing shared values. However, the social networking trend will increasingly expand into business environments, enabling greater real-time and multi-user discussion in our project management work with suppliers. This paves the way for cross-enterprise eLearning, where sharing relationship and contracting policies and principles with suppliers could be undertaken on eLearning platforms.

It is important that the procurement community responds to the demand for electronic learning. Google Generation buyers will expect to be able to access learning relevant to their function electronically. Some firms, consultants Deloittes, for example, are already using tools social networking tools for recruitment or onboarding of new joiners. And CEO blogs are providing valuable insights into markets and leadership for professionals, “Jonathan’s Blog” from Sun Microsystems’ CEO Jonathan Schwartz, for example.

So it’s already happening, and providing effective procurement is not something to be deferred until our Google Generation buyers enter the workforce. Many believe that the Google Generation is not only about those born after 1990: we are all active Internet users for business now, so we are all members of the Google Generation. Now the industry needs to respond with high quality, efficient and performance-enhancing eLearning for procurement.

Rebecca Howard is Head of Training and Development at ADR International

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