Agent - Purchasing
Purchase machinery, equipment, tools, parts, supplies, or services necessary for the operation of an establishment. Purchase raw or semifinished materials for manufacturing. May negotiate contracts.
Top activities and tasks for this job:
- Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.
- Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.
- Negotiate, renegotiate, and administer contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other representatives.
- Purchase the highest quality merchandise at the lowest possible price and in correct amounts.
- Getting Information - locate sources of supply for purchasing
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - confer with sales or purchasing personnel
- Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
- Interacting With Computers - use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
About the test (Full Version)
The HR Avatar Agent - Purchasing Pre-Employment Assessment was designed to help you hire staff in this role. The test provides a whole-person evaluation by measuring job-relevant cognitive ability, personality, knowledge, skills, and relevant behavioral history.
Each component provides important data for hiring decisions. Cognitive ability has been linked to overall job performance in most jobs and correlates with a candidate's
ability to learn new skills and to solve complex problems. Personality characteristics determine how well the candidate will fit-in with a corporate culture. Knowledge and skills indicate how much training will be needed before a new employee becomes productive. Finally, relevant behavioral history detects counter-productive behaviors that can impact job performance.
The Agent - Purchasing test includes an animated work simulation in which candidates meet customers, colleagues and supervisors in a job-related context. Post-test surveys indicate the majority of candidates react favorably to these simulations.
The specific attributes measured include:
Cognitive Ability
- Analytical Thinking and Attention to Detail
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Behavioral History
- History Survey - Performance
- History Survey - Tenure
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Personality
- Adaptability
- Drive
- Integrity
- Resilience
- Teamwork
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Emotional Intelligence
- Empathy and Emotional Self-Control
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Following completion, the test produces a Candidate Selection Report that includes an overall score and detailed scores for each attribute. The overall score weighs each of the factors based on research and analysis from the U.S. Government's Occupational Information Network (O*Net). O*Net represents over a decade of dedicated research evaluating the relative importance of various factors that lead to success in almost 1,000 different job roles.
The Candidate Selection Report also provides expert interview questions that help you probe critical or low-scoring areas, along with a guide for noting your evaluation of the candidate's responses. Consistent use of an interview guide is an important part of gaining better candidate insights and making better hiring decisions.
More information about this Job
| Annual US Wages (2020) |
| Bottom 10%: | | $39,810 or less |
| Bottom 25%: | | $50,840 or less |
| Median: | | $66,690 (Average) |
| Top 25%: | | $88,600 or more |
| Top 10%: | | $112,170 or more |
| US Employment Statistics |
| 2020: | | 439,000 |
| 2030 (projected): | | 415,400 |
| Annual U.S. Job Openings: | 39,500 |
Top Knowledge Requirements
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Economics and Accounting
- Law and Government
- Production and Processing
- Clerical
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Top Skills
- Negotiation
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Management of Financial Resources
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Top Abilities
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Speech Clarity
- Speech Recognition
- Information Ordering
- Inductive Reasoning
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| Education Requirements |
| High School Diploma: | | 9% |
| Associate's Degree (2 yr): | | 4% |
| Bachelor's Degree: | | 78% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate: | | 9% |
| This graphic shows the percentage of people in this role who have their highest education in each category. |
| Related Work Experience Requirements |
| None: | | 9% |
| 1 - 2 Years: | | 5% |
| 2 - 4 Years: | | 27% |
| 4 - 6 Years: | | 45% |
| 6 - 8 Years: | | 9% |
| More than 10 Years: | | 5% |
| This graphic shows the percentage of people in this role whose related work experience before they entered this position falls into each category. |
Alternate Titles for this Role: Buyer, Contract Administrator, Contract Analyst, Contract Specialist, Contractor Buyer, Contracts Administrator, Contracts Analyst, Contracts Specialist, Equipment, Supplies, and Tools Purchasing Agent, Food Broker, Fuel Agent, Fuel Buyer, General Purchasing Agent, Log Buyer, Lumber Buyer, Media Buyer, Ore Buyer, Outside Property Agent, Plant Buyer, Price Analyst, Print Buyer, Procurement Agent, Procurement Analyst, Procurement Engineer, Procurement Official, Procurement Specialist, Pulpwood Buyer, Pulpwood Contractor, Purchaser, Purchasing Administrator, Purchasing Agent, Purchasing Coordinator, Purchasing Specialist, Radio Time Buyer, Railroad Purchasing Agent, Sourcing Specialist, Subcontract Administrator, Subcontracts Administrator, Timber Buyer, Tools, Supplies, and Equipment Purchasing Agent
Related Jobs based on Skills & Abilities: Purchasing Managers, Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, Supply Chain Managers, Logistics Analysts, Logisticians, Cost Estimators, Management Analysts, First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers, Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators, Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists, Regulatory Affairs Managers, Regulatory Affairs Specialists, Budget Analysts, Customs Brokers
