Career Success Stories from Supply Chain Online - Nicole Vickery

How Nicole Vickery found her dream job as Procurement Manager at Weetabix through Supply Chain Online. 

 

The Candidate - Nicole Vickery - Procurement Manager - Indirects at Weetabix

"This is not the first time I have used Supply Chain Online. Having sourced my previous two roles via the site, it was the natural choice for me when I started looking again. Having set my preferences on the site to receive alerts when relevant roles were being advertised, I received a notice about the position at Weetabix and it sounded as though it would be the ideal fit for me.

"The role was being recruited via Bennell Associates and I found Lucy to be really helpful. The opportunity to meet with Lucy face to face to discuss the role in more detail was invaluable and gave me a real sense of the culture at Weetabix and more specifically what the role could offer me. I was looking for something quite specific that was going to offer opportunities for career development.  It was clear that Lucy really understood the business and the procurement team and she was able to share some great insights.

"I joined Weetabix in February this year and it has exceeded all my expectations. I was looking for a role that was going to broaden my experience and I’ve not been disappointed. The procurement team are a team of highly motivated and talented individuals. The business is one that is large enough to provide plenty of opportunity, large enough that suppliers want to work with us but at the same time is agile enough to make decisions quickly and effectively. It’s an environment where talented individuals fly and development is at the forefront of thinking both from a personal, team and business perspective."

 

The Employer - Catherine Lund - Strategic Sourcing Manager - Indirects at Weetabix

"Having found my own role through Bennell Associates, Lucy’s depth of understanding of the Weetabix business and its culture is paramount to the calibre of candidates she presents for any role.

"Lucy’s interaction with Supply Chain Online paved the way to Nicole’s application, but also provided an additional route for us to find great talent, something we are passionate about as a business. The procurement leadership team is very proactive in the development of our people; building a talent pipeline is fundamental to this, providing a career path for the team, helping them be the best they can be. 

"Our employees make the Weetabix difference. Finding the right candidate, both technically and behaviourally, is imperative in recruiting for my team as we are business partners to every Weetabix function.

"Meeting Nicole, it was evident she had both of these in spades, recognising the additional sourcing expertise she would bring the wider procurement team. Nicole is a highly proficient sourcing professional, who understands the criticality of stakeholder engagement and supplier collaboration, and the value both can deliver for Weetabix. She is an absolute asset to my team, challenging the status quo and our ways of working, as we strive to be a best in class procurement function. I am really looking forward to Nicole developing in her career with us."

 

The Recruitment Consultant - Lucy Bennell at Bennell Associates

"Nicole applied for the role about 5 days after we had run the advert on Supply Chain Online for the role of Procurement Manager at Weetabix; the minute I saw her CV, I was hoping that she would be as promising as she appeared on paper. 

"After a positive initial telephone call, we met for a face to face interview.  We ended up holding that interview in a diner off the M1 but even though we were in unusual surroundings, Nicole was able to give strong evidence of her approach to procurement, and how she develops innovative category strategies and delivers them; this is a key focus for the Weetabix procurement team and something they seek in potential candidates.

"She asked me a lot of very good questions; I was particularly impressed by her focus on personal development and team work, as these are key attributes which Catherine (the hiring manager) looks for in her team. 

"The subsequent interview process with Weetabix was superb; thorough, challenging and engaging. At each stage, the feedback from both Catherine and Nicole was incredibly positive. When she went for her final assessment, including a presentation to the Weetabix Head of Procurement, and meeting stakeholders, they were bowled over. 

"Supply Chain Online created an additional recruitment avenue for an outstanding candidate to apply for the Weetabix procurement role, who was a dream to work with. Very responsive and positive, a perfect match for the Weetabix culture and behaviours, and the challenges the business faces in the market place."

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Do you have a Career Success Story through using Supply Chain Online? If so we would love to hear about it. If you would like to share your story with our audience please contact us on 0207 288 6565 or email info@supplychainonline.co.uk