Recruitment Insights: Lucy Bennell shares her experience of recruiting candidates who initially didn't seem a strong match

Look beyond category experience and focus on potential...

As I search for procurement professionals, in what feels like the ever-shrinking talent pool, I am minded to recall how some of the most successful candidates I have placed, joined companies into positions where they had no previous experience. I mean nothing even close.   

Clients, and candidates, must be prepared to look beyond pure category expertise in order to maximise their chances of recruitment success.

I know! I know! You are now saying, “but we always focus on behaviours” or “soft skills and stakeholder engagement are the focus of our attention”. But time and again, candidates who are outstanding, who want development and to change categories, are getting rejected because they are not currently sitting in the exact same role. 

I’ve been recruiting into procurement since 1995 (yikes!). My first procurement placement was a European Category Manager - Edible Oils for a global FMCG. The successful candidate didn’t have procurement experience at all. She was a marketeer. She was highly successful in role and went on to reach C suite level. There was also the time a client hired someone from first tier automotive procurement for a Fresh Salmon Buyer position. And once, a top FTSE client, looking for a Global Indirect Procurement Manager (the position focused on large outsourced contracts) chose someone with packaging procurement expertise.

Isn’t it telling that from a recruitment career that spans more than 20 years, I can still recall each and every instance when clients have actually put their reservations to one side and considered capability?

Looking beyond category experience and focusing on capability and potential succeeded for Weetabix. When interviewing for a Procurement Manager for Sugar & Cocoa, they stayed open-minded progressing (subsequently hiring) someone with zero relevant category experience. The candidate was also proactive and arrived at interview with a detailed Sugar Category Strategy.    

“Jonny’s profile on paper looked a bit junior for our role and he had no previous experience with the categories we were recruiting for.  At interview, his drive and determination combined with the excellent category strategy he had pulled together bowled us over. Jonny is now a key member of our team and has continued to progress quickly”.

(Hitesh Bhatia – Strategic Sourcing Manager at Weetabix)

So to all you job seekers out there, if you are keen on role and believe that you are a credible applicant, consider doing something “proactive” – it certainly pays off as Jonny can testify:

“When I saw the role on SupplyChainOnline, I was really keen. It was my dream next move; a strategic role in a branded business. I was nervous that they might reject me because I had less strategic category management experience and no expertise in the desired categories. So I spent my spare-time, researching the sugar category and pulling together a comprehensive strategy presentation. It might have resulted in a few late nights, but it paid off!”

(Jonathon Clay – Procurement Manager - Ingredients at Weetabix)

Click here to view the current roles at Weetabix on Supply Chain Online