A good Supply Chain Manager will take charge of managing your supplier relationships. This includes everything from seeking out new suppliers (with the help of the wider Logistics team), taking charge of the onboarding process, managing contracts or contract changes and tracking compliance. As this is a role that will reflect on your business from an outside perspective, getting the hiring right here is essential.
You should seek these skills in your Supply Chain Manager:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Negotiation expert.
- Ability to proofread and fine-tune legal documents.
- Fast-paced problem-solving skills.
- Collaborative attitude (both with internal and external stakeholders).
Interviewing a Supply Chain Manager
As your Supply Chain Manager will be handling your company’s reputation within the supplier industry, you need to ensure that they are someone who reflects your ethics and values. They will also need to be a confident communicator, meaning the interview process is a critical part of hiring for this role.
Luckily, we’ve put together a guide containing interview questions and the answers you should be looking for. This will help you sift through suitable clients early on in the interview process.
How to open the job interview
Every job interview will go a little better if the candidate feels comfortable and confident when conversing with you. Therefore, the best way to kick off the interview is with a couple of positive and upbeat opening questions.
This section only needs to last a few minutes but will set the tone for the rest of the interview.