The supply chain is thought of as the heart and soul of manufacturing. Because of this, it is usually the first to feel the affects of costs rising, changes in the economy and any new technologies and software that come out. Most manufacturers will tell you that one of the most important factors profitability is the ability to be able to stay ahead of the game when it comes to challenges and opportunities. Manufacturers must be able to effectively and efficiently get through the world of supply and demand and be able to keep up. Sales managers need to be in front of changing costs and prices, operations leadership needs to be constantly coming up with new and improved methods of doing things; basically every department should be at the top of their game in order to increase profitability and stay current. Sometimes it’s a good idea to hire supply chain recruiters in order to make sure that you have the best employees working for you. Here are a few characteristics that supply chain recruiters are looking for:
Leaders
The industry is so fast paced and can be stressful so the ideal employee would be a leader of sorts. Being a follower has it’s place but a good worker should be empowered and have leadership qualities and be confident in the decisions that he or she is making. Being a team player is different; you can be a leader and still be a team player and this is important. Supply chain recruiters look for team players that can be leaders also because they are the ones that will treat their co workers with respect and be able to get along with everyone, keeping the work atmosphere amicable.
Knowledgeable
This means real knowledge, not just something that sounds like you know what you are talking about. A great recruit would have knowledge of product development, procurement, production, sourcing, logistics and more. This is where a degree and previous experience will help you to stand out. While you can probably get in to low level or entry level positions without a degree or experience, if you are looking for an executive position like a COO, general manager, director or senior engineer, then you will definitely be expected to have some sort of schooling in the industry.
Problem Solvers
There are a lot of issues that come up in this line of work. As mentioned, it is a very fast paced environment and doesn’t always leave enough time to go ask someone what to do. A good employee will be able to figure out the problem and overcome it without wasting time or burdening someone else with the issue. They should have a balance of knowing when they can make the decision and when it needs to go through the proper channels. There’s a difference between being a problem solver and then making decisions that you don’t have authority to be making.
Disciplined
While being focus and on time is important, being disciplined also includes being organized and professional. Organization helps to promote focus and concentration in the work place. If your working environment is a mess and just complete chaos where you can’t find anything, how do you expect to get anything done correctly? Supply chain recruiters can tell right from an interview whether or not someone is disciplined. What time they get to the interview, what they bring, what they wear and how they look, how confident they are, what questions they have prepared and more can tell a recruiter a lot about a person without having to really talk to them at all.
If you think you are ready and able to get into this line of work, then that’s great! Just remember than it may not be as easy as you initially thought. There is a lot of work that goes into working in the supply chain industry and it goes far above just keeping up with supply and demand. Understanding the whole industry is very necessary before even getting started in an entry level position somewhere. However, once you get it, it can be a very rewarding job that offers plenty of challenges and chances to grow and move up the ladder.
