An interim procurement manager is hired on a short-term basis so companies can use their expertise to improve both systems and processors within their business.
For any business undergoing a restructure or trying to overcome challenging periods Interim procurement staff can be the answer you are looking for. An interim is expected to deliver results immediately, and are not typically offered a settling in period.
Businesses are always on the look out for experienced interim managers with unique procurement and supply chain skills. They are also looking for interims who can step into the procurement department and make a real difference. A requirement of an Interim member of staff is that they are expected to take the lead or instigate new initiatives. As a result recruiters such as ourselves are always on the look out for certain types of candidates who will be confident enough to take control.
Below are some tips on the ways in which you can find a great Interim member of staff in the procurement sector.
Industry knowledge
A strong interim procurement manager will have a large amounts of relevant industry contacts and a wide knowledge of the industry. Ensure your interim is able to demonstrate their knowledge, of both your company and the industry. This can be done by asking them specific questions based on situations they would have dealt with in a previous procurement role.
Online presence
Start by doing some research on the candidates online presence. At an interim manager level, any candidate should have a strong LinkedIn page, this should include details about their relevant skills, experiences and endorsements. It should tell you everything you need to know about inviting an interim for an interview.
References
A strong interim manager in the procurement sector should have proven track record showing strong results. This can be gained by looking at their CV which should have details of relevant and influential references. This will demonstrate that they have made a positive impact on all the projects they have previously worked on.
Check out the LinkedIn profiles of your candidate’s references and work out when they will have worked together and on what projects. This should give you a good indication if your candidate can deliver what you are looking for.
Immediate results
An interims CV may be full of fantastic results, but what you really need to look for is proof. Any CV with statistics helps to make any claims of successes more tangible, and you will be able to assess if these results can be applied to the task the interim manager is being hired for.
If you decide to ask an interim for an interview, consider the questions you are going to ask them. A good example would be to ask if they can highlight a time their experience and input changed a situation for the better as a follow up you could see if they can offer statistics to support this. Or consider offering them a scenario they might find themselves facing in the procurement sector and see how they might strive to improve it.
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