Our Head of Practice - Logistics and Operations Seb Taylor recently spoke with a senior Supply Chain leader preparing for their final stage interview earlier this week.
He spoke on recruiting senior leaders across the supply chain and logistics this year and that we're in a unique position to hear feedback trends from various hiring teams at the latter interview stages on those who have/haven't progressed.
He shared these insights and it seemed well received so wanted to share with anyone else within the same sector who may find these insights intresting and useful!
1. Master the balance between " staregic and hands - on."
Multiple occasions of feedback on individuals leaning too far one side- although a very fine line to tread. Advice here is to discuss the high-level journey arc of a major transformation/challenge, but then delve into specific moments where you tackled real problems, sharing in the detailed analysis of the pain, the root cause and how this was solved. This demonstrates your ability to think big while executing detailed tasks effectively.
2. Highlight your influence beyond Supply Chain.
Supply Chain is becoming more commercial and more visible. Executives want to understand the commercial impact you drive. Showcase your ability to align Finance, Commercial, Tech, or Customer Experience teams around key priorities, and how these efforts shifted revenue, aligned on company goals, margin, cost or improved customer experience.
Especially at the final stage, you'll likely be meeting people outside of Supply Chain and Ops, so it will be a different style and type of interview. So, keep in mind the stakeholders you are sitting with; their agenda, pain point and the impact your role has on them and their team
3. Illustrate your understanging on their cultural environment and specific ways on working"
Whether it's a PE-backed firm, a corporate parent, or a scale-up, each has its own dynamics. Share your experience navigating these contexts to signal your ability to navigate and share board-level insight.
By the time you're at the final stage, your experience is a given. They're looking for you to gain confidence in your fit for the business and a deep understanding of their pain point and your approach to solving these.
Hopefully useful and good luck!