Christian has spent nearly 10 years of his career specialising in Procurement recruitment, focussing mostly on Indirect and Service based roles, across a wide range of industries where he has built strong, long-term relationships using his honest, down to earth approach to ensure both the client and candidate meet their needs.
His range of work has been across all levels, but mostly working on the mid-management to the senior end of the market, working across the UK market, with some hires across Europe and as far as the Middle East. Christian has joined Talent Drive, leading the Professional Services division, looking after Permanent recruitment.
Lets get into it…
How have your first few months been at Talent Drive?
My first couple of months working at Talent Drive has exceeded expectations from all angles. From leaving somewhere I had worked for almost a decade and wasn’t unhappy, making the decision to jump ship was a tough one. There were so many questions I was asking myself such as; will I be successful and make something of it, will I fit in with the team, can I adapt to a totally different culture, how long will it take for me to start placing people, and the list goes on… After meeting Martin and the rest of the Talent Drive team on multiple occasions throughout the interview process, I gradually gained confidence this could be the right company for me.
Now I am here, I can honestly, it is one of the best decisions I have made in the last 10 years (or ever). The whole team is full of great people, it is a completely collaborative environment which has allowed me to focus on the areas I need to and want to, I’ve made a few placements with amazing reputable clients and can really see a successful future here of being part of something special, with some exciting growth plans for the future ahead.
How would you view the current Procurement market?
There is no doubt, and anyone recruiting in the procurement sector would agree, it is competitive, both from a client and candidate perspective, but adapting new approaches to recruiting where collaboration, truly partnering with businesses and not just following a numbers game, is what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Some trends I am seeing in the market, so far in 2024;
- Whether it is more confidence generally on interest rates, inflation lowering or a better economy, I’m seeing more confidence in candidates exploring new opportunities.
- The market is buoyant on the job front, which I think is a result of multiple things;
- Companies are understanding how important and beneficial procurement is to a business, so are investing in developing and growing functions to adopt a more strategic approach.
- There are some unique approaches I am seeing to attract and secure the best talent, whether a hybrid working approach, unique benefit packages or new methods of interview processes.
- It is competitive, no questions about that. Speed of process, candidate engagement, salaries offered and working culture are so key to making candidate lean towards a particular business.
- I see 2024 being a great year for both candidates and clients, taking all of the above into consideration… there will be a lot of happy candidates joining new and exciting ventures, and business’s procurement functions excelling from securing some really exceptional talent.
What are your top tips for candidates?
My top interview tips:
- Research the business, what they do, where they operate, their culture and get to know where they sit in the market or any general industry trends.
- Understand and research the people of you are meeting, how long have they been there, where did they come from, previous companies and length of career.
- Turn up on your A-game, dress appropriately, arrive early enough to take any extra stress out of the equation and come prepared with some questions.
- Curiosity in my opinion, is one of the most powerful tools. Not only will you end up leaving the interview knowing more than they tell you, it just shows real and genuine interest in them, their company and the opportunity.
- Try not to waffle on for too long, you may think “I need to overload as much info as I can to look good”, however punchy, to the point (answer their actual question), contextual and interesting answers will go a lot further.
- Lastly, people want to work with people they like, be yourself, show your personality, smile, have a laugh and joke (when appropriate) and do your best to build some rapport. It is a lot harder to say no to someone when you like them, see something in them, team fit and enthusiasm.
Thanks for your insights Christian. Don’t forget to connect with Christian on LinkedIn here to stay up to date with his current job opportunities and market insights.
