Industrial Insight

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The industrial sector is a very busy market. 

Naturally, we cover quite a lot of ground including, manufacturing, aero, automotive and defence. 

We also cover construction, rail, as well as any of the infrastructure markets. 

There has been a big upturn in industrial procurement and supply chain job opportunities since the new year. 

There has also been an increase in candidate availability. 

So, if you’re looking for an opportunity or candidate right now in the industrial market, there are availabilities. 

It’s a busy market with plenty of opportunities and we’re looking at a bright future in 2022.



Where are we seeing particular demand for talent?

We are seeing a high demand for sourcing specialists.

I think that with the changes post-Brexit, as well as the bottlenecks that we’ve seen in supply routes recently, prices have increased massively and therefore goods and materials are a lot more expensive and organisations are trying to find routes to get those materials and those products into the country, particularly into this country.

Therefore, the sourcing of those has increased massively and the need for top-quality sourcing professionals with specific sourcing expertise across a large commodity base.

What impact has hybrid working had upon the industrial sector?

Hybrid working has increased the industrial talent pool. 

I think it’s made it a more desirable industry to be working within.

Previously, and something that is still the case in some organisations, the manufacturing market has had a real bums-on-seats feel.

I think that the home working and hybrid working models that a lot of organisations are employing are attracting candidates to that marketplace, which has meant the talent pool has grown quite considerably. 

Not only that, the original talent pool that was available before the hybrid working models has also grown because now you can look at a wider radius, therefore increasing your circle for finding the right types of candidates.

What is hindering organisations from successfully hiring at the moment?

One hindrance is that there currently is a very high demand for talent across a number of organisations in different talent pools and that has made it a lot more difficult to attract candidates.

Plus, candidates have a much bigger choice of opportunities. 

Therefore, offers are being declined and it’s really a candidate market at the moment, making it’s a tough hiring scenario for organisations. 

However, we are still managing to find the right candidates for the right roles. 

There is also a need for the recruiting process to be organised and have a timeframe allotted to it because candidates can easily leave due to the demand and the number of opportunities available. 

Organisations have to ensure that the recruiting process is quick and it’s very important to be able to sell your culture, to be able to sell your brand, to be able to ensure that candidates know what type of organisation you are, because candidates are a lot more aware of their own desires and their own thoughts, particularly with regards to the environment and future-proofing. 

Being able to offer progression opportunities is very important too.

What are companies doing well in terms of talent attraction?

The companies that doing well to attract talent are the ones that are offering good workplace flexibility, a good hybrid model of working, being able to offer a progression route for candidates, and really offering a career opportunity – rather than just a job.

People are more aware of what they want to achieve in their lives and where they want to go from a progression perspective and therefore, organisations able to offer that are being a lot more successful. 

Organisations that are struggling, and the ones that don’t have a stringent hiring process, are offering opportunities that initially probably don’t exist, haven’t closed out their sign off for their job and haven’t really invested in knowing the exact role that they need this person to fulfil. 

They are the problems in attracting candidates at the moment and getting people through the door.


If you are looking for your next procurement or supply chain role in the industrial sector, click here to view all of our live jobs.

If you are looking to make your next procurement or supply chain hire and would like some advice without obligation, you can contact the team here.


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