In the competitive world of procurement and supply chain recruitment, hiring managers are under constant pressure. You’re tasked not just with filling vacancies, but with securing talent that moves the needle on cost, risk, sustainability and performance. Yet too often, organisations fall into the trap of hiring for job titles instead of skills, believing a title automatically equates to capability. This short-sighted approach doesn’t just weaken teams - it costs you.

The Hidden Cost of Hiring by Title

Titles provide shorthand - “Procurement Manager”, “Head of Supply Chain” - and on paper, they might look like they tick all the boxes. But relying too heavily on titles when building your shortlist can be misleading for several reasons:

1. Titles Don’t Equal Skills
   Procurement and supply chain roles vary dramatically between organisations depending on strategy, tools, operational maturity and commercial complexity. A “Category Manager” in one business might lead strategic sourcing across global spend, while in another they might focus on tactical purchase orders. Hiring on title alone ignores these nuances.
2. You Pay for Experience You Don’t Need
   Budgeting for titles often means matching salaries based on market benchmarks - biggest title, biggest pay packet - rather than on true capability. This can inflate your hiring costs unnecessarily, particularly if the candidate’s experience doesn’t align with your needs.
3. Vacancies Hurt Operations Fast
   The real cost of a vacant procurement or supply chain role isn’t just the agency fee or internal recruitment cost, it’s the operational drag once a seat is empty. Studies suggest that a vacant mid-level or senior role can cost the business 1.5–2x the monthly salary per month while the position remains unfilled, far more than typical recruitment costs.

Skills-First Hiring: A Better (And Cheaper) Strategy

Forward-thinking hiring managers are shifting their focus. Instead of searching for specific job titles on LinkedIn, they’re asking smarter questions:

1. What outcomes does this role need to deliver?
   Define success in terms of impact - e.g., strengthening supplier negotiation capability, driving digital transformation in procurement systems, or embedding sustainable sourcing practices.
2. Which core competencies matter most?
   Look at strategic procurement planning, stakeholder influence and leadership, commercial analytics, or change management - skills that move the team forward regardless of someone’s title.
3. How adaptable is the candidate?
   In a market where technologies and expectations are shifting fast, the ability to learn, pivot and grow is often more valuable than narrow title-based experience.

This skills-first mindset dramatically widens your talent pool and reduces the time a role stays open. Fewer weeks with an empty desk means fewer bottlenecks in supplier negotiations, continuity of operations, and less fire-fighting by your existing team.

Practical Steps for Hiring Managers

Here’s how to make the shift today:

1. Build competency profiles, not title checklists.
   Map out the specific skills and behaviours that predict success in the role. Include technical skills (e.g., category strategy, procurement systems) and leadership qualities.
2. Use structured interviews and skills assessments.
   Go beyond CV scanning. Use scenario-based interviews that test decision-making in real procurement or supply chain challenges.
3. Partner with specialists who understand your space.
   A recruitment partner with deep insight into procurement & supply chain will help you decode market titles and align them with real capability, saving you time and costly mis-hires.
4. Think long-term development.
   Build hiring pipelines that invest in potential and performance, not just past titles. Upskilling and internal mobility can reduce reliance on titled hires and lock in loyalty.

Final Thoughts

Hiring managers who continue to prioritise job titles over skills risk paying a premium, not only in recruitment costs, but in operational inefficiency, slowed growth and morale issues across teams. In today’s procurement and supply chain market, success comes to those who see beyond labels and focus on the true drivers of performance.

Want help defining the right competencies for your next hire? Reach out - we’re here to unlock the talent that makes your organisation stronger.