Always look to Argentus and No Further

As I was sitting at my desk this morning I looked around my office at my team of recruiters hard at work doing what they do best –  mining for talent which these days in SCM requires more resourcefulness and more industry knowledge to stay ahead of the curve to meet client needs. What we do here at Argentus is an exceptionally “IN DEMAND” busy niche where candidates are on the market today and GONE tomorrow. The talent market in Supply Chain, Logistics and Strategic Sourcing is extremely narrow. Where we are of most value to our clients as their Recruiting Partners is in our role as watchdog. Our job is to watch the talent market for our clients and advise them appropriately on how to manage their talent planning because companies have many more balls to juggle than making SCM hiring their number 1 priority.  Usually NOT aware of just how competitive a fight it is to the finish line to win talent like this – this is what we deal with every day so we get it.

It’s very common for Sole Contributors in Strategic Sourcing and Procurement Specialists to have two or three offers when it comes to decision time on how to move their careers forward. So there are always companies who lose that perfect candidate and find themselves going back to the starting point with their search. Why you ask? A few obvious reasons. Pitfalls companies need to be watchful of. A search moved too slowly is the ultimate killer– decision makers  not aligned and NOT taking advantage of Skype and teleconferencing to keep the process tight causes momentum to be lost in a very fast race (a month to hire at this level is real trouble).

Here’s another – A company who moves forward with only one candidate without a viable second or third suitable candidate as a strong fallback is just asking for trouble. It’s way too competitive to do that and not a smart play. And this – Companies are not as flexible as they need to be for a great candidate who can get it with the snap of a finger where there might a shortfall in education or a disparity in salary or vacation.

And what happens,  great hires slip through the cracks every day and it’s so very frustrating. Argentus has the experience and knowledge to navigate on behalf of its clients to get results in SCM because we understand the rules of engagement in this niche. 

Supply Chain Recruiting certainly has its challenges. Its staffing needs are certainly on the rise while other talent areas are flat or even shrinking. Don’t get me wrong – I am certainly not complaining because I knew I was right when I chose this narrow niche many years ago and equipped my very smart team to become real savvy Recruitment experts in Supply Chain Management.  Yes, we all train and learn a lot about a lot of different roles in a lot of different industries and we continue to be committed to doing this to stay current in a rapidly changing Global SCM marketplace.

I know there are many search firms where the pickings are slim for business in this soft economy. I am glad that I sit in a specialty that continues to thrive and where our expertise is so deep and wide that our network of candidates provides real value to those companies that find it challenging to access the right talent. But I will tell you that 2012’s challenges are as demanding as they always were if not more so. Stakeholders want Supply Chain professionals who really know their stuff and our job is to know where to find them.

Check us out for Contingency/Contract or Permanent search for Business, Retail & Manufacturing. You’ll discover why we are better.

Over and out

Bronwen