Stories from The Source – Part Two: Sanne Gruter

The Source Recruitment Consultant Sanne Gruter gives Hugo Britt her top tips for procurement professionals to excel in their next interview.  

Read Part 1 of this series here.

In more ways than one, Sanne Gruter is the international face of The Source. As part of her portfolio she looks after the fast-growing international sourcing part of the business, reaching out to potential candidates in markets including the UK, China and Singapore. Sanne is also ‘international’ in that she hails from Holland, has a partner from Uruguay, and has found a fulfilling and exciting career here in Melbourne, Australia.

Sanne’s academic history is impressive – she holds a Bachelors degree in Applied Psychology, and an International Masters of Culture, Organisation and Management which integrates anthropological, sociological and psychological approaches to identity, politics and cross-cultural co-operation with management and organisation theory. She enjoys the challenges involved in recognising, qualifying and nurturing top talent.

What made you decide to come out to Australia?

I love to travel, and still take every opportunity I can to see the world. I was out here in Australia travelling as a tourist, and of course I loved the sunshine. Melbourne, in particular, really appealed to me as the home of the Australian Open! So when the opportunity came up to join The Source, I took it.

How do you use your qualifications in your day-to-day role as a recruitment consultant?

My knowledge of psychology helps me be aware of the subjective element in almost everything I do. Recruiters need to remember that they’re dealing with real people, who have emotions and agendas. When I work with candidates I always let them know if they’re coming across as too aggressive or lacking in energy. Usually, people don’t know they’re doing it. Basically, I try to teach people to be convincing in interviews.

Is there anything unique about recruiting for the procurement profession?

Absolutely. I’ve found that procurement professionals are master negotiators – candidates want a lot, and they play hard on the salary negotiations. The clients we recruit for are excellent negotiators as well, and we generally find that they’re prepared to wait for the right talent to become available.

Where do you find your candidates?

Mainly through headhunting and networking. We reach out to people we believe are relevant for a specific role to have a very general career discussion. Usually people are happy to be courted and to join our network even if they’re not ready to move until the right opportunity comes along. This ‘hidden market’ has proven to be very valuable, since the focus is on the candidate.

We’ve also found quite a few people through Procurious, both inside and outside Australia. So be sure to log onto Procurious and connect with me! One of the exciting trends we’re starting to see is more and more people making a conscious choice to come into procurement from other professions, such as finance and law. Procurement functions can always use these diverse skill-sets.

What are the challenges in Australian procurement recruitment?

There’s a huge amount of change going on amongst our client companies. Restructuring and redundancies take place all the time, which means we have to keep on top of what’s happening in a fast-changing environment. Another challenge is that Australia is a relatively small market, which is why it’s important for procurement professionals to know the right people and reach out to organisations like The Source.

What sort of salary levels do you recruit for?

Personally, I mostly look after the mid-level space, which could range from $80,000 to $130,000 (AUD), but The Source team works collaboratively across all salary levels. And of course there’s the international recruitment angle too. UK professionals are in high demand in Australia, along with candidates from China and Singapore.

Can you share some tips for creating a winning resume?

Don’t just describe your role when you write your resume. Make sure you keep track of your achievements, and back up your claims with hard figures. Procurement employers like to see proof. For example, if you’ve achieved some excellent cost savings, make sure you include the dollar figure or percentage.

Start with a succinct personal introduction explaining your background, key strengths, and what makes you stand out for the role. You’ll never be shortlisted if you don’t communicate your strengths.

Frequently changing roles can indicate a lack of commitment, so try to stay in a business for a minimum of three years. Of course, sometimes it’s out of your control. If you are made redundant, don’t be afraid to put it in your resume – recruiters and employers won’t penalise you for redundancies because they’re so common.

Can you share some interview tips?

Make sure you’re well-presented. Read up about the organisation and find out about the people who will be interviewing you on LinkedIn. It’s important not to over-prepare and create a “script”, because it comes across as fake.

Remember to back everything up with examples. Think about the key competencies you’ll be asked about, and be prepared to talk about how you’ve demonstrated these in the past. You need to be able to explain what you do.

Do you have any stories of disastrous interviews?

We had a candidate who was asked to give an example of how she can balance priorities. Unfortunately, the example she gave was how she was juggling three boyfriends at once!

Another candidate took the advice to provide clear “evidence” of her achievements much too literally, and turned up at the interview with an enormous stack of printed-out reports and emails. She’d rummage through the pile to find evidence whenever she was asked a question.

Did either of them win the role?

Unfortunately for them, no!

What’s your advice for graduates considering procurement as a career?

Procurement is a good career. It’s growing fast, with heaps of opportunity to add significant value to a company. It’s a really diverse job. From the analytical side of things, to the sourcing experts, stakeholder relationship management experts, risk gurus – there are so many aspects to being a procurement professional.

Thanks Sanne, and all the very best for an exciting career in procurement recruitment at The Source!

 

 

The Source is a boutique mid to senior and executive recruitment and search consultancy with national reach specialising in the procurement market. For more details, visit The Source.