Getting in to retail Buying
There are many factors a recruiter will take into consideration when evaluating the merits of a candidate's suitability for a role in retail buying. Having recruited a great many such professionals, Debenhams' Sally Greenwood provides her insight into an employers' decision-making process.
There are some basic considerations that a recruiter will be immediately drawn to: they will be seeking evidence of strong communication, negotiation and project management skills as well the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels. We might look at personal style in terms of fit with the existing team and potential flexibility to move into different areas. In particular a recruiter will consider a candidate's length of service, the level at which they have been operating and their specific sourcing experience.
Where this last factor is concerned the countries in which they have sourced products is key: if a recruiter's business acquires a large proportion of its lines from suppliers in, say, China, then a candidate without experience in this territory will be at a disadvantage next to those who do.
The candidate's current and previous employers are, clearly, major considerations for a recruiter from a number of perspectives:
Similarly, a homewares buyer for one retailer may not share a common product background as the homewares buyer from another - a professional with experience buying pots and pans for a DIY retailer is unlikely to be able to walk straight into a role that focuses on the procurement of towels and bedding.
There are some basic considerations that a recruiter will be immediately drawn to: they will be seeking evidence of strong communication, negotiation and project management skills as well the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels. We might look at personal style in terms of fit with the existing team and potential flexibility to move into different areas. In particular a recruiter will consider a candidate's length of service, the level at which they have been operating and their specific sourcing experience.
Where this last factor is concerned the countries in which they have sourced products is key: if a recruiter's business acquires a large proportion of its lines from suppliers in, say, China, then a candidate without experience in this territory will be at a disadvantage next to those who do.
The candidate's current and previous employers are, clearly, major considerations for a recruiter from a number of perspectives:
- Nature/scale of business: is the candidate's current company of comparable size and complexity to the one to which they are applying? If they have come from a much smaller retailer or a supplier, the rest of the details on their CV will need to be very persuasive. Department stores such as Debenhams, for example, can be far more complex than single brand retailers for the simple reason that each division hosts multiple brands.
- Reputation of current/previous employers: a candidate's application will automatically have much greater weight if they've worked for a successful, well-regarded business. A good name on your CV helps make you an aspirational acquisition for recruiters.
- Cultural fit/comparable working methodologies: the interaction of the different head office teams varies from business to business, some are more design-led when it comes to product sourcing, some strike a balance between being design and buying-led while others are primarily buying-led. There's a clear advantage in hiring a buying professional from a comparable working dynamic as your own company.
Similarly, a homewares buyer for one retailer may not share a common product background as the homewares buyer from another - a professional with experience buying pots and pans for a DIY retailer is unlikely to be able to walk straight into a role that focuses on the procurement of towels and bedding.