Why recruiting entry-level professionals in Supply Chain is harder than it looks

Recruiting entry-level and junior professionals in supply chain, procurement, logistics and sales often looks straightforward on paper.

Recruiting entry-level and junior professionals in supply chain, procurement, logistics and sales often looks straightforward on paper. 

These roles typically attract high volumes of applications and sit at lower salary levels than senior hires. However, in practice, they are often some of the most time-consuming and complex roles to recruit successfully. At this stage in a candidate’s career, experience is typically limited, interview confidence varies widely, and the indicators of long-term potential can be a lot harder to identify. 

In my experience supporting organisations across the FMCG, manufacturing, wholesale and 3PL sectors, roles at this level regularly attract large numbers of applicants, but identifying the right candidate still requires significant time, structure and careful judgement. 

At CAST, we typically recruit mid-level management through to senior leadership, however we do on occasion, recruit lower-level professional roles to help long-term clients out, because we know that hiring professionals with less than 3 years’ experience, the challenge is that potential isn’t always visible on a CV… 

To illustrate just how involved this process can be, here’s a recent example of a role I recruited: 

• 127 online applications reviewed and rejected
• 96 candidates shortlisted and contacted
• 10 CVs submitted to the client
• 6 first-stage interviews arranged
• 1 successful placement

On paper, it was a simple hire. In reality, it required reviewing over 200 profiles, screening dozens of candidates and carefully narrowing down a pool where many applicants looked very similar. 

So even for an experienced recruiter like myself, these roles are rarely “quick wins”. 

 

Why do junior roles receive so many applications? 

Roles such as supply chain planners, procurement assistants, logistics coordinators and junior sales executives can easily attract hundreds of applications. 

As the example above shows, volume isn’t the issue - differentiation is. 

Many candidates at this level have similar academic backgrounds and early career exposure, which makes it difficult to identify those who genuinely stand out.

Tip: Use structured screening criteria 

When managing this volume, I’ve found it essential to define clear screening criteria upfront. For example: 

• Exposure to relevant functions (supply chain, logistics, procurement or sales)
• Evidence of communication and organisation skills
• Demonstrated interest in the sector
• Any relevant projects or hands-on experience

This helps filter candidates more objectively and consistently.

 

Here are some of the most common challenges I see when recruiting junior professionals in these sectors, along with practical tips to overcome them.

1. Interview answers often lack depth

A common challenge when interviewing candidates for junior professional roles is the lack of detailed examples during competency-based interviews.

Candidates may provide answers that feel brief or lacking in detail, which can make it difficult for hiring managers to assess competencies such as problem-solving, stakeholder management or commercial awareness.

This is rarely a reflection of ability. More often, candidates simply haven’t yet had enough time in professional environments to accumulate a wide range of examples. 

Solution: Consider a broader range of professional experiences

When assessing junior professionals in supply chain, procurement or sales roles, I find it can be helpful to draw insights from experiences such as: 

• Early career roles within operations or administration
• Placement years or industry internships
• Customer-facing positions
• Cross-functional project involvement

These experiences can still reveal valuable insights into a candidate’s approach to communication, organisation and decision-making.

 

2. Limited interview experience 

Many candidates applying for lower-level professional roles in logistics, procurement or sales have only been through a small number of formal interviews. As a result, nerves and lack of interview familiarity can sometimes affect how well candidates present their experience and capabilities. 

Hiring managers may find that candidates struggle to structure their answers clearly, even when they have relevant experience.

Solution: Encourage more exploratory discussion

Creating a more conversational interview environment can help candidates demonstrate their potential more effectively. Some useful approaches include:

• Asking follow-up questions that encourage candidates to expand on examples
• Allowing candidates time to think before responding
• Using situational questions alongside competency-based ones

This approach often provides a more accurate understanding of how candidates think and approach challenges.

 

3. Overly rehearsed responses 

Preparation for competency-based interviews has become increasingly common, particularly among candidates looking to move into professional roles in supply chain, logistics or sales.

While preparation is important, it can sometimes lead to responses that feel overly structured or rehearsed. Hiring managers may hear very similar answers across multiple interviews, which can make it difficult for them to assess authenticity.

Solution: Introduce more open-ended questions

Alongside competency-based questions, introducing broader discussion points can help uncover more genuine responses. Examples might include:

• “What interests you most about working in supply chain or logistics?”
• “Tell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities.”
• “How do you normally approach learning something completely new?”

In our experience, these types of questions can help reveal motivation, adaptability and mindset.

 

4. High expectations around flexibility 

Another trend emerging in early-career hiring is the expectation of significant flexibility around working arrangements.

However, many entry-level professional roles within manufacturing, wholesale and 3PL environments require on-site presence, particularly where teams work closely with operations, warehouses, production sites or regional locations.

This creates a mismatch when candidates expect fully remote roles for positions that involve collaboration with operational teams or travel between sites.

Solution: Set expectations clearly from the start 

Ensuring transparency early in the recruitment process is essential. Job descriptions and early-stage conversations should clearly communicate:

• Location requirements
• On-site expectations
• Any travel between facilities or distribution centres
• The training and development opportunities associated with the role

When I speak to candidates to screen them in or out of a shortlist, I find framing these roles as opportunities to gain valuable operational exposure helps candidates better understand the long-term career benefits.

 

5. Transferable skills are often overlooked in more junior professional roles 

Across entry-level and junior roles in supply chain, procurement, logistics and sales, I often see a strong focus on direct industry experience.

However, at this stage in a candidate’s career, behavioural attributes and transferable skills are often far better indicators of future performance than specific job titles.

Candidates from backgrounds such as retail, hospitality, customer service or operational environments frequently demonstrate many of the core behaviours required to succeed, but can sometimes be overlooked because they don’t have directly aligned experience.

Solution: Focus on behavioural indicators of potential

When assessing junior professionals, it can be more effective to look for:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Organisation and attention to detail
• A proactive and positive attitude
• Resilience when managing challenges or pressure
• The ability to learn quickly and adapt

These attributes translate well across procurement, supply chain, logistics and commercial roles, and are often what enable individuals to develop quickly once in position.

 

6. Unrealistic experience requirements for junior roles

Another common challenge when recruiting for entry-level and junior roles across procurement, supply chain, logistics and sales is setting overly broad or ambitious experience requirements.

It’s not unusual to see job specifications that expect candidates to have already been exposed to multiple areas, such as:

• Stakeholder or supplier management
• Data analysis or reporting
• Process improvement or project work
• Customer-facing or commercial responsibilities

While all of these capabilities are valuable, expecting them to sit within one early-career profile can significantly narrow the available talent pool.

At this stage, most candidates are still building their experience, not arriving with a fully developed skill set.

Solution: Prioritise potential and trainability

In my experience, organisations often achieve better hiring outcomes by focusing on learning potential rather than complete experience alignment.

Key indicators of trainability include:

• Curiosity and willingness to learn
• Strong communication habits
• Organisation and attention to detail
• A proactive and positive attitude
• The ability to pick up new systems or processes quickly

With the right onboarding, training and support, candidates with these attributes can quickly develop the technical, operational or commercial skills required for the role.

 

7. The value of a consultative recruitment approach 

Because early-career professionals have shorter track records, recruiting successfully at this level often requires a more consultative approach. 

Recruitment specialists frequently work closely with hiring managers to calibrate expectations, broaden talent pools and highlight candidates who demonstrate strong long-term potential, even if their CVs don’t match every requirement exactly. 

By focusing on attitude, adaptability and transferable skills, organisations can build stronger teams and develop future specialists. 

 

Having recruited extensively across supply chain, procurement, logistics and sales, one thing is consistent: 

Entry-level and junior roles are rarely quick or simple hires. 

Despite high application volumes, the process of identifying, screening and selecting the right candidate can be intensive - even for experienced recruiters.

The example shared earlier highlights this clearly. Hundreds of applications, dozens of conversations and multiple interview stages can still result in a single successful hire.

Organisations that approach this process with:

• Structured screening
• Realistic expectations
• A focus on potential
• Openness to transferable skills

are far more likely to make successful hires.

For businesses operating across FMCG, manufacturing, wholesale and 3PL sectors, getting this right can play an important role in developing the next generation of supply chain and commercial professionals. 

 

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