Essential Purchasing Agent Interview Questions & Answers:

1. Explain me how you've won over a difficult stakeholder?

This illustrates how a candidate will go about building relationships and how he approaches dealing with resistance.

2. Please tell me how do you manage your relationship with your supplier?

If you are seasoned procurement professional it is very likely that you would know the answer of this question and may talk for hours, if there is no time limit! However, don't take this question lightly. Here, the interviewer is trying to understand your ethos and technical knowledge of how you would manager supplier relationship.

3. Tell me why do you want to work here as Purchasing Agent?

Also try to look for news articles about the company, their recent successes and challenges, any information in the press about the developments of the industry they work in. Come up with concrete reasons which show your interest and enthusiasm for why you want to work for the company,

4. Tell me what do you like the most and the least about procurement?

Enjoying the job is one aspect not everyone finds easy. A real expert always loves the job yet would still have their likes and dislikes about procurement. Also, do not forget to ask questions which could ensure their integrity of dealings most importantly.

5. Tell us what are the logic & Principle of goods and services procurement?

There are logic & Principle for goods and services procurement applied by most firms, and you would want to know how they work to arrive at the best deals.

6. Tell us what percentage of your current role is strategic versus tactical?

This reveals how often candidates “roll up their sleeves,” as MRA said. It can also reveal their analytical skills.

7. Can you ask them about their Market intelligence and strategy?

This Procurement Interview Questions aims to gauge the depth and breadth of information they have coming in. A Buyer and Or Commodity Manager is only as right as the information they use to lead financial decisions they are tasked to make. If they just react to demand from a system database and supplier feedback, you are interviewing a Procurement coordinator not a Buyer.

8. Tell me what are the top three accomplishments in your career?

This shines a light on what a candidate considers to be an accomplishment and what aspects of the job they feel are most important. Is it cost-savings? Is it the fact they connected their company to the right supplier?

9. Tell us what approach and definition do you apply to purchasing?

Understanding the concept of buying and the processes involved while buying any product or service is essential. With this Procurement Interview Questions, you should be able to know the difference between procurement and purchasing with the provided response. Part of your response should include how suppliers are compared and awarded, specifications, which internal customers are involved, etc. With this, you also get to know if internal stakeholder's negotiations are allowed.

10. Please explain an experience, buying or selling, you successfully coordinated its activities?

Describing a successful experience in which he/she was a significant partaker in coordinating the activities speaks volume of his/her style and personal touch. Also, this Procurement Interview Question, would mainly tell if he/she has the required experience level you are looking for in a procurement professional.