In recent years, organisations across sectors have awoken to a glaring reality: the procurement and supply chain function is no longer a back-office support arm. It has become a strategic linchpin yet, it’s also a battleground for talent. For mid-level and senior professionals in procurement, this is both a challenge and an opportunity.
In this article, we’ll unpack the causes behind the talent gap in procurement & supply chain, examine what it means for you as a seasoned practitioner, and propose actionable strategies to stem the shortfall and raise the bar on what good looks like.
The talent gap in Procurement & Supply Chain: what’s driving it?
- Escalating expectations vs limited supply
Procurement teams today are expected to deliver beyond cost savings: they must embed ESG, drive supplier innovation, manage complex risk, harness analytics and AI, and pivot to resilience. Yet the pipeline of professionals who carry both deep technical competence and strategic vision is small.
Recruiters & industry commentators note that many mid-level roles remain open too long or attract candidates who don’t match the strategic depth required.
- Salary inflation outpacing skill growth
Compensation benchmarks have shifted upward. Candidates expect, and often receive, higher pay. However, not all hiring organisations adjust their role expectations accordingly. That mismatch means many roles fall between what candidates expect and what employers are willing to pay.
Put simply: you can hire, but not for the price at which you expect the candidate to also deliver high strategic value.
- Narrow specialism, fragmented expertise
Supply chains are more complex and categories more granular. Many organisations demand a "T-shaped" skillset, deep in one domain but capable across many. That kind of hybridity is rare.
Some roles require expertise in digital procurement, ESG, risk, logistics, and supplier finance all at once: those superprofiles are few and far between.
- Attrition, burnout and retention gaps
It’s not just about hiring, it’s about retaining the talent you already have. Many procurement professionals cite lack of growth, insufficient recognition, stale career paths or insufficient investment in development as reasons to move on. In a tight talent market, retention is a weapon as much as recruitment.
- Changing workforce demographics & generational shifts
Some seasoned procurement professionals are approaching retirement, while younger talent often gravitate toward tech, digital, or operations roles. To avoid a “missing middle” where fewer mid-career professionals exist, firms must invest in bridging programmes and reskilling.
Why this matters to you
If you're operating at a manager, director, or functional lead level, this talent gap presents several risks, and opportunities, for your career and your team:
- Resourcing constraints: Your workload may balloon because upstream investments in talent are lacking. That stresses delivery, innovation and morale.
- Quality compromises: You may default to hiring “good enough” people rather than “right fit” people, which introduces performance drag and organisational risk.
- Leadership vacuum: Without a strong bench, succession becomes unstable. Aspiring talent may leave for greener pastures.
- Reputation as employer: Strong teams attract more strong people. If your procurement team is seen as “stuck” or overworked, you risk becoming a less desirable destination.
In short: bridging this gap is not just HR’s responsibility. It’s yours.
How to close the gap
- Define strategic role models, not job descriptions
Stop chasing unicorns. Instead, define clear role archetypes, junior specialist, mid-level strategist, senior domain lead, and map required competencies against realistic expectations. Prioritise core skills and be explicit about “nice to haves” versus “must haves.”
This reduces attrition at interview stages and aligns candidate vs hiring manager expectations.
- Build (and lean into) your internal talent pipeline
Rather than relying external hires, identify procurement high potentials early. Use rotations, stretch assignments, mentoring, and cross-functional exposure to build strategic depth.
Encourage people from adjacent functions (operations, logistics, finance) into procurement roles, with structured training. Many successful procurement leaders started in supply chain or operations and pivoted.
- Offer differentiated development & modern career paths
People leave when they no longer see growth. Offer:
- Sponsored certifications (CIPS, ISM, supply chain analytics credentials)
- Formal mentoring and coaching
- Rotational assignments (e.g. supplier innovation, risk, analytics)
- Leadership development programmes
Showing a clear “next step” keeps talent invested.
- Embrace flexible reward models and market competitiveness
If you want strategic procurement talent, your package must reflect it. But it’s not just base pay:
- Performance bonuses tied to meaningful KPIs
- Profit-share or value-sharing incentives
- Non-financial rewards (flexible working, impact projects, autonomy)
- Internal mobility and professional prestige
Markets are competitive: the best candidates weigh total package, not just the headline salary.
- Partner with specialist recruitment / talent firms (wisely)
A generalist recruiter may not understand the nuances of procurement. But a niche firm that focuses on procurement & supply chain can pre-screen, coach, and pipeline candidates that better match expectations. (That’s our wheelhouse.)
The talent gap in procurement and supply chain is not a fleeting trend, it’s a structural challenge. But for mid and senior professionals, it also presents an existential opportunity: to build teams that are leaner, sharper, more strategic, and purpose-driven.
By focusing on internal pipelines, differentiated career design, smart hiring strategies, and brand positioning, you can shift the narrative. Your function can become a magnet for the kind of talent that others struggle to attract.
If you’d like help auditing your talent gap, benchmarking compensation, or architecting a build plan for your procurement team, we’re happy to help.
