28 Procurement Interview Questions To Ask In 2023

Interview questions are terrifying, especially if you have no idea of the structure of the questions and the appropriate answers for them. However, some questions are always asked in these interviews.

For this article, we will show you the 28 procurement interview questions that will help you gauge and enhance your answers in your upcoming interview.

Once you are done reading this article, you will have a general idea of the structure of the most asked interview questions in procurement. Thus, enabling you to get the dream job that you want.

Do you want to check 5 bonus interview questions, including how to answer them? Download our PDF with all procurement interview questions.

Procurement Interview Questions – Why Do You Need to Know?

If you were given the answer keys to an exam that you were scheduled to take a few days from now, then what would you feel? You’d feel ecstatic, that’s what!

You’ll get the same feeling once you already have a clue as to what the interview questions are going to be a few days before the said meeting. You can also prepare how to answer those questions. Of course, you still need to prepare for the interview, since no amount of knowledge can match the confidence and wit of a person who can handle a good interview.

Procurement Interview Questions – Are They All the Same?

The rule of thumb when it comes to expecting procurement analyst questions is that most companies will never use the same questions twice or thrice.

The hiring manager will always look to cycle these questions from time to time, depending on the level of experience of the applicant that they’re talking to. Most applicants who are new in the procurement scene, expect basic procurement specialist questions. But for the professional procurement managers, the questions are going to be more on the advanced or expert level side. 

Again, always expect that companies will be employing difficult but fair questions to assess if you can do the job.

A helpful tip would be to get yourself familiarized with the STAR method. If you’re not familiar with the STAR method, it’s the acronym that stands for the following:

Situation: Setting the scene and then give the details of your example

Task: Describing what you need to do during that situation

Action: This means your explanation on what were the steps you took to address the problem.

Result: Share what the outcome was for the actions you achieved

The STAR method is often employed by hiring managers and interviewers to gauge how the applicant can answer critical situations to the best of their abilities. The ticket to answering these questions effectively would be to know the scope of the position that you’re applying for and to give each answer as simple and concise as you can.

The 28 Procurement Interview Questions

So without further ado, here are 28of the most popular procurement interview questions that you may encounter when applying for a procurement manager or specialist job:

1. “What Are The Qualities That A Procurement Manager Must Have?”

Scenario: The manager wants to check if you have the basic idea of what a procurement manager does and the qualities that he/she must have.

How to Answer: Make a list of the qualities of the procurement manager. Answer in a brief manner. Don’t beat around the bush; just answer the question directly.

The best qualities of a procurement manager are the following:

• Must have good negotiation skills
• Must have excellent problem-solving skills
• Must know cost reduction tactics to ensure cost-efficiency
• Must be good at planning and implementing correct procurement strategies
• Must be transparent when dealing with vendors and suppliers.

2. “Did You Face Any Major Challenges During Your Last Procurement Manager Role? How Did You Overcome Them?”

Scenario: The hiring manager wants to check on your problem-solving skills. He/she wants to know how you are going to handle issues professionally.

How to Answer: You can start by explaining the challenges that a procurement manager may face. Next, you can start explaining your approach to the challenge. Again, remember to explain very briefly. 

3. “How Do You Ensure Procurement Best Practices Throughout The Project?”

Scenario: Depending on your answer, the interviewer wants to assess your knowledge on standard procurement practices for projects to stay on track. 

How to Answer: Describe some of the best procurement practices first and then briefly explain how you are going to execute those practices. 

4. “How Will You Determine the Organization’s Purchasing Patterns?”

Scenario: For this question, your interviewer will want to know if you are ready to follow the company’s procurement pattern or if you’ll readily use your procurement strategy. The best advice in this situation is to analyze the procurement pattern and then evaluate it to mark the areas that need improvement. 

How to Answer: Start by explaining the second analysis. Include some techniques and tools that you can use for checking the purchasing pattern so that you’ll sound like an expert during the interview.

5. “How Will You Handle Day-to-Day Procurement Activities?”

Scenario: This question will check on how you handle the day-to-day procurement activities effectively and efficiently. 

How to Answer: Start your answer by explaining how important the day-to-day activities are and then emphasize teamwork, performance analysis, and management plan.

6. “How Do You Know If The Price Is Fair If We Buy From A Single Vendor?”

Scenario: This is a question that will determine if you are capable enough to decide whether it is profitable to buy from one vendor.

How to Answer: Explain the reason why you will have a single vendor only and then list down the best procurement techniques that you can follow for such circumstances.

7. “What Is The Best And The Worst Thing About Procurement?”

Scenario: When it comes to work, everyone has their best and worst moments. This question highlights that, with the interviewer checking what your strong and weak points are.

How to Answer: Always answer professionally. Don’t be blunt with your answers, as it will most likely give your interviewer a wrong impression of you.

8. “What Kind Of Relationship Do You Prefer With The Suppliers?”

Scenario: With this question, the interviewer wants to analyze your ethical and technical understanding of supplier management and procurement.

How to Answer: Briefly answer technical steps for (building) a good relationship with the suppliers. Remember, your answer should also reflect your ethos.

9. “State An Example For How Will You Entertain A Cost Reduction Program?”

Scenario: A cost reduction program is a lifesaver when supplies are out of budget. This question will gauge how capable you are of managing purchases within a low budget.

How to Answer: Explain what a cost reduction program is and list down some techniques and tools that can help in reducing costs.

10. “What Is Your Market Strategy And How Will You Shape it?”

Scenario: The interviewer will use this question to check if you have enough knowledge on how to move in the market. Market strategy is all about your market information.

How to Answer: You can start by describing what a market strategy is. Then follow up with an explanation of how it depends on internal and external circumstances. The Porter 5 forces model can help you with this.

11. “What Will Be Your Procurement Risk Management Strategy Against New Suppliers?”

Scenario: Depending on your answer, the interviewer will assess your supply chain risk management skills against new suppliers that can be unreliable.

How to Answer: Again, always give a brief answer. Explain the importance of risk management tools.

12. “How Do You Decide If There Needs To Be A Contract Or Not?”

Scenario: This question will give the interviewer an idea of how much you prefer contracts and what their importance is in procurement management.

How to Answer: Answer by first explaining the importance of contracts. Then cite examples of when you might not need a contract.

13. “Which Tools Do You Prefer to Track the Progress of Your Project?”

Scenario: Tools vary from company to company. This question will help the interviewer check your knowledge of the many different procurement management tools.

How to Answer: Your answer should reflect on how good you are at handling different procurement management tools. You can expound this by sharing a brief experience with any of the tools you mentioned.

14. “Which Process Do You Follow When Conducting a Sourcing Initiative?”

Scenario: This question will help the interviewer is assessing your knowledge regarding sourcing initiatives and how good you are with them.

How to Answer: Your answer should show your understanding of the sourcing initiative. Afterward, explain the process that you prefer to follow.