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Purchasing Assistant Interview Questions

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Purchasing Assistant interview questions and answers.

  1. How do you prioritise multiple purchase requests? See answer
  2. Describe a time you made a costly mistake. See answer
  3. How do you find high-quality products for the best price? See answer
  4. Describe a time your vendor recommendation made a positive impact on your company. See answer
  5. What education or training do you have that supports your career as a purchasing assistant? See answer
  6. How do you stay current with industry trends and best practises? See answer
  7. How do you monitor the relationship with a new vendor? See answer
  8. Tell me about a situation that tested your ethics. See answer
  9. How do you negotiate better terms with a supplier? See answer
  10. What challenges are you seeking in a purchasing assistant position? See answer
  11. How do you develop professional relationships with new vendors? See answer
  12. How do you ensure compliance with raw material specifications? See answer
  13. What’s your strategy for dealing with seasonal purchases?
  14. How do you handle a supplier who doesn’t comply with the terms and conditions of your agreement?
  15. What’s one unique quality that makes you stand out from other candidates?
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Purchasing Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

How do you prioritise multiple purchase requests?

A successful purchasing assistant must be able to manage multiple purchase requests and prioritise accordingly. The question's goal is to evaluate the candidate's ability to think critically and analyse the requests to determine how to prioritise each task. What to look for in an answer:

  • Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to determine the best order of priority for purchasing requests
  • Analytical skills to evaluate outside factors and influences that affect product delivery
  • organisational and time management skills to multitask effectively

Example:

"When I receive a purchasing request, I review the specifications and evaluate the time it'll take me to make the order. As I receive more requests, I follow the same process and place them in order of importance and amount of time. I also consider..."

Describe a time you made a costly mistake.

The goal of the question is to evaluate how the candidate would handle an error within their position. It also assesses whether a candidate can be honest about previous mistakes and what they learned from them. What to look for in an answer:

  • Willingness to take responsibility
  • Problem-solving skills to determine the best course of action in case of a mistake
  • Ability to learn from mistakes

Example:

"One instance I can remember is an order I placed for raw materials. I misread the material specifications and ordered the wrong metal. This resulted in the price of the material doubling over the expected cost. Luckily, I caught the error in time, which ended up costing the company a restocking fee for the original order. I learned several lessons from this experience, including..."

How do you find high-quality products for the best price?

A successful purchasing assistant needs to source the best quality products and materials for the lowest cost available. The question's goal is to evaluate the candidate's process in finding the best suppliers and resources within these criteria. What to look for in an answer:

  • Communication skills to provide defined specifications and negotiate the best pricing
  • Interpersonal skills to build positive professional relationships with vendors and suppliers
  • Ability to be resourceful in finding opportunities to work with new companies

Example:

"I consistently work with our current vendors by renegotiating our purchasing agreements for better pricing. They have already proven the quality of their materials, so I'll offer them the opportunity to improve their costs. If I need to look outside our list of approved suppliers, I request several quotes to compare pricing."

Describe a time your vendor recommendation made a positive impact on your company.

A purchasing assistant finds new high-quality, cost-effective suppliers. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's ability to source new vendors that benefit the company. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to develop positive professional relationships
  • Communication skills to define clear expectations and requirements
  • Critical thinking and analytical skills to determine the best vendor options

Example:

"There was a new vendor who I heard about through my network of other purchasers. Many of my associates were raving about their quality and pricing. After receiving product samples to evaluate the quality, I asked for pricing. I negotiated fantastic terms and saved our company over $10,000 a year on a product we purchased regularly."

What education or training do you have that supports your career as a purchasing assistant?

You may require a successful candidate to have formal academic training. The goal of the question is to determine the candidate's educational background to support the purchasing assistant's role. What to look for in an answer:

  • Company-specific education or training
  • Willingness to take part in professional development
  • Ability to apply academic training to real-life situations

Example:

"I completed my bachelor's degree in business administration several years ago. To develop my purchasing skills further, I'm currently enroled in a purchasing professional certification programme through our local community college. This has given me a great opportunity to understand the purchasing cycle better and improve my negotiation skills."

How do you stay current with industry trends and best practises?

A successful purchasing assistant needs to understand industry trends that can affect the organisation. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's ability to stay current and take part in professional development. What to look for in an answer:

  • Willingness to attend training, networking events and conferences to improve work skills
  • Communication skills to network effectively with other purchasing professionals
  • Ability to provide self-direction for learning opportunities

Example:

"I've spent several years networking with other companies and employees in our industry. So, I have a good feel for the trends and challenges. I attend conferences and participate in a mentoring group for purchasing professionals who are up and coming."

What's your strategy for dealing with seasonal purchases?

A successful purchasing assistant needs to understand the buying cycle, including seasonal purchases. The question's goal is to evaluate the candidate's ability to purchase according to historical data and current trends. What to look for in an answer:

  • Awareness of factors that influence purchasing and buying
  • Critical thinking and analytical skills to review historical data for seasonal purchases
  • Ability to remain flexible and adapt to changes

Example:

"When preparing for seasonal purchases, I review historical data to see what sold and what was left over after the season ended. I research current trends to anticipate popular items. I rely heavily on my analysis and purchase in smaller quantities to ensure we don't have carry-over inventory."

How do you monitor the relationship with a new vendor?

Along with the purchasing manager, a purchasing assistant may monitor the success of new vendor relationships. The question's goal is to evaluate how the candidate follows up with new suppliers and what criteria they monitor. What to look for in an answer:

  • Attention to detail to catch defects in quality and non-compliance of terms and conditions
  • Communication skills to provide clear expectations and requirements to new vendors
  • Interpersonal skills to maintain a positive working relationship with suppliers

Example:

"When working with a new supplier, I first provide clear expectations. I encourage them to see our facility to understand what our company does and how they fit into our overall success. I monitor the quality of the items we receive, the delivery times and the invoice details."

How do you handle a supplier who doesn't comply with the terms and conditions of your agreement?

The goal of the question is to evaluate how the candidate manages vendor relationships in challenging scenarios.What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to confront issues calmly as they arise
  • Communication skills to have productive conversations with vendors to discuss contracts
  • Ability to resolve conflict and preserve professional relationships

Example:

"How I handle a non-compliant vendor depends on whether we have another vendor that can offer the same item. If there's an alternative, I'll factually present the issues and clarify that we can't accept the current circumstance. Then, I..."

Tell me about a situation that tested your ethics.

A purchasing assistant may experience times of ethical dilemmas. For example, they may receive offers of kickbacks, bribes or other benefits for doing business with a supplier. The goal of the question is to evaluate how important ethics are to a candidate. What to look for in an answer:

  • Honesty and openness regarding compromising work situations with management
  • Communication skills to define what is acceptable within a professional relationship
  • A personal sense of right and wrong regarding ethical work protocol

Example:

"I once had a vendor who kept insisting I accept tickets to various sporting events and concerts. The company I worked for had a strict policy against accepting gifts. I declined multiple times, but they kept offering. Eventually, I approached my manager so they could deal with the supplier accordingly."

How do you negotiate better terms with a supplier?

A purchasing assistant needs to negotiate terms and pricing with suppliers to benefit the company. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's negotiation skills. What to look for in an answer:

  • Communication skills to negotiate contracts and best pricing with suppliers
  • Interpersonal skills to develop and maintain positive working relationships
  • Awareness of purchasing best practises, such as obtaining quotes and price comparison

Example:

"I try to maintain an open and honest relationship with my suppliers. This allows for more successful negotiations when dealing with pricing and terms. I continue to request quotes from other sources to compare, which often gives me a solid foundation for better negotiation."

What challenges are you seeking in a purchasing assistant position?

The question's goal is to determine the candidate's career goals and objectives in finding a new position. What to look for in an answer:

  • A positive and enthusiastic attitude about the company and the role
  • Self-awareness to understand personal strengths and areas of improvement
  • Communication skills to express thoughts effectively

Example:

"I'm excited to expand my knowledge into a new industry. I'd love to work with raw material suppliers and machining vendors to support manufacturing. I have the basic fundamental knowledge of purchasing to support further my skills in a new area."

How do you develop professional relationships with new vendors?

A purchasing assistant needs to develop and maintain working relationships with suppliers. The goal of the question is to evaluate the candidate's ability to create mutually beneficial partnerships with vendors to support a company's objectives. What to look for in an answer:

  • Interpersonal skills to develop and maintain professional relationships
  • Communication skills to provide expectations and detailed specifications
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to work through issues as they arise

Example:

"When working with new vendors, I invite them for a tour of our manufacturing facility, so they have a solid understanding of our production methods and quality control processes. I provide clear expectations of what we need and how we assess the quality of the materials they send. Having an open dialogue is important to developing a positive relationship."

How do you ensure compliance with raw material specifications?

You may need a purchasing assistant to gather material tracking reports for raw goods. This question evaluates the candidate's experience purchasing raw materials and organizing required documentation, such as heat treating documentation, non-destructive testing results, or other forms related to sourcing or ingredients. What to look for in an answer:

  • Attention to detail and focus on accuracy to ensure documentation is complete
  • organisation skills to know what materials require documentation
  • Communication skills to relay important information to vendors

Example:

"My role as a purchasing assistant requires me to ensure that the vendor's documentation with the raw materials complies with the specifications. In the case of noncompliance, I immediately contact the vendor and..."

What is one unique quality that makes you stand out from other candidates?

The goal of the question is to allow the candidate to describe their most unique skill or relevant experience related to the position. What to look for in an answer:

  • A positive and enthusiastic attitude about the company and position
  • Ability to adapt their experience to new roles
  • Confidence in their strengths

Example:

"If I had to choose one unique quality that makes me stand out from other candidates, it would be my experience as a draftsperson. It may seem unrelated, but this experience taught me to use AutoCAD. I can use the programme to pull bills of materials and other specifications to ensure the accurate ordering of raw materials."

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