How to Hire Nashville Supply Chain and Operations Professionals -

How to Hire Nashville Supply Chain and Operations Professionals -Nashville is quickly becoming ground zero for supply chain and operations headquarters and this rapid growth is changing the rules for finding and retaining top professionals.Amazon announced last year that the company would build its Operations Center of Excellence in downtown Nashville, running customer fulfillment, transportation and supply chain activities. The tech giant is hardly the first major company to make Nashville home. Nissan North America, Dollar General Corp, roter planet Petcare, Tractor Supply and Caterpillar Financial all have corporate headquarters in Music City. Like Amazon, these companies are making big operations and supply chain moves. Dollar General runs its own trucking operation and was part of Gartners Top 25 Supply Chains. Tractor Supply is a strong presence at supply chain trade shows, highlighting the companys last-mile expertise.Location, Location, LocationIts not just a real estate cat chphrase schauplatz plays a key role in company HQ decisions, too and thats why Nashville is a rising star. The city is centrally located between two of the largest logistics providers in the country. Memphis, just three hours west, is home to the largest FedEx Express Hub in the world. Louisville, Kentucky, three hours to the northeast, is home to the UPS Worldport, which UPS calls as the largest automated packing handling facility in the world. Nashvilles central time zone means easy access to both East and West Coast customers. Half the US population can be reached in a single days drive from Nashville, making it a prime location for logistics headquarters.Thanks to Nashvilles location and booming tech scene, the demand for operations and supply chain talent is intensifying. Some of the most popular positions right now include supply chain managers, procurement managers, chief operating officers, and VPs for manufacturing, supply chain and logistics. Were on the edge of explosiv e operations growth and a business-as-usual approach to hiring wont land top performers.The New Rules for Hiring Operations and Supply Chain ProfessionalsIve been a recruiter for 12 years and Ive never seen such a strong candidate market as the one were experiencing right now. Steady, sustained growth means top professionals have more job choices than theyve had in the last decade. They arent afraid to be picky about where they work. Heres how your business can compete1. Move quickly. I cant emphasize this point enough if you find a candidate you like, dont wait two weeks before making an offer. Candidates are interviewing and receiving offers in 48 hours. If you dont follow a similar timeline, your first choice may be taken.2. Prioritize hiring requirements before starting interviews. This goes hand-in-hand with hiring speed. To move quickly on a top candidate, your internal hiring team needs to feel comfortable making a speedy offer. Thats why I recommend hiring managers take time before starting the interview process to prioritize required skills and experience. Its unlikely youll find a candidate who ticks every box. You need to be prepared to recognize a great option when its in front of you, rather than searching for a perfect candidate who doesnt exist.3. Trust your recruiter. I get it making a big hiring decision quickly can feel like a huge risk and its natural to want to hit the brakes. This is where a recruiter can help. Were speaking with supply chain and operations professionals every day so we know the current candidate swimming-pool inside and out. We know your options, whats realistic and whats simply not possible. We vet every candidate before presenting anyone to a company. Thanks to our consultative approach, Im confident this candidate is the right fit for a companys immediate and long-term needs. When you trust your recruiter to bring you the right hiring choice, youll feel more confident making an offer quickly and you wont lose out on an exceptional hire.Whats your most significant challenge hiring operations or supply chain talent in Nashville? I invite you to share your challenges in the comments below.