In recent years, the role and importance of the purchasing department in the organization has been recognized, which forces employers to hire competent employees who will have appropriate skills and professional procurement experience. This article deals with the issues related to the relevant competences of purchasing specialists. The author decided to research this topic after noticing a research gap in the previous studies in the field of procurement competency management and the author's previous research (analysis of job offers). The purpose of the paper is to answer the question whether the requirements for purchasing specialists, which we find in job advertisements, are reflected in the business reality and how experts assess the importance of the required competences. The analysis was carried out with the use of a quantitative research method (survey questionnaire, research carried out using the CAWI method) among people employed in purchasing departments. At the beginning, a literature review was made in the area of employee competencies. Subsequently, the results of the author’s own research are presented and discussed. The differences in the required competences and features common to three job groups (Assistant, Specialist, Manager) are presented. At the end, conclusions are presented that characterize the requirements for purchasing employees. According to the respondents’ responses, the obtained results definitely confirm the accuracy of the selection of competences to the level of the position in the examined advertisements, however, the requirements are quite schematic and do not take into account the changes in the rank of purchases and changes taking place in these departments.