As more and more online storefronts pop up, the need for talented e-commerce professionals grows. To optimize your site’s look, feel and functionality, you need talent that understands your preferred platform and can help you maximize your site’s design and management. But you may find yourself at a standstill if you’re not sure how to find the employees you need or are currently in the middle of the process and having a hard time with your staffing efforts. Knowing how to make the most of your time and energy can make all the difference.
Five ways to maximize your talent search
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t give up. Consider the following to get the e-commerce workers you need onboard and ready to go:
- Write specific job descriptions. You may shudder at the thought of a stack of resumes that yields poor results because most of the candidates are underqualified or simply don’t possess the right skills. You can avoid red tape and save time by simply adding more detail to your job descriptions. Thoroughly list all responsibilities involved with the role, so candidates will know up front whether or not they’re interested in the job. Also include all required qualifications and follow that with your preferred qualifications. You can also include a description of your company culture and what it’s like to work for you. Cultural fit can be just as important as knowledge and skills. All these details can help an active candidate self-identify as someone who would be a perfect fit for your job opportunity.
- Take advantage of LinkedIn. It’s a database of live resumes, available to all for review. The beauty of searching on LinkedIn is you can find the profiles of both active AND passive candidates. Those at the top of the e-commerce field may be happily employed and not currently looking, but if your job opportunity piques their interest, you may be able to attract them to your company. You can search on LinkedIn for keywords and access the pages of multiple potential candidates around the world. Then, you can reach out directly through LinkedIn mail to introduce yourself and ask to connect—and discuss your open position.
- Hire globally. LinkedIn helps you open up your talent pool to worldwide candidates. And you’ll have a greater chance of finding exactly the e-commerce staff you need by expanding your hiring technique and the way you allow staff to work for you. Phone and video interviews are a great way to meet potential candidates—as your entire interview process, or the first level (depending on where the candidate is located and how possible it is to come in for an in-person interview). Allowing remote work and flexible scheduling helps you accommodate different time zones, and source talent worldwide.
- Offer referral incentives. Your current employees have all the right qualifications and mesh well with your company—otherwise, they wouldn’t be working for you! It stands to reason they might have colleagues or friends of the same professional caliber. Referral incentives encourage your workers to recommend people they know who would fit well into open positions, and it offers you two major advantages. First, the people closest to the work (your current employees) understand exactly what you need. This helps them identify these skills in others they know. Second, asking your workers for help can be very empowering to them, and they will rise to the occasion. Plus, it helps to build loyalty to your company when your employees feel you trust them and their recommendations. It helps to build a more solid company overall.
- Work with a boutique staffing agency. A staffing partner is a valuable resource when it comes to finding the right staff, and one that specializes in the e-commerce industry is even better. Working with any agency to help you source talent saves you time and money, plus helps you improve the quality of your matches. But a boutique agency adds the additional level of familiarity with your industry—further boosting strength of hiring choices and reducing hiring times. Staffing agencies stake their reputation on the quality of their matches and will only place you with candidates they feel will succeed. They want you to be pleased with your hires because their reputation depends on it and work tirelessly to recommend the top choices in the job market.
Looking for an e-commerce staffing partner?
Jarvis Cole specializes in the e-commerce industry and we’re ready to put our skills to work for you! With offices worldwide, we’ll help you find and place the qualified e-commerce professionals you need to accomplish your short- and long-term staffing goals. To learn more about the staffing services we offer and all the ways we can help, contact Jarvis Cole today!