What the hiring process actually looks like…
Hiring in ecommerce is exciting! Often it means your team is growing. Or working towards something new. But we aren’t lying when we say….while exciting, hiring can be a stressful and confusing process.
So, here’s a little insight into the hiring journey from someone who’s been doing it a ‘couple of decades. We’ve broken down a typical hiring process into a few steps that will hopefully help smooth the process out.
Planning
The most important step of all. Careful planning and consideration will keep everyone on the same page. Whether you hire yourself or use our team, a clear idea of who you’re looking for will help you find the right talent and keep things clear for prospective candidates.
During the planning stage, you’ll want to be clear on:
Role title
Position description
Position in the org chart (e.g., direct reports)
Salary package budget
Company culture & incentives on offer
Work location (e.g., in-office, hybrid, remote)
Interview process
Timeline
And while these things may change based on the talent you find, having a clear framework will make the process easier on everyone.
Attracting Talent
This is where the fun starts! Attracting ecommerce talent can be tough, but how exciting is it when you find someone who would be an amazing fit?
Safe to say attracting great talent isn’t as easy as it used to be, and it’s quite simply the reason we exist! We have wide networks and deep headhunting & marketing skills that can take the pain out of this process for you. But if you’re keen to give it a go on your own, here are a few channels you can use to get your opportunity out there:
Advertising through LinkedIn, Seek, etc.
Networking (online or in-person events)
Own channels (social media, website, etc.)
Making connections or referrals
Shortlisting
If you’re lucky, you’ll have plenty of great candidates to choose from. But before booking an interview, we always recommend shortlisting your candidates. Nobody has time to conduct 20 interviews for one role! And it’s one of the reasons working with a recruitment specialist is so great - we’ll take care of 100% of this step for you.
Take some time to look over each candidate's resume and/or LinkedIn profile, then give anyone you think could be a good fit a call. You’ll have to get in contact with them to book an interview anyway, so this is a great opportunity to ask some preliminary questions before you lock in an interview. Keep the questions simple; you’ll have time to get into the detail at the first interview.
Interviewing
So, you’ve got a great shortlist - it’s time to interview! We can share some great tips on interviewing. But for the most part, companies have a standard structure they like to follow.
If you’re working with Revere, this is the stage where you’d jump back in. We’ll help you select your shortlist and book the interviews, but it’s important you get to make a connection with your candidates - so this one’s over to you!
Whether you go with 1, 2, or 3 interviews, in person or via a video call, the aim of the game is to get to know your talent and let them get to know you.
Selection
By this point, you’ve seen the resumes, conducted the interviews, and hopefully have a good idea of who you’d like to make an offer to. At this stage, we suggest a pre-employment skills test for some roles and reference checks for all candidates.
Offer Time!
AKA the best time! You’ve picked your person, and now it’s time to see if they pick you back. This step is all about clear communication.
Before you even make the call, you’ll need to know the salary package you’re offering, have an idea of the ideal start date, and be able to clearly communicate the next steps to your candidate. So please, please, please at least have a template of your offer or contract ready to go.
This is also where we sometimes move into the ‘negotiations phase’. While we always suggest being open and honest about salary and incentive expectations throughout the whole process, once we get to the nitty gritty there may be a few curve balls thrown your way - and it’s not always from the candidate! Unexpected changes to salary or incentives like flexibility and WFH options are where things can come undone. But don’t let that scare you away! We planned for this in step one, remember?
Once the paperwork is out of the way, it’s time to celebrate!
Still feeling overwhelmed? Drop us a line, it’s what we do.