#EcomChat meets #PandaPounds 2019: A look at ecommerce careers

May 14, 2019 11:30:41 AM

When it comes to ecommerce careers, our 2019 ecommerce salary survey & insights report is a great tool to analyse where you are in the industry.

Every year, we team up with the wonderful #EcomChat networking community to discuss the most recent developments from the report. If you aren’t familiar with EcomChat, it’s a weekly Twitter chat with a new ecommerce topic to discuss every week. Many people from the industry get involved, so why not join in on the next chat?

For the latest chat, we spoke about the current view on ecommerce recruitment across three questions. Here’s a summary of what was discussed!

 

How are job roles & salaries changing in ecommerce?

The first question of the day was about specific job roles and how salaries are changing. As shown in our report, average salaries overall continue to increase. Looking at different disciplines within the industry, such as Digital Marketing or Design, these are also seeing significant increases. Great news!

The bulk of the conversation for question 1 was centered around how roles are changing. People are seeing more diversity, especially with the rise of freelancing. Does this mean job roles will become super specific and completely specialized?

Diversity in ecommerce roles

While more niche roles pop up, it seems the need for employees with broader skill sets is still prevalent. Firstly, it’s important to note that 48% of our questionnaire respondents sit within ecommerce teams of 1 to 10 people – so while a bigger online business can fit skill specific people into their team, SME’s still benefit from having a ‘generalist’ on board. Big businesses can also benefit from having these people on their ecommerce team.

Ecommerce - generalist vs specialists

What can ecommerce companies do to attract the best candidates, other than salary?

One of the key points from our survey this year is all about workplace happiness. While a higher salary is great, is it really enough to attract and retain the best talent? Here’s what some of the EcomChat community had to say…

  • Offer shares
  • Product discounts
  • Training budgets - offering courses, conferences and networking opportunities
  • Autonomy
  • Flexible/remote working
  • Good management 
  • Focusing on culture 

It seems emotional welfare in the workplace is desired by the industry, and many of these benefits (feeling valued and respected) do not cost a thing. There were also a few comments on brand perception and wanting to work for a company that speaks to the individual. Whether this be because of the ethics of the brand or simply the brand name, it seems to be a big pull for people at all levels.

What will the growth areas be for ecommerce jobs in 2019 and beyond?

The final question of the day was about the future of ecommerce roles. What roles will become more common? Will we see any ecommerce specialisms become less common? Here are some of the musings…

  • DTC – there seems to have been a resurgence of this. People with direct to consumer experience are likely to be attractive to startup and established brands.
  • If decent investment for UK startups continues, we will see further growth in the performance marketing space.
  • Big brands in certains sectors, such as FMCG, will want to enhance digital skills. While some have mature digital teams in place, others are playing catch up. Could this be a good opportunity for digital professionals to switch industry more easily?

Have you read the 2019 report?

Firstly, a huge thanks to the EcomChat folk for allowing us to discuss these big developments in the ecommerce industry! Make sure you tune in – every Monday at 1PM!

If you have yet to download a copy of the 2019 ecommerce salary survey report, you can get your paws on a free copy by clicking the link below…happy reading!

Get your paws on a free copy of the 2019 salary survey report...

download 

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