Five Panda Pointers: what to consider when offering a role in your ecommerce team

When hiring talent for your ecommerce team, it’s easy to think the initial screening stage and the interview stages are the longest or hardest. However, when it comes to securing your dream employee, many pitfalls can arise once you start thinking about offering the role.

So, for our latest Panda Pointers post, we are going to look at five things to consider when you want to extend the job offer. Are you stuck on who to choose between two candidates? Do you think you’ve got the perfect candidate but still need some clarification? Whatever the dilemma, these five points should help your decision!

1) Always think long term

The tricky thing about hiring ecommerce talent is that the nature of the industry can make it seem super urgent. Of course, we agree that any hiring process should be a priority but don’t let urgency rush the decision. It will cloud your overall view on the process, and make you think only about what the new employee needs to do right now and not long term.

So, don’t think about what they will be doing in the first three to six months. Can you see them becoming a great leader within the company, who will inspire future new employees? Are they going to grow not only in the company, but personally? Will their presence be a positive one? You should always hire with a priority plan in place – it can help you visualise who will stick to it best.

2) Enthusiasm is key

Pretty simple…who has shown the most enthusiasm and desire to excel in the role? Who is most open to learning new things while excited to share what they can do? Also, you need to look at who is most passionate about the company itself, not just the role. A person who is excited to be given the opportunity will really stand out, so just think about these points as you start narrowing down the candidates.

3) Meeting the wider team

Giving the final two or three candidates the chance to meet the wider team really makes a difference. It not only allows you to determine team and culture fit but allows the candidate to evaluate the culture from their perspective. You don’t want to hire the ‘perfect’ candidate, only for them to say it’s not the right fit three months down the line.

If it’s possible, get this meeting booked in – even if it’s a quick half an hour for everyone to have a chat, it will help see who can gel most with the team.

4) Be prepared for anything post-offer

This is often overlooked, but it’s great to evaluate the risk before you pick the successful candidate. Look at their work history and make sure you ask questions about their current employment too. What is their role in their current team? Would management be likely to counter offer them?

You also have to think about what their goals and motivations are – from responsibility to salary, know their expectations. If these can’t be met in any way, think about ways you could counter this (if you can at all.) For example, if the ‘perfect’ candidate wants a salary slightly higher than what you can offer, are they the right person to offer the job to? If you believe they are, start assessing what needs to be said to persuade them to accept your offer.

5) Gut instinct

Sometimes, you really do have to rely on your gut instinct. Should you always measure the candidates against the responsibilities of the role and their ability to pull it off? Absolutely! However, behind the CV’s and the achievements are human beings you might be seeing a lot of should they get the role. You can’t ignore this, and you should always go with the person you truly feel is the best overall fit.

Need more ecommerce hiring advice?

The ecommerce hiring process all starts with great planning. Did you know we have created an exclusive (and free) guide to help you kick off the hunt for a new employee? You can download your copy on the link below…happy hiring!