The future of Digital Roles with #EcomChat & cranberry panda

This week, we discussed the future of digital & ecommerce jobs to coincide with our 2018 ecommerce salary survey. The fantastic folks over at #EcomChat kindly teamed up with us so we could discuss the evolution of digital roles and what’s to come in 2018.

Ecommerce is maturing – how is it changing the demand for digital skills?

In the past year, the ecommerce industry has seen continuing maturity, from increased use of automation to improved customer service. So how has this changed the demand for digital skills?

A big talking point was generalist roles and specialised digital roles. It seems more ecommerce professionals are focussing on specialised skill sets, meaning that there could be a lack of generalist candidates in senior roles who understand the end to end process.

Can people spend time specialising in certain areas to decrease the gaps in their generalist knowledge, or will there be a wave of specialists in senior or C-suite level roles in the future?

Looking at stats from our survey respondents so far, we also see that improving technical skills is a big aim for 2018!

There is more demand for people with crossover skillsets that can join-up ecommerce/omnichan sales channels with the brand & performance marketing side of biz. Sales & marketing are merging and ecommerce has always been the key battleground between the two! #ecomchat — Piers Drake (@piersdrake) February 12, 2018

What new ecommerce skills are becoming important and where are organisations investing the most?

The next question looked at the skills organisations will be building on in 2018 and beyond. What did the #EcomChat community expect to see become more predominant in ecommerce teams?

• Ecommerce Product Management - some organisations see the platform as a product, so bringing in product management skills rather than generalist ecommerce skills will be important in 2018.
• Data & Analytics - While analytical skills are recognised, they need to be invested in and become engraved in overall strategy and company culture.
• Other in demand skills include Social Media (Ads and influencer management), CRM and Front End Development.

Of course, the important thing to consider as more skills become more digitised is that there needs to be a greater investment in training opportunities. Rather than focus on new hires with the desired digital skills, companies should also help develop their existing staff. (This ties in nicely with question 3!) It's not all aboout the digital skills either...the answer below shows how important it is to have a well rounded ecommerce customer experience.

Alongside digital skills, your tangible goods ecommerce op. will only be as good as the delivery guy/gal who turns up (or not) at your front door, so it's worth investing in smart digitally aware ops. staff and investing in a quality fulfilment solution. #ecomchat — Ed H-B (@EdH_B) February 12, 2018

How do you retain good ecommerce talent – what keeps you in a role?

Essentials in an ecommerce job is a big focus in our ecommerce salary survey. For the past three years, 'feeling valued and respected' has topped the poll. Will this eventually change? Let's see what the #EcomChat community thought...

• Develop talent and work towards a company culture that works - beer fridges and pool tables won't cut it. Digital professionals want to work with top talent, learn things and provide value.
• Don't let people feel like their career has gone static - continuous learning and actually having fun in the role is so important.
• Allow people to put their skillsets to good use.

Complete the 2018 ecommerce salary survey questionnaire!

A huge thank you to #EcomChat for joining us in this discussion - join in the discussions on Monday's at 1PM...there's always a juicy topic to sink your teeth into. If you want to share your insights into some of the topics discussed, complete our ecommerce salary survey and have your say.

We donate £1 to The OPERA Global Youth Foundation for every response AND there's a prize draw to win one of two Amazon vouchers. Be quick though...there are only seven days left until it closes!