In today’s hyper-competitive eCommerce landscape, building and scaling a team that is aligned with your business’s present and future goals is paramount.
On the latest episode of The eCommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives podcast, host Alexander Khan, Head of eCommerce Technology Practice at Stott and May. Together, they explore strategies for building a team ready to take on the challenges of transforming and maintaining a thriving eCommerce practice in today’s marketplace.
Should You Build an In-house Development Team or Partner with an External Agency?
Alexander speaks about the pros of building an internal engineering team or using an agency for eCommerce and retail operations.
With an in-house team, you have a better understanding and ownership of your projects. The team also fosters long-term investment in the brand and could lead to more innovative and customized solutions.
However, agencies bring immediate access to a broader network of technologies and professionals. Ideal for focusing on specialized tasks without overburdening your internal team. Ultimately the decision is made on a case-by-case basis and is dependent on your individual scenario. Whatever your decision, Alexander recommends maintaining thorough documentation for a seamless transition and sustained success.
Finding the Right Candidates for your eCommerce Team
Alexander talks about key considerations when your company is in a recruitment phase.
Firstly, you need to deeply understand your current tech stack and upcoming projects. What does your tech stack look like today and what does it look like tomorrow? Consider the long-term road map. This ensures the candidate can grow alongside your organization and its future needs.
According to Alexander, you can make a hire that fits culturally and has the required soft skills but you might want to prioritize hard skills right from the start. Especially if you want to avoid paying an arm and a leg down the line for upskilling.
Another consideration Alexander lists is to be upfront about your company’s limitations and future tech aspirations to give the candidate realistic expectations.
The Shift from Brick and Mortar to Digital-First
The shift from traditional brick-and-mortar operations to a digital-first approach during the pandemic has required a rapid expansion of teams.
Consequently, this means many individuals are handed inflated titles and responsibilities that potentially do not fully align with a candidate’s actual skills or tasks.
How do we tackle this? Alexander recommends hiring managers employ tactical questioning strategies to dive into a candidate. This tactical questioning aims to differentiate between candidates’ hands-on experience with core development tasks versus those with more superficial exposure, to only business managers for instance.
Listen to the Full Episode Below!
Tune in to this episode of The eCommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives with @Alexander Khan, Head of eCommerce Technology Practice at @Stott and May.
👉 Apple: https://apple.co/3uQC3Uu
👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3P9hARB
Alexander Khan is a product expert and Head of eCommerce Technology Practice at Stott and May. As an experienced executive recruiter, Alexander has an extensive history in the staffing and recruitment industry. Alexander has worked with SFCC professionals at Stott & May for almost five years. He’s built his career as a strong business development professional with top team building, management, and teamwork skills.
