29/10/2013

How to Hire your First Employees for your Online Store

Finding yourself unable to keep up with orders and customer requests? The good news is that your sales are skyrocketing but with the growth of a business also comes the decision of whether to hire more employees. There are also many other times you may want to hire, such as hiring a graphic artist for custom designs before you launch. When you decide to start hiring, make sure you know what to do. Learning how to hire effectively for your e-commerce business will save you time and money! Here are four key tips on how to hire your first employees for your online store.

Identify your needs

There are a lot of business components to manage and address when it comes to running an online store. Many e-business owners can juggle the customer service, fulfillment, merchandising, marketing and writing tasks that an e-commerce business requires themselves, while others are quickly overwhelmed. Of course the work an e-commerce business requires depends on many factors including its size. Even if you can handle the daily demands of your online store, keep in mind that you can’t know everything. Hiring experts in different areas will allow your business to benefit from their industry knowledge. As an online merchant you need to know your strengths and weaknesses and identify where an extra set of hands would help the most.

Think outside the box

When it comes to your e-commerce business, don’t think that you are limited to only offering full-time or traditional “9-5” roles. Additionally, employees you initially hire on a freelance or part-time basis can join your company full-time in the future as your business grows. Another great option is to offer internship opportunities to recruit great candidates. Interns offer a fresh perspective and can work with more flexible pay and work schedules. Examine what areas you would like assistance with and then determine the skills and amount of work it will take. For example if you want to revamp your product photos, you will likely find that the best move is to hire a photographer just for individual projects as your inventory changes. Structure your team in the way that will strengthen your business the most.

Search the right way

There are tons of great tools you can use to search for your online store’s next superstar employees! The first step to conducting an effective search is to write a compelling job description. Whatever you tell potential applicants you are looking for should be written in a clear manner that also gives them insight to your company and the position. The next step is to go where your desired applicants are! For example, you can explore LinkedIn, job listings websites, and even career fairs specific to different industries. In this modern age, there are plenty of job search tools to use but one of the best ways to identify great people is still by word of mouth. Tap into your existing networks and connections to see if any valuable candidates can be recommended or introduced to you. Take advantage of all the resources available to help you identify which search method works best for you.

Offer e-commerce training to your employees

A large part of an employee’s success is dependent on their training and introduction to a company. Make sure your employees have the tools and resources they need to succeed! Even employees with e-commerce experience will need to learn something new related to your online store and what you are selling. Whether it’s by enrolling employees in e-commerce webinars or just offering hands-on training, there are a lot of great options to take advantage of. Your employees and your company will both benefit from further skill development. Look for employees who not only have relevant and valuable knowledge, but also want to learn and grow with your company.

Growing your team or even hiring a one-time employee is a big decision for your business. Do your homework and prepare all employees to flourish for your online store’s success!

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