How Can Ecommerce Recruitment Teams Keep Up with Europe's Online Shopping Boom?
Online shopping is nothing new. But the industry’s rapid growth is putting pressure on employers throughout the supply chain to ramp up workforce capacity. With workers becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain, how do hiring teams keep up with ecommerce recruitment needs?
The ecommerce industry has seen explosive growth in recent years — with the number of European consumers making online purchases climbing from 55% in 2012 to 75% last year. Europe has become a major player in the digital retail world despite its relatively small size, and the continent’s ongoing ecommerce growth will see the market reach a value of $900 billion US by 2027.
Ecommerce Recruitment Needs are Rising
The rise of demand for online shopping combined with consumers’ increased expectations for personalised service and near-instant delivery has put fresh pressure on retailers, logistics teams, and transport services, who need to bolster staff to keep pace. Skilled IT professionals are in particular demand as organisations look to automate systems in the name of efficiency.
Faced with the ongoing effects of the Great Resignation, shifting workforce demographics, and a shortage of qualified candidates, how can ecommerce recruitment teams in the various fields related to online shopping find the people they need to maintain and grow their workforce?
1. Widen Your Recruitment Pool
Ecommerce is a global business — why constrain your hiring to candidates located within a small geographic location? While some positions in ecommerce and logistics are suited to remote work, many of the positions you need to fill can be adapted to fit a flexible or remote work model.
Today’s applicants are seeking greater flexibility from their employers, and opening up your recruitment pool to candidates from across the country — or around the world — can provide you with access to potential employees with a broader set of skills, talents, and experiences. Examine your job postings to see which positions could be performed remotely and consider opening those up to applicants outside your immediate area to find the staff you need to support ecommerce market growth. Virtual recruiting can help support this transition.
2. Gamify the Application Process
Gamification can transform a dull, predictable hiring process into a system that engages candidates and provides human resources teams with greater insights into potential hires’ skills, expectations, and personalities.
Many positions in ecommerce and logistics require creative problem-solving skills and flexibility. Instead of asking job-seekers the same tired, overused questions — “Describe your greatest weakness” — that they already arrive with scripted answers for, use games, challenges, and quizzes to simplify the ecommerce recruitment process and reduce application withdrawals by increasing candidate engagement.
3. Take Advantage of the Data You Have
As humans, we generate vast quantities of data every single day. And the more technology we use, the more data we create. But many organisations overlook the value all that data can provide. An applicant tracking system (ATS) can provide you with all the information you need to:
- Improve the quality of new hires
- Lower the cost per applicant and cost per hire
- Increase the accuracy of hiring forecasts
- Eliminate bias in the recruitment process
4. Optimising Job Ad Performance
Too many ecommerce and logistics organisations are still dependent on manual job posting processes that are time-consuming and expensive. Programmatic advertising tools offer a solution that reduces recruitment teams’ workload while reducing CPA, attracting more qualified candidates and maximising ad reach.
Amazon saved nearly $1 million in recruitment costs and attracted over 16,000 new applicants when it shifted from manually posting job ads on four separate sites to using Hirematic’s programmatic platform.
At Hirematic, we understand the challenges and opportunities in front of online retailers and logistics companies as the ecommerce industry continues to grow. Our programmatic recruiting platform combines the power of automation with our human expertise to ensure you can find the right candidates and the right time — without blowing your hiring budget. Contact us now to learn more about increasing ecommerce recruitment and retention while lowering your CPA.
