The Problem of Poaching
When you have a particular platform, like some of the ones we work on, it can be really difficult to find and hire people with experience in that technology.
We have talked to companies recently who have been looking for someone for 6 months or more. HR departments aren’t used to not being able to find people. They don’t really get it, and aren’t set up to compete for these sought-after individuals. Companies end up engaging recruiters who work in the technology space.
This has created an environment where poaching is common practice. Our development team here at Brilliance gets calls all the time, nearly on a daily basis.
This can be frustrating for companies because they bring people in and invest the time and resources to train them, only to have them leave or be poached by someone else.
Hacks For Hiring eCommerce Developers
At Brilliance, we go through an extensive process to find the right people. We have refined our hiring process several times to identify and attract the best fits for the position. We’ve worked hard to build and maintain our A-Team of developers.
When looking to hire a new member of your development team, you most likely will not find any one person to meet all the detailed inventory of your needs. So, plan to do extensive training and focus your hiring on these two parts:
- Technical Exam - We require a technical exam that takes several hours of commitment by the candidate to show us they know what they’re doing and perform a deep dive into some, but not all, of the skills required. One of our experienced developers performs a mini-code review of the exam results with the candidate when they come in for an interview.
- Great Cultural Fit - It’s important to find an eCommerce developer who fits into your company’s culture. We use our company values in our hiring process, and ask candidates how they demonstrate and embody those values. We like to use a panel interview to show the candidate the importance that this hire represents for us. This also gives all the panel members a chance to hear the same answers from the candidate. Our panel includes a senior level manager, direct manager, project manager, and a peer.
Taking the Time for Training Your eCommerce Developer
At Brilliance, we also have a 3- to 6-month long onboarding process for training new developers and getting them up to speed. Of course, they need to get to know processes, customer-specific situations, and our tribal knowledge. Usually, they need additional technical training on specific tools and platforms beyond the basics and even advance knowledge of the languages. But, it’s also important to engage them in practical projects as quickly as possible so they can contribute in a tangible way. This is usually done by having them interface and work with other developers on a project, which improves the development experience as well as the outcome.
The A-Team Alternative
It has taken a lot of time and effort to establish these systems, to put together an A-team of developers and stay up-to-date on the skills needed for the work of eCommerce development.
Companies who are considering taking on an eCommerce project on their own should be aware of these challenges. It’s not that easy! This is why Brilliance offers not only eCommerce development but also eCommerce maintenance packages.
You may have developers who know your internal systems really well. We encourage our customers to bring in their internal developers to work alongside the Brilliance team and even take over the site after the major development is done.
We work closely with our clients’ development teams during an eCommerce build. There are training options for many platforms to teach your team the basics, and we are able to help your team take the next step after their training. But adding a new technology to someone’s skill “stack” is challenging. One thing we do a lot for our clients is field questions from their internal developers when they get in over their heads.
Perhaps the best option isn’t to try to hire an internal eCommerce developer for your company, and instead… "If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire…” the Brilliance A-Team. (Nod to my 80’s brethren).
What plans or goals do you have for your company’s online sales? Reach out to Brilliance and we can help you figure out what it takes in terms of talent and technology to reach them.
