CPG talent 2020

As we are going through a new norm in careers - job losses, new roles with no face to face interactions, furloughs & layoffs, Adam Rose & Sri Rajagopalan take on how recruiting is taking place these days. Candidates - you are seeing unprecedented changes in how interviews occur, and offers made. Here's what we discussed as Adam Rose shares his candid views on everything from LinkedIn profiles, to phone screening and how 'google analytics' is a must learn.

1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'CPG talent 2020'?

From the candidate’s perspective: Opportunity. Over the past few years, we’ve seen CPG companies really start to invest heavily in eCommerce. This investment isn’t slowing down anytime soon and, in fact, will likely be accelerated by increased consumer demand. Companies will need to hire larger eCommerce teams to meet this demand.

From the employer’s perspective: Competition. The eCommerce talent market is going to become increasingly competitive as companies fight for talent. Both talent acquisition and retention will be incredibly important to the success of their organizations. They’ll need to think of new ways to remain competitive such as offering more remote opportunities.

2. What comes to mind as attributes of the perfect talent in 2020?

I believe there are 3 Pillars of Top eCommerce Talent:

1. Entrepreneurial mindset: Understanding how to grow a business. What’s needed for both strategy and execution.
2. Ability to work cross-functionally: Winning eCommerce teams are highly collaborative and cross-functional.
3. Analytical: How do we measure KPIs and determine ROI? How do we make sense of all of the web analytics data that we have? How do we run and evaluate a/b tests?

3. What are typical things recruiters and HR look for in a great candidate in 2020? 

Relevant experience is the first thing that HR will look at to determine whether or not the candidate would be a good fit. They’ll look at their prior roles, responsibilities, skillset, and type of company or industry they’re coming from. Candidates will want to demonstrate that they can come in and hit the ground running. Then, soft skills come into play. HR will look at their communication skills, personality, and level of enthusiasm to determine if they’d be a good cultural fit and, as mentioned above, able to work well with others on the team cross-functionally.

4. Why does any role need a digital grounding these days?

There aren’t many businesses that don’t have a digital footprint. Even those in brick and mortar retail need to have a solid understanding of digital since all sales channels are becoming increasingly unified. Look at the increasing popularity of BOPIS - Buy Online Pick Up in Store for example.

5. What role does appearance play given everything is video these days?

Appearance has been moving pretty far down the list of what’s most important to hiring managers. Even if the broader organization is more formal, eCommerce teams tend to have a more casual culture. It’s the nature of technology-driven roles. eCommerce teams never see their customers. Many of my clients have me tell my candidates not to wear suits to their interviews since everyone else is business casual and they don’t want to make them feel uncomfortable. I find a more casual dress code to be a competitive advantage since most candidates prefer it. 

6, What do you look for in a resume or bio?

I love to see a relevant summary of qualifications at the top of the resume. Ideally, it’s a great idea to tailor your entire resume to the job you’re applying for but that obviously takes a lot of time and effort. At the very least, you can make sure that your summary of qualifications is laser-focused on the role you’re applying for so that the reader can see right away a) why you’re interested in the role and b) why you’d be a good fit for it. I also like to see specific examples of impact in the candidate’s roles such as “grew revenue 200% YoY”.

7. Cover letters? Dead?

Dead. I cannot tell you the last time I read a cover letter. The same information you would include in a cover letter can (and should) be baked into your resume. There’s plenty of room. I would focus your time and effort instead on tailoring your resume to the specific job you’re applying for each time.

8. What’s the role of LinkedIn? How best to navigate?

LinkedIn is where you’re able to demonstrate your personal brand. A resume can tell someone a lot about you but it can’t show them who you are like LinkedIn can. On LinkedIn, employers can view your profile photo, recent activity, comments, posts, shares, articles, and interactions. They can see your recommendations (given and received), links to your portfolio, attachments of work samples, and so much more. It is important to be mindful of this and keep your personal brand on point. Ask yourself how you’d like to be viewed on the platform by potential employers. 

9. How does a candidate prepare and be motivated for phone screening?

Interviewing is a skill just like any other and in order to master any skill, you have to practice it...a lot. The more you interview, the more comfortable you become and the better you get at it. This is incredibly important. You can have amazing educational credentials and incredibly relevant experience but if you come across poorly in an interview that can be a hard stop right there. Practice clear communication skills, your ability to read a room and adjust as needed or stop and ask if there are any questions, your ability to think on the spot, and always ensure you have an appropriate level of enthusiasm. Ask yourself if you’re coming across as someone you’d want to work with. Another tip for your phone interview: Smile. Even though interviewers can’t see you, they can “hear” your smile over the phone. It comes across in your tone and enthusiasm.

10. What advice do you give folks who aim to be the dream talent?

Continuously focus on personal and professional development. Learn as much as you possibly can. If you’re an eCommerce marketer, learn about merchandising, operations, fulfillment, creative, technology...everything. It’ll make you a better eCommerce marketer, allow you to see the bigger picture, and provide you with the tools needed to advance in your career in eCommerce.

In summary, these are unprecedented times, but if you're in eCommerce, the retail shift is happening quickly, and we wish you the best as you build out your digital career and shepherd us all through this transition.