Hiring in E-Commerce - Archelons' Story

The e-commerce sector in India is bubbling with activity. With the funds freely flowing from the VCs, the number of e-commerce companies has been on a continuous rise which has been buoyed by MakeMyTrip's listing on the NASDAQ. The emergence of new entrants also means an increased demand for skilled professionals in this particular industry.

The hiring in e-commerce domain is distinct from that in any other industry. It may be close but is definitely not the same as that in IT or Retail .

Archelons stepped in this industry with Flipkart as its client a few years back. Hiring began for what was a start-up and a relatively unknown name at that point of time. Our recruiters were as excited as those at Flipkart themselves while selling the job opportunity and the idea. And that enthusiasm in our recruiters continues till date. Whether it has been in partnering Flipkart since past few years or hiring for Letsbuy,UrbanTouch or recently funded Valyoo Technologies, the recruiters at Archelons understand the needs of the e-commerce industry. It is that understanding and the excitement of our team which has made us one of the most sought after recruitment partners for the e-commerce companies. ( Interestingly, as soon as an e-comm start-up receives its funding, we receive a call for its hiring mandate :))

So what is it that has made us a success in this domain ? It is an understanding of the following three things-

1. Since most, if not all, e-commerce companies are start-ups, it is important to find candidates who have a 'Start-up DNA' ie candidates who are excited about a concept, who are interested in building something new, those who want to be part of a success story and are not afraid to take risk. Those looking for a big brand name, a swanky office, loads of perks with pre-defined roles and growth path in an org with structured and pre-defined processes with sane people will very well stay away from a start-up. So, while hiring for e-comm it is important to identify the DNA.

2.Next comes the technical skill sets and knowledge. Most e-comm companies look at candidates with strong basics and great analytical abilities. A candidate may not have exceptional hands-on technical knowledge of a particular skill set or technology that the company works on. But if he has his concepts clear, is willing to learn and adapt and can logically make use of his mind ( which trust me, not many of us can do) , he is fit for the company. It is important for the candidate to be flexible and be able to evolve with the fast paced changes happening in the industry.

3.Generalists and not specialists are preferred in this industry since the candidate may be expected to wear many hats at the same time. Hence it becomes important that the candidate has a sense of responsibility and ownership towards his work.

While our team at Archelons, tries hard to source technically suitable candidates, we also devise ways and means to identify the presence or absence of the above traits. And it is these continuous efforts which help us garner appreciation from both the clients as well as the candidates.
So as long as the funds are flowing in and there is a hiring spree, we hope to ride the e-commerce wave Right on Top !

Enjobs - An Archelons Venture

Archelons recently launched Enjobs - a recruitment referral platform. It kickstarted its operations in Madhya Pradesh on 1st Oct 2011 and has already become a roaring success. In less than 2 months of its launch, it has managed to break-even.
The operations have now expanded to Punjab and very soon Enjobs plans to spread its reach pan - India. The initial partners have been HDFC Bank and the next tie-up will be with Sunlife.
It has begun with entry-level hiring for Banking & Insurance domain and will soon move into hiring in other domains as well.

HAPPY SOURCING

I recently recieved a mail from a client which was signed off as 'Happy Sourcing' . It immediately caught my attention. The line had a certain ring of positivity about it. Though it was written in plain black text, I could already imagine the line written in warm yellow with a big bright yellow smiley next to it !
'Happy Sourcing' is a very simple line, a line that recruiters would have so often repeated. Yet, the two mundane words are packed with a punch and can be interpreted in different ways -

It is a line with which every recruiter can start his day with - Happy Sourcing . Walking to his work station, carrying his laptop and morning cuppa coffee and carrying these two simple words in his attitude.

As the day at office progresses, a recruiter can have numerous reasons to be unhappy about - not getting the right candidate or not getting enough right candidates, clients not giving the shortlisting or shortlisted candidates not going for the interviews, candidates not getting offers or offered candidates not joining and so on. So amidst, all the disappointment, imagine the colleague sitting next to you turns around and says - 'Happy Sourcing'. I am sure to most of us it will either bring about a smirk or a smile. Either ways, it can infuse energy that can make the recruiter begin afresh.
'Happy Sourcing' can be understood in a completely different way as well. When I say 'Happy Sourcing' it can also mean I am happy sourcing. It means I am enjoying my work, enjoying recruitments and hence, I am happy sourcing.

So think about it, how would you like to interpret 'Happy Sourcing' ? Is it something that you would like to wish others or is it the state of mind you are in ?

Lest I keep you guessing what my interpretation would be, allow me to sign off by saying 'Happy Sourcing' !!!