How to Secure and Attract the Best Magento Candidates in 2022
By eCommerce

In the past year or two, the Magento market has become uber-competitive with regard to hiring the best talent. There is a natural shortage of candidates in comparison to the number of companies that are looking to hire. This has been driven by numerous factors but the most predominant one would be the change of direction the pandemic has caused for the eCommerce sphere. Online shopping was always on the rise, but this growth has been accelerated and many companies over the past couple of years have realised they will be left behind without shifting their efforts to online growth and have invested therefore heavily in their eCommerce platform.

This has subsequently left us where we are today, a candidate-driven market, which has made it much more challenging to make a hire and even more difficult to find the “perfect” candidate. In this article, I will delve into how to secure the best Magento talent in a niche and competitive market.

 

Run a Seamless Processes

After working in the staffing sector for several years. I’m convinced time is the biggest killer of getting the candidate over the line. A seamless process is underrated but also crucial. The Magento market moves so quickly I often see clients having far too many stages, elongated technical tasks or long-time frames between each step.

To get ahead of the competition in 2022, I suggest;

  • Keeping the interview process to no more than three stages
  • Same day feedback
  • Be flexible with timings, remembering candidates have a full-time job too
  • Ensure you have the position and salary signed off by the powers that be
  • Always be proactive in getting the availability from the candidate with regards to the next
  • Outlining the whole interview process to the candidate from the off

 

Lead with your best foot forward at offer stage

Many candidates may have countless processes with several pending offers. Companies are still sometimes low-balling candidates. The market is so competitive so trying to save a couple of thousand here or there could be detrimental. If a candidate has five offers it may not necessarily all come down to compensation but if you are offering average to low salaries, you will lose people to your competitors.

Things to consider around offers;

  • Don’t hesitate on an offer if you like the candidate, make the offer ASAP
  • Make the offer to the candidate directly, this has much more of a personal touch and will create more buy-in from the candidate
  • Consult your recruiter on their salary expectations and what the magic number is for them to sign
  • Put an expiry date on the offer, no longer than a few days – this will test commitment of the candidate

 

The “Overall Package”

When a candidate has multiple offers it can be just the finer details that may secure you the candidate over a competitor. In 2022 if you are offering poor benefits, unless your brand is phenomenal, or you pay an overinflated base salary you will struggle to secure the best Magento candidates on the market.

An enticing overall package could include;

  • No out-of-pocket Dental, Medical & Vision
  • A 401K match, 3-4% is pretty standard, so 6-8% would be strong
  • A signing bonus can be a way of getting the candidate over the line. These can range from 3K – 10K for developers.
  • A company bonus or performance bonus is something that I am seeing more and more too and can help strengthen the overall package
  • PTO – I see some companies offering 5 days and some offering 20+ or unlimited PTO
  • Remote working – The pandemic has left many of my candidates telling me they never want to return to the office. I’m starting to see talent being lost by companies who are insisting the return to the office is compulsory. With Technical candidates, I would strongly advise offering 100% remote. You open yourself up to so much more of the market too, take a look at our article on outsourcing within the eCommerce space to see how it can change the way you work.

Progression, Brand & why you?

When I speak to Magento candidates every day, one of the most common reasons why they want to leave is due to “hitting the glass ceiling” or lack of progression. Companies often focus so much on grilling the candidate technically, without telling them about the progression of the role and even selling the brand. This can leave an instant disconnect with the candidate from the start and throughout the process. I have also seen companies send technical challenges before speaking to a candidate, this is a huge failure in the process in my opinion as it turns senior candidates off.

I advise;

  • Selling the brand, company direction and progression of the role on the first call, alongside qualifying the candidate
  • Get the buy-in and excitement from the candidate before sending them technical challenges
  • Many first interviews are the same and could be very boring if the candidate is interviewing at multiple places. Stand out from the others. Tell them why they should join you and what is so great about the company, team, culture etc

To conclude, there are a far superior number of vacancies than there are top Magento candidates on the market, so consider these tips above to secure the best talent and do everything you can not to lose them to your closest competitors. At Adapt Talent we specialize in Magento Recruitment and eCommerce recruitment we have a range of openings where we can find you your perfect job in a company that suits your needs.

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