How To Look After Your eCommerce Team This Black Friday

This time of year can feel pretty relentless when you’re working in eCommerce. The atmosphere in the run up to Black Friday can feel electric, but it’s intense too. You’re under pressure to prepare for the influx of online shoppers and to top last year’s results. Then when that’s all done and dusted, you’ve got January sales to look forward to. More often than not, the workload is absurdly heavy and work-life balance goes out of the window. But, there are lots of ways you can look after your eCommerce team and support them to handle the demands:

Focus on wellbeing

Wellbeing should come first, unconditionally. But it’s time to step it up even more. On top of your usual wellbeing perks or activities, consider additional support in the run up to Black Friday. Here are some ideas:

• Run a short meditation session – According to Headspace, meditation can reverse the impact of stress and improve focus and productivity. So, we’re sold! There are plenty of free 3-5 minute guided meditations available online.  
• Provide snacks – Sometimes the little things are what make people feel cared for the most! Free snacks are a great way to boost energy at a busy time and are a nice money saver for your team too. 
• Set up a mindfulness station – Create a comfy space in the office where people can escape from their screens. The colouring books at the mindfulness station in our office go down a treat:

It goes without saying that you should be encouraging everyone to take proper breaks too.

Regular check-ins

Show your team that they’re supported by setting up regular check-ins. Start by simply asking your team members how they are. It’s not costly. It’s not complex. But it shows you care. Beyond this, regular check-ins will help you to:

• Keep everyone motivated and focused on the end objective
• Assess how the team is managing the workload
• Address any challenges quickly
• Provide guidance to team members if needed
• Stay agile. It’s Black Friday, so (not to sound pessimistic but…) something will inevitably go wrong. Keeping lines of communication open will help you to adapt to changing circumstances

Encourage a collaborative environment

As the Black Friday pressure mounts, ensure that everyone in the team has a platform to share their ideas and voice their challenges. You want everyone to feel comfortable discussing these things and to seek help when it’s needed – because a problem shared is a problem halved. A collaborative environment is great for boosting team spirit too, which is more important than ever when the going gets tough.

Bring the hype

Black Friday is a high-energy event, so you need to channel the energetic atmosphere into a hub of excitement. This behind the scenes video of Black Friday at Gymshark is exactly what we’re talking about. Their HQ is practically overflowing with excitement and team spirit:

Post-event debrief

After the Black Friday dust settles you need to gather the whole eCommerce team together for a debrief session. This is your chance to get better as a team by identifying areas for improvement, and gathering insights for the future. Plus, this is a great opportunity for you to discuss what went well and celebrate your achievements together. 

If you’re looking to grow your eCommerce team, get in touch with our specialist eCommerce recruiters today. We know the landscape inside out, so know exactly where to find the most skilled people to complete your team.

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