Ecommerce Manager Interview Question:

Tell me where will the e-commerce team work-headquarters or dot-com talent centers?

Submitted by: Muhammad

For many CEOs, the answer to this question may seem obvious. Most organizations believe it is imperative that the e-commerce organization reside at headquarters in order to build rapport and partnerships with cross-functional colleagues. This will help support an integrated business culture that will legitimize e-commerce within the rest of the organization and ensure that it stays close to the center of the business.

However, some retailers, including one well-known big-box brand, have built e-commerce teams in locations away from the company headquarters, reasoning that it would be easier to attract top talent to an alternate city. For example, the San Francisco area, because of its wealth of relevant talent, has become a popular spot for locating these separate e-commerce units. One catalyst for locating the team away from headquarters might be when a medium-sized e-commerce organization is growing to the next level, and will require more sophisticated e-commerce expertise and leadership-leadership that may not be easily attracted to the headquarter's location. Some retailers have concluded that for an e-commerce organization to thrive, it needs to sit elsewhere to get out of the shadow of the stores-truly making it a separate division-and that, again, means locating it near e-commerce talent centers.
Submitted by: Muhammad