You have to treat Web analytics positions with high priority and care. They are quickly becoming the hottest commodities in marketing departments. Just a few years ago it was a fight to get decision makers to acknowledge the legitimacy of having a Web analyst on the team. Now, they can’t find enough of them.
Recruiters often compare trying to find Web analysts and search professionals in major metropolitan areas to the nurse recruiting dilemma. You have to move quickly or they will be gone. Taken by your competitor who made an offer on the spot. If a Web analyst is on Monster.com, chances are he or she is already well into the interviewing process and may even have offers on the table.
All too often, clients lose great candidates because their hiring process is too long. Web analytics is not like IT where you can take your time making an offer and then make an offer expecting negotiation. If you get a great Web analyst to interview, I would suggest quickly making them an offer, maybe even on the spot, and be sure it’s a generous one. If you don’t, someone else will.
Web analysts know they are in demand and are more than happy to field all offers, even when they’re not actively looking. Make sure what you offer is consistent with the industry so that your analysts aren’t poached by other companies.
Look at Web analysts as the backbone of our modern day, interactive industry. I know it’s hard for some large corporations to understand Web analytics because it’s so new, but I plead with them to treat those positions with care and priority because companies will succeed or fail based on their decisions concerning Web analytics.
