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Podcast (10k-podcast): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:38 — 25.1MB)
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When it comes to hiring and processes, we need to know where to find capable staff, define their roles and make sure they have a process to follow.
At what point should you be looking to hire people?
Maybe at the $500k/year OR 30 SKUS mark.
Project Manager
When do you need one?
A number of SKUs/complexity determines this.
$500K/30 SKUs – need a project manager – too much for one person
So maybe hire a part-time project manager.
What does a project manager need to do?
Don’t have to be an Amazon specialist.
Their job is like lean manufacturing: deal with bottlenecks and mistakes.
They make sure jobs are done and done correctly.
It’s better to order a “lean” expert or a “sigma-6 green belt”.
Out of 700 processes maybe 72-100 are Amazon specific.
Rest is things like: How do you hire someone? What is the email sequence?
What is “sigma-6 ”?
It’s a ready-made control quality and system development process.
What is the difference between Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)?
A quality Assurance manager develops and maintains the processes. They do periodic audits of the system.
The Quality Control Inspector inspects and then reports on the staff’s use of the processes.
Your “C” level or CEO or COO will be QC inspector when it’s a really small company.
For slightly larger companies, the project manager typically plays the role of Quality Control Inspector.
But once you get over 15-20 people, you’ll need to have a specific Control Control Inspector -they would be the Amazon experts in TOS/legal compliance when hiring and processes are in place.
How do you hire a part-time Project Manager?
There are numerous places – don’t look for an Amazon specialist; look for a project management specialist.
The PM (Project Manager) is there trying to locate the bottlenecks and mistakes for the QC inspector to give you feedback and then they implement the fixes when hiring and processes are involved.
In the online world, you need to make sure they are proficient in the practice of choice. E.g. familiar with sigma 6 -and proficient in the tools of choice.
onlinejobs.ph is good but they are tabbed out – not enough people to fill roles.
If they were any good, they’d already had a job.
Hiring a PM in-house is ideal.
GoHire () software does a bunch of things – it’s for North America.
Look in the real world!
Reed uses Gohire programme – it goes out to ZipRecruiter etc.
There are systems out there to spread it out for you.
The key is the actual HR process. Asking the right questions.
You’re the visionary, not the HR person.
Defining Roles in hiring and Processes
Define the role – maybe it’s something you as the founder want to have a hand in.
Project managers need to be more problem-solving.
Broad recruiting Process:
Job Role
Job ad
Send it out
Interviews
Job offers/contract
Company email address
Onboarding Process after hiring
Initially, they hired someone but didn’t have an onboarding process.
It made issues down the line. You need to help them to succeed at the beginning.
ecomprocess itself
Started early 2018.
The company’s employees are “certified” by Amazon and the employees have to take tests that are certified by Amazon. 1 test is publicly available but access to another four tests is limited to Reed’s company.
What is the agency/consulting all about?
Special selling point – relationship with Amazon – safer suspension protection (know the Amazon TOS).
If you’re not on the list, Amazon will start revoking the permissions.
Vendor Central market – if you’re not making around $10m a year, you’re getting kicked out.
How to hire more lower-level staff
A generalist is a difficult beast to find. If you find them, they’ll move up to a project manager role.
If you can internally bring people up to higher roles, that’s always best.
You need to look for people who
- Show up – there’s a mentality online that they’re on their own staff.
They use HubStaff to track time to get control. You set them up simply and have an onboarding
Process where PM brings them onboard to Trello board where they are responsible.
15 minutes – please do this over and over again.
Micro-managing
If you have processes in place, you shouldn’t need to micro-manage; you should just check the task management software. Be a project manager, not a people manager.
Have columns for:
- In process
- Delay (notes)- you’ll get an alert – so as PM, that’s where you would work.
- So it’s about finding bottlenecks and getting rid of them.
Hiring a customer service worker
Look for a BPO – someone who has worked in the BPO system – (Business Operation)
Look for a detail person. Someone who knows how to read English and tick a box. It should be easy if the system is there.
ecomprocess itself
The SOPs and system have been developed from the consulting side.
The company’s employees are “certified” by Amazon and the employees have to take tests that are certified by Amazon. 1 test is publicly available but access to another four tests is limited to Reed’s company.
What is the agency/consulting all about?
Special selling point – relationship with Amazon – safer suspension protection (know the Amazon TOS).
If you’re not on the list, Amazon will start revoking the permissions.
Vendor Central market – if you’re not making around $10m a year, you’re getting kicked out.
What do you offer at ecomprocess?
5 Part “Scale Fast Using Outsourcing” email course (Free)
Where Reed goes over all of the minutiae of hiring offshore talent efficiently and effectively.
Minutiae of hiring offshore talent.
Process Delivery System (SaaS)
700 processes available cross-platform across all different task management software, e.g., Trello, Asana, Click-up, Monday,
The processes are locked down not changeable.
Cost below $1500 – look for the latest offer
Executive Package for larger companies
This is when you get your own copies of SOPs on Word documents and PDFs.
Around $3000 cost.
In both cases, eCom-process will keep the SOPs updated as needed.
Consulting
Atlantic East Consulting Agency is a brand management agency. Typically work with 7-figure and above clients – focusses on helping businesses scale fast and state compliant with Amazon standards.
Go to ecomprocess.com to check them out and mention Michael Veazey and the 10K Collective podcast for special treatment!
If you want to learn more about Reed Menssa and AZ Analyser click here.
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