Hiring a Head of E-commerce: assess commercial judgement

Write the role around decisions and authority

Specify the channel, customer groups, financial responsibility and team. Identify decisions about assortment, price, acquisition, technology and fulfilment, then state which belong to the role. List dependencies on store operations, finance, IT and procurement. Give the candidate enough context to understand the available authority. A leader accountable for online contribution needs access to the costs and service decisions that shape it. Agree a small set of outcomes for the opening phase, including diagnosis and operating changes that can reasonably be completed with the available resources.

Ask every candidate about comparable situations

Prepare core questions tied to the role and use them consistently. Ask candidates to describe a decision, the information available, alternatives considered, their own responsibility and the observed result. Follow up on what changed when the initial assumption proved wrong. The US Office of Personnel Management describes structured interviews as using predetermined job-related questions and a common rating approach. For a commercial leadership role, the practical benefit is a comparison based on the same work requirements and explicit evidence.

Use a retail case with an operational constraint

Provide an illustrative situation: a store network plans online delivery, demand is uncertain, stock accuracy varies and evening picking capacity is limited. Supply a small dataset with basket value, gross contribution, picking time, delivery cost and cancellation reasons. Ask the candidate to identify missing information, propose a bounded launch and explain the first decisions. Use the same materials and preparation time for each person. Keep the exercise short enough to discuss in an interview and ensure that the task tests the work expected in the role.

Evaluate the reasoning behind the recommendation

Look for explicit cost definitions, attention to customer promises and a realistic sequence of work. Ask how the candidate would learn whether the plan is working and what evidence would change it. Examine how they handle incomplete stock data, partner performance and a conflict with store management. A strong answer names the decisions requiring other managers and proposes a way to resolve them. Record strengths and open questions separately. Avoid rewarding a candidate simply for choosing the same fulfilment model that the interviewer prefers.

Check personal responsibility and previous outcomes

When a candidate presents a company result, ask what they personally decided, who else contributed and how the result was measured. Review the time period, starting position and external changes. Request appropriate references through the agreed recruitment process and with the candidate’s knowledge. Use a reference to clarify specific responsibilities or unresolved questions. Keep confidential business materials out of the exercise. The assessment record should show the evidence available for each important requirement and the additional question needed where confidence remains limited.

Compare evidence and prepare the first mandate

Have interviewers record their assessments before the group discussion. Compare candidates against the same requirements and explain material disagreements using their answers. Separate a skill gap that the team can support from a gap in authority or experience central to the role. Finish with a recommendation, remaining checks and a proposed opening mandate. If the person is hired, transfer the agreed priorities into onboarding, including stakeholder meetings, data access and the first review. The worksheet keeps interview evidence linked to the work the business expects.

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