Page 35 - GS170101
P. 35
CoverStory
Which merchant sales categories Payments employment outlook
made the grade?
To understand the hiring side of payments, Impact
The Electronic Transactions Association's U.S. Retail Holiday Spending Payments Recruiting revealed several trends that have
Report Card, powered by The Strawhecker Group, analyzed spending trends emerged. Candidates versed in regulatory technology, the
at 3.5 million card-accepting merchants in 27 retail categories based on prepaid sector, data science, content delivery, the payment
57 consecutive months of credit/debit same store sales data. To help ISOs facilitator model, ecommerce, mobile commerce, platform
chart a plan for targeting merchants with positive growth (A, B grade), flat integration and technology, in general, are in high demand
sales (C grade) or negative growth (D grade), results are as follows: right now.
Grade: A+ Impact Payments noted that job searches and clients looking
• Household appliance stores to fill positions didn't slow during the holiday season as
• Lumber and building materials stores they normally do. "It's innovation and new products and
new parts of their companies that they're developing right
Grade: A now, which makes it an exciting time to be a part of it all,"
• Automotive tire stores said J.T. Driscoll, President of Impact Payments Recruiting.
• Computer software stores
• Discount stores Payment companies today are seeking candidates from
• Floor covering, rug and carpet stores diverse backgrounds, not just payments. "They want
• Home furnishings and equipment stores strategic, innovative mindsets," said Marc Badalucco,
Director of Business Development at Impact. "Whether
Grade: B+ they've been in the trenches on frontlines or leading large
• Automotive parts, accessories stores teams, it doesn't matter what type of department, these
• Men's and boy's clothing stores guys and gals need to be able to roll up their sleeves."
Grade: B Both agreed that understanding and working with
• Auto and home supply stores independent software vendors and value added resellers is
• Gift, novelty and souvenir shops a beneficial asset for payments industry job seekers today.
• Hardware stores "They're looking for a sales rep that can be a sales rep, but
• Radio, TV and electronics stores is dangerous enough to be a presales engineer at the same
• Retail nurseries and garden stores time," Badalucco said. "Now that the economic conditions
• Shoe stores look favorable for business, the technology is just sitting
• Women's accessory and specialty stores there ready to go."
Grade: C General employment outlook
• Men's/women's clothing stores
• Miscellaneous general merchandise stores The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a low
• Miscellaneous furnishing specialty stores unemployment rate of 4.6 percent. And today's job market,
by most accounts, is more stable, competitive, specialized
Grade: D and dependent on part-time workers hired from the growing
• Book stores ranks of the "gig" economy where online marketplaces link
• Department stores candidates to work much as temporary staffing firms have
• Family clothing stores done, but with candidates in command of hours.
• Hobby, toy and game stores
• Jewelry, watches, clocks, silverware stores According to economists Lawrence Katz and Alan Krueger,
• Miscellaneous apparel and accessory stores from 2005 to 2015, the percentage of American workers
• Miscellaneous retail stores engaged in alternative work (defined as temporary help,
• Sporting goods and bicycle stores on-call, contract, independent contractor or freelance) rose
from 10.7 percent to 15.8 percent. "We find that 94 percent
of net job growth in the past decade was in the alternative
work category," Krueger stated.
to structure bundled offerings that help unify business The on-demand economy that is attracting this self-directed
functions in niche-specific markets. "The key is becoming workforce has also attracted 22.4 million consumers, who
a technology player, becoming specialized in a product or spend $57.6 billion annually for transportation, delivery,
service, and becoming vertically focused. From a merchant home services, freelance work, and health and beauty
perspective, payment is just another checkmark they need services, among other offerings, according to National
to set up, structure and help run their business." Technology Readiness Survey data.
35
