Retail Radar – Retail recruitment and turnover. Challenges and solutions

In recent years, the retail sector has faced increasingly complex challenges in finding and retaining qualified personnel, especially for the role of Sales Assistant. These difficulties are compounded by a number of factors that make talent recruitment and retention a real undertaking.

1. The Attractiveness of New Digital Jobs
   Young talents are increasingly attracted to new digital jobs that offer the freedom to manage their time and activities. These works not only allow greater flexibility, but also offer ample opportunities to express their creativity and there is a widespread opinion that they can earn a lot with little effort. In comparison, retail work is perceived as less challenging, more rigid and less paid.
2. The Perception of the Role
   There is a widespread perception that sales assistant work is too humble and not very “cool”. It often involves repetitive and over-operational activities, feels like the lowest rung on the ladder and feels that the role is not properly valued compared to other professions. In addition we see the climb to professional success as a path too long and tiring, missing the immediate gratification that we are now accustomed to find in other areas of life.
3. The New Communication
   Today, much of the social interaction takes place through social media, where relationships develop less directly and more mediately than the face-to-face contact typical of sales assistant work. This cultural change can, in our opinion, have a significant impact on the choice to join this world. New generations are used to establishing online relationships and may find it uncomfortable to have to interact directly and immediately with customers, a crucial aspect of retail work.
   The mandatory and subordinate nature of these interactions – where the assistant has to “serve” the client – can be particularly burdensome. For many, the transition from mediated communication, offering a certain distance and control, to a personal and direct relationship can be perceived as an uncomfortable and stressful experience.
4. Leadership and Coaching
   Another important problem is the lack of specific training for these roles. Many companies do not invest enough in training and developing sales assistants’ skills, and they train little leaders on how to motivate and manage their teams. Without effective guidance and proper support, it is difficult for sales teams to maintain high levels of motivation and performance. The lack of these skills in managers can lead to ineffective management, further increasing staff turnover.

But what are the solutions to Improve Engagement and Attract Talent to the Retail world? That’s what we think.

To effectively address retail recruitment challenges, a strategic and well-structured approach is crucial. Here’s where to start:

THE MISSION
The cornerstone is the creation of a strong brand identity that serves not only external customers, but also all internal teams. What is the mission of the brand? Why does it exist and what makes it worthy of being represented and purchased? A reason aimed at improving life, status, society, the world, the environment, a reason “high” and engaging. Whether there’s a clear mission or not, it’s time for organizations’ leaders to identify or reinvent it and use it as a guide for all departments, as well as customers. A well-defined mission facilitates the creation, sale and purchase of products. Simon Sinek, in a famous and now dated Tedex, stressed the importance of starting from the “why”.
We still find it topical and highly effective.

“People don’t buy what you do, people buy why you do it”.

Here the link for those who want to learn more
https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?utm_source=rn-app-share&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tedspread

FUN
In addition to a strong identity and clear leadership, organizations should ensure that work is fun and satisfying for all employees, regardless of the role they hold. By “fun” we mean work that somehow encourages creativity; by “satisfying”, we assign tasks that can be completed during working hours and for which employees receive feedback before returning home. It is essential to clearly explain the purpose of each task, so that each team member feels part of the company project.

TRAINING
Training is crucial and should be focused on the development of skills for this role while taking into account the characteristics of the new generations, such as the development of relational skills. But not only that, training should also be focused on developing skills for the role that the employee aspires to play in the future, this will create a stronger sense of belonging because it shows that the company invests in its future and its growth. This requires regular meetings throughout the year between employees and managers to define the growth path of each.

REWARDS AND GIFTS
It’s not just about rewards and benefits, but also about small gifts that employees can proudly use in their daily lives. A limited edition tote bag with the company’s logo, a custom power bank for the smartphone or, why not, the flagship of the collection or the possibility to choose a product each collection. Employees would become Brand Ambassadors and this will develop a greater sense of belonging.

TRUE LEADERS
Team leaders are key to engagement and talent retention. However, it is crucial that ideal leadership starts at the top of the organization. Corporate values will only be credible if the company itself believes in them. It is not enough for a good HR manager to write and disseminate them; the company must apply them concretely so that employees follow them and choose to take part in the project. The best leaders are those motivated to do well not for the economic result and prestige, but they are those who strongly believe in the corporate mission and use it to lead teams, and thanks to this they will reach and exceed every economic result and give an incomparable prestige to the company.

Let’s think about what “engages” society today, we all follow those who believe in what we believe in, the world is moved by inspiration and example. There are millions of influencers followed because they inspire people to want to be like them and those who are most successful are just the most authentic ones who really believe and love what they do. We believe that the talent retention mechanism is strongly linked to the new “rules” of today’s society and this is what should inspire all companies.

💬 Share the experiences and strategies you’ve adopted to attract and retain retail talent. Comment below and join the conversation!