These days, good employees can play as much of a role in retailers’ success as the right merchandise and level of customer engagement. That’s why it’s important to take a strategic approach to the employee selection process. Here are four steps that will help you to hire the right retail staff for your store.
1. Define what you’re looking for.
Carefully consider the position you’re trying to fill and what skills and personality traits are required to fill it. For example, if you own a chic women’s apparel store, you’ll want someone who understands and follows the latest fashion trends, who truly enjoys interacting with customers, and is eager to develop relationships with shoppers to cultivate repeat business. The better your definition of what the ideal candidate for the position looks like, the better your chance to hire the right employee.
2. Get the word out.
Advertising isn’t the only way to find candidates. Use as many vehicles as possible to get the word out that you’re looking to hire the right retail staff. This means social media, family, friends, and any professional networks to which you may belong.
3. Recruit sales associates from other retail shops.
Go to stores in your area that are similar to yours in terms of the merchandise they sell. Put on your “customer hat” and act like a shopper, then see if any sales associates impress you. Invite those who do to interview with you.
4. Ask the right questions.
Unless you’re very specific in the questions you ask potential hires and unless you probe deeply, the odds that you’ll hire the right retail staff won’t necessarily be stacked in your favor. In addition to the standard questions about their experience and education, find out:
- How would candidates handle various situations? This helps to predict future behavior. Some sample questions might include, “Tell me about a time when a customer was being difficult. What tactics did you try? What was the outcome?” or “What would you do if a customer tried to return an article of clothing they had clearly worn?” or “What questions would you ask a customer in helping her choose from between two items?” or “Tell me about a time when a customer was only planning to buy one item, and you persuaded him or her to buy more than that.”
- What motivates candidates to work harder? For instance, do they enjoy being given their own area of responsibility in the store? Until you know what motivates people, you won’t know whether you can offer it — and you can’t hire the right retail staff.
- Are candidates self-aware? Ask them to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Individuals who are self-aware are more willing to go the extra mile.
- How do candidates fare in role-playing situations? Being told how prospective employees have handled sticky situations and being shown that they can do so, are two different things. To hire the right retail staff, you need a demonstration. So put interviewees through at least one role-playing scenario; for instance, pose as a difficult or irate customer and ask prospects to step into your shoes and address the problem.
No retailer wants to select the wrong employees and bear the cost of replacing them. Use the above four steps to increase the likelihood that you’ll hire the right retail staff the first time around.
