Tag: benefits

Benefits when attracting and retaining staff

Benefits when attracting and retaining staff

Posted on | by Excel Recruitment

Most retailers are facing a significant increase in their wage budget from this January. This increase, coupled with additional sick days, the upcoming new February bank holiday costs and imminent pension auto-enrolment is forcing employers to look at more creative ways of attracting and retaining staff that won’t break the bank. We have seen that whilst staff won’t stay in a job where they feel undervalued or underpaid, money is not the main driving factor most employees consider when making a move.

With this in mind, we have reached out to various retailers and retail managers across the grocery industry to provide a list of bonuses and benefits you can consider adding to your package which may help when it comes to attracting new staff as well as retaining your current team.

Work Life Balance

This comes in the form of advanced rotas, flexible shifts, remote or hybrid working patterns, scheduling weekend off rotations, reduced contract hours, or job sharing. The focus on Work-life balance has never been higher – with more and more candidates citing this as their main motivating factor when looking for a move. Whilst remote working is often not a viable option in our sector, many retailers have been working to improve contracted hours or offer a little more flexibility to their teams, and have been reaping the rewards of lower staff turnover as a result.

Travel

Company car and fuel allowance are not always viable benefits you can offer. But the bike to work and the Annual Tax Saver Travel schemes are benefits most businesses can offer at a relatively low cost which add real value to their workforce. I’ve seen roles that require travel advertised without the mention of a car, mileage or fuel allowance. Only to find out these roles offered fully expensed company vehicles, but they had not thought to include this as a perk in their job ad. I’m confident this would have deterred numerous suitable candidates from applying.

Discounts

Many retailers offer in-store staff discounts, ranging from free or subsidized lunches or coffees to 20% off their weekly shop. However, these discounts are often only disclosed when a new employee starts – rather than as part of the advertising campaign or even offer letter. Another great and highly valued perk comes in the form of group discounts. It is often worth reaching out to local businesses and asking if they will offer a small discount for your staff in return for the same for theirs. Many local gyms will also offer discounts when approached and being able to offer discounted or subsided gym membership is a substantial perk to many. I have seen discounts on everything from childcare and chemists to driving lessons and bakeries – it takes a little leg work but definitely worth the effort!

Annual Leave

Annual leave can be a deal breaker for many candidates when it comes to accepting a new role. Increasing annual leave with length of service is a wonderful way of rewarding and retaining those with the most experience in your business. “Birthday days off” is another benefit that has a significant impact on culture and retention. A number of retailers give their staff one additional day’s leave to be taken on their birthday. Obviously this incurs a cost to the store, but this novel incentive has such a positive impact on staff that I think it’s a worthwhile one to consider.

Employee Engagement Initiatives

These are less tangible and usually less costly, but that’s not to say they are any less impactful. Arranging initiatives or small incentives to keep employees feeling appreciated or part of a team goes a long way. Ideas here range from birthday cakes and celebrations to involving store staff in charity walks, fundraising drives, or community clean-ups. Employee recognition schemes – from €5 store vouchers for “staff member of the day” to employee awards events add to the sense of accomplishment and teamwork in most businesses and are a great way to build a positive culture in which people are reluctant to leave! Perhaps include Christmas parties or team bonding events to your list of benefits, if this is something you offer. Or maybe something to consider if you don’t.

Statutory

Don’t forget to include all those benefits employees can now avail of – regardless of whether they are something your business started or which is now mandated, such as sick pay, upcoming pensions, maternity leave, paternity leave, or parental leave.

Employee wellness

Many employers are offering Employee assistant programs or mental health days. Others offer discounts on doctor’s or dental visits. Healthcare insurance can be an overburdening cost to many retailers, but you may find – with a little research – a health insurer willing to offer a small discount to your staff.

Training

Nearly all the retailers I speak with offer excellent training and development as well as ample opportunities for growth and career development. This is certainly a perk worth shouting about as it is one of the highest-ranked benefits cited by employees looking for a move. If you offer mentoring and coaching to new employees, access to e-learning platforms, or indeed the opportunity to avail of further education it’s definitely worth shouting about.

Every Little Counts

In my experience, it’s worth listing every benefit you can offer – it really may be the difference between someone accepting or declining your job, or indeed the difference in one of your team accepting or declining a job offer from a competitor! Feel free to list everything from “free parking” and “free uniform” to “great location” and “competitive pay rates” – as they say – every little helps!

Shout it from the Rooftops (or Store Fronts)

It’s worth noting that the retailers who are most successful at attracting talent directly are the ones who shout loudest about their benefits. If you go onto the website of some of the most well-known value retailers, you will see their benefits highlighted on every page. Yet many other retailers offer similar if not better benefits and they are nearly a secret! My advice, for what it’s worth, is to list every single benefit – from statutory sick days, training programs, and EAP to Bike to Work and free coffees. It makes potential new hires take notice and potential leavers think twice!

You can check out this feature in the most recent edition of ShelfLife Magazine here. For more information call us on 01 814 8747 or email nikki@excelrecruitment.com

You can view all of our live jobs here

 

Why use a recruitment agency

Why use a recruitment agency?

Posted on | by Excel Recruitment

Having grown up in the world of independent retail, our Director of Grocery Retail, Nikki Murran, has first-hand knowledge of the difference employing a recruitment agency can make in the quest for good staff. Highlighting the advantages in the article below.

With many retailers still reeling from the cost increases they have shouldered in the last couple of years it’s understandable that they may take pause before committing to paying a recruitment fee for a new hire. Now, I may be biased, (actually I am definitely biased) but, from over a decade of experience and client feedback I absolutely see it as money well spent. Here are the reasons why:

Industry experts and market insights

When you partner with an agency, you should choose one who are specialists in their field. Or, have a specialist department that recruit for your field. My team all come from grocery retail. We all know a good store manager when we see one, we all know the difference between a deli manager and a deli supervisor, a scratch baker, and a confectioner. In the same way that my colleague who runs the fashion department can recognise the difference between a high street retailer and a luxury one! It’s what we do!

Having an industry expert recruiter on your side means they always have a read of the current market. They should keep you updated on salary trends in the market or what candidates are looking for to make a move. They should give you direction, guidance, or feedback when you register a job, making sure you are putting your store in the best position to attract the best candidates. This is surprisingly rarely about money – often it’s some flexibility around shift patterns, contracted hours, job titles, or review periods. But the point is, a good recruitment partner will help you frame your job to make it as attractive as possible, without forcing you outside of your budget!

A good rule of thumb here is if a recruitment agency hasn’t compiled a salary survey specific to your industry each year for the past couple of years, they are unlikely to be a real expert in that field.

Employer branding

With the Irish market hovering around the perfect unemployment mark the last couple of months – now is more important than ever to make sure your brand as an employer is landing well. A good agency will likely have a read of the market perceptions about your brand and will give you some honest feedback when asked. A great agency will help shape your employer brand message and project it out into the market.

We make it a point to find out all the great things about your store and role and use these to help attract the best candidates for you.

Talent pool

If you are advertising for your current open role, chances are you are confined to candidates who are job-seeking this week, candidates who are applying for roles that match their experience, candidates who are applying to the salary range you have on offer, and candidates who managed to find your job ad amongst 100’s of others. It’s a pretty narrow field when you think of it like that.

Excel Recruitment has over 90,000 candidates on our database. The vast majority of placements we make, come, not from candidates who apply at the right time, for the right role. Rather, they are from candidates who applied over the last year or so and spoke at length to a recruiter about their experience and skill set and what they are looking for in their next move. When we get the right role in – we then reach out to the right candidate – it’s like a jigsaw! So, we deal with a much larger pool of candidates for your job than you could likely hope to.

We also love the saying “Great people know great people.” Most of my own placements come through recommendations, clients recommend me to each other, and candidates do the same. In fact, most of my conversations seem to start with “such and such” passed me on your number!

Bang for your buck!

I grew up in the world of independent retail. When our family store was looking to recruit a new store manager, maybe 15 years ago now, I knew the money to cover that was coming, not from some head office fund, but out of the store’s bottom line. With this in mind, I was sure that we should try to find the right candidate ourselves before trying an agency.

We spent a considerable amount of money on advertising; in a newspaper, two online job boards and on a radio station. We spent hours sifting through applications and met every applicant who had ever worked in retail management. It was all a waste of money and time. When we reached out to Excel Recruitment (plug, sorry – but we did!) they had candidates for us within a week. The guy we hired increased the margin within 6 months, and more than covered the fee we had paid.

Really, in a management or specialist role, when you compare the cost of the placement to the value that candidate will bring to your bottom line it’s a no-brainer! Especially considering if you don’t hire someone you don’t pay anything!

Hassle-free

Time is the one thing every retailer I know is short on. Using an agency means that after one detailed phone call, you have a team of recruiters working on your role. They will advertise your job, source candidates, sell them the benefits of your business, set up interviews, follow up on feedback, offer the job at your direction, deal with messy counter offers, and complete verified reference checks. They basically take most of the pain out of the recruitment process for you!

You can check out this feature in the most recent edition of ShelfLife Magazine here. For more information call us on 01 814 8747 or email nikki@excelrecruitment.com

You can view all of our live jobs here

Retail staff

Ireland’s Retail Sector on the Verge of Severe Staffing Crisis

Posted on | by Editorial Team

The trajectory of job postings for the retail sector is on a consistent upward trend, having more than doubled from 1,578 in February 2021 to 4,258 in February 2022[1]. Excel Recruitment, the leading retail recruitment specialists in Ireland, is warning that the retail sector could be the next industry to face a serious and damaging staffing crisis, something akin to that currently being suffered in the hospitality sector. Excel Recruitment is advising retail employers throughout the country about the necessary steps they can take to mitigate this shortage and make their industry a more attractive prospect for workers.

Aislinn Lea, Director of Fashion and Non-Food at Excel Recruitment commented,

“The industry data paints a stark picture – between 2019 and 2021, the number of retail job seekers per retail job vacancy had been increasing year on year. However, since then it has dipped significantly and in February 2022 there were 39 job seekers per job, down from 78 job seekers per job in February 2021. What’s more, the number of employers with active retail job vacancies has now nearly tripled in the 12 months to February 2022 when it stood at 1,360 employers – up from 488 employers in February 2021[1].

Over the course of the pandemic, many people were out of work and/or on reduced hours – they had more time on their hands to really look at their careers, their lives, and what they want from both. As a result, we’ve seen thousands of workers change careers, upskill in their current industry, and/or just make the decision to strive for a better work-life balance.

That dynamic, combined with the fact that the industry has also missed out on approximately two years of new candidate intakes – due to workers either leaving the sector during Covid because of lockdowns and working restrictions, or indeed leaving the country – has left supply as a major issue, which continues to deteriorate.”

Ms. Lea commented,

“Retailers are facing an uphill battle, but we have identified a number of actions that employers can consider to allow them to attract the talent needed.

Many employers we speak with are disheartened because they say significantly boosting salaries to attract and retain workers is just not feasible now. However, money is not the only solution to the problem. Daily, I tell people that there are more ways to build the team you want and need in your business than by basing it on money alone.

Obviously, wages must be attractive to some degree – people need to be able to maintain a good standard of living from the remuneration they receive in the sector and salaries need to be competitive. But where we are seeing the real changes is in benefits, employer flexibility, and better working conditions.”

Addressing Employee Benefits

Excel Recruitment has outlined several key considerations for incentivising roles within the retail sector.

Ms. Lea commented,

“Working hours are a huge consideration for people. While working from home simply does not work in most cases; as an employer, you could explore how you might rejig the working week. Can you offer some weekend and evening flexibility in the structure? Candidates are looking for more flexibility so that they can plan their home lives accordingly. The introduction of every second weekend on/off is proving to be very popular amongst some of our retail partners.

Annual leave is another area where improvements can be made. We appreciate that the statutory entitlement is 20 days plus bank holidays. However, keeping in tune with trends regarding work-life balance and the fact that retail requires more flexibility, the need to offer more than 20 days is a must in retail management. We’re seeing a shift to 23-25 days’ holidays.”

The recruitment experts note that while pension schemes have long been an important benefit to employees, they are not necessarily often provided by employers and are an area where more businesses could review their policy and introduce attractive proposals for employees.

Ms. Lea commented,

“In addition, we are finding that incentives and benefits that focus on employee wellbeing, such as Employee Assistance Programmes are increasingly attractive – where staff are supported with free counselling services for work-related or personal problems.

Bonus schemes have become a benefit that not many managers take seriously. To work well, management needs to ensure bonuses are based on performance and sales but it is also extremely important to be more specific in outlining bonus details and conditions.

Softer incentives including referral schemes for new staff and/or loyalty bonuses, brand perks and discounts, and more personalised offerings such as uniform allowances, the Bike to Work scheme, birthdays off, gym memberships, and lunch allowances are becoming more common. Employer reward schemes and in-house awards that celebrate conscientious staff members also create engagement and can help increase staff motivation and morale.”

While there are many pathways open to employers regarding more diverse packages for employee benefits, Excel Recruitment says that employers must be active in advertising these to candidates.

Ms. Lea concluded,

“Creating these incentives is one element, but the next important step is to include these benefits and perks in any company vacancies or job advertisements so that potential employees can consider them alongside the job role. Candidates are looking for more, but it’s not just about money – the focus is increasingly about enjoying one’s career while having time to enjoy your life outside of work too.”

[1] Indeed Hiring insights – Retail category in Ireland

You can contact Aislinn for more information at aislinn@excelrecruitment.com. Please click here to search for all of our live retail roles.

Brexit

Brexit Benefits for the Irish Hospitality Industry

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

And how Excel Recruitment are insuring we’re ahead of the curve..

By Excel Recruitment’s General Manager Shane McLave

Brexit and its many possibilities and uncertainties has been one of the main topics of conversation for Irish businesses’ since the ‘Leave’ campaign’s win last June. While it’s still unclear what exactly Brexit will look like, Excel Recruitment have already begun taking steps to capitalise on its potential.

Brexit is undoubtedly going to have a massive effect on Ireland. It’s impact is already being felt on our tourism and hospitality trade with visitor numbers from the UK falling this year on the back of weak sterling. However, Britain’s exit may well turn out to be a good thing with Tourism Ireland getting creative and pursuing new markets in North America, Australia and Asia. This hard work is already paying off with visitor numbers from North America up 23%, followed by Australia, up 16%.

In recruitment terms, Ireland has the potential to become a seriously attractive location for both employers and employees. Huge media attention has been given to the chaos Brexit will cause the British hospitality industry with both the British Hospitality Association and Pret a Manger earlier this year, saying it would take 10 years to replace EU hospitality staff after Brexit. (The Guardian, March 17) The number of nurses from other EU countries applying to work in English hospitals has fallen by 96% since the referendum. (The Guardian, March 17) At the risk of being unneighbourly, Britain’s loss could stand to be Ireland’s gain. Young EU nationals eager to travel and gain experience in an English speaking country may now look to Ireland, where the future concerning visas (the cost of which alone will act as a deterrent), working rights and travel are clear cut, to expand their horizons. Not knowing what Brexit will look like may also encourage top Irish talent to stay at home and build their careers here.

The same need for consistency also exists within international businesses based in the U.K. Many keen to maintain close ties with Europe and avoid the red tape and uncertainty of whatever Brexit will be, may begin to look to Ireland as a place to set up operations. By setting up camp in Ireland, multi-national companies’ gain an English speaking workforce with a similar outlook, culture, laws and way of doing things while still benefiting from everything that comes with working within the EU. Ireland is 15 times smaller than Britain so it goes without saying gaining even a fraction of this FDI would make a massive difference.

Indeed, many corporations have already made the move. At least a dozen London city banks have already begun the process of moving some of their operations to Dublin with JP Morgan building a 22-storey tower on the south of the river Liffey and adding to their 500 employees here. (The Irish Times, July 17) This can only be a good thing for the Irish economy with more jobs, more people and more opportunities.

Excel Recruitment have continued to be proactive and stay ahead of the curve. We have actively begun recruiting within the UK and beyond. In recent months, we have placed a number of quality candidates from the UK in roles with our clients and we have seen our database of UK candidates increase dramatically. These candidates come from all sections and levels of the hospitality industry and are all looking to make a move into Ireland and begin working with our top-class clients.