Recruiting the best candidates for retail roles is essential for the success of any retail business. Having the right team in place can make a significant difference in customer satisfaction, sales, and overall store performance. Below is a guide that you may find helpful to structure your recruitment process in order to attract and hire top-notch talent for your retail positions.
Write Your Job Spec
Creating a comprehensive job specification is the first step in attracting the right candidates. It ensures that both you and the candidates share the same expectations about the position. Your job spec should include the job title, general duties, day-to-day responsibilities, a brief company overview outlining your company’s culture and values, job location, and working hours, including likely shift patterns and contracted hours. Including these elements ensures candidates have a clear understanding of what the role involves and whether it aligns with their expectations and career goals.
List Your Must-Have Skills and Attributes
Identifying the essential skills and attributes for the role is critical. These should be based on the duties listed in your job spec and the characteristics of successful past hires. Some examples of “Must have” skills might include the ability to work certain shift, a particular visa, command of the English language and some customer-facing experience. Your “would like to have” attributes could range from previous experience in a deli or food retail store to experience using a particular POS system, or leadership potential.
Compile Your Questions to Reflect Your Desired Attributes
To effectively assess candidates, develop a set of questions that reflect the skills and attributes you are looking for. For example, if Customer Service Skills is high on your must-have list perhaps you include a question such as “Can you describe a time when you turned a dissatisfied customer into a happy one?”. You can choose the skills that are most valued by you and compose a question on each topic. By scoring each answer, you can objectively compare candidates and ensure you are making the best hiring decision.
Prepare Your Pitch
The interview is a two-way process. While an interview is an important opportunity for you to fully screen candidates, it’s equally important to sell the role and your company to them. The second half of the interview should involve:
→ Detailed Role Explanation: Clearly explain what the job entails, including tasks, responsibilities, and expectations.
→ Benefits and Opportunities: Highlight the benefits of working with your company, such as employee discounts, health benefits, training programs, and career progression opportunities.
→ Success Stories: Share examples of employees who have thrived in your company, demonstrating the potential for growth and success.
This not only gives candidates a clear picture of what to expect but also gives you the chance to portray your company as an attractive place to work.
Reply to Each Candidate Promptly
Prompt communication is crucial. Whether you are offering the job, rejecting a candidate, or inviting them for a second interview, timely responses are essential. News travels fast, and a local store that doesn’t respond to applications or inform candidates of their status after an interview will likely see a drop in applications as word spreads. Additionally, as a retailer recently pointed out to me, these job seekers are often our customers first. Therefore, it’s crucial to protect the store’s reputation, regardless of the interview outcome! Clear and respectful communication enhances your company’s reputation and ensures candidates are not left in limbo.
Job Offer
When making a job offer, be enthusiastic and positive. Outline all benefits, big or small, to show the full value of the offer. Follow up verbal offers with a detailed written offer letter which includes; job details, salary, all immediate or long-term benefits, acceptance deadline, start date, and next steps.
Call for Backup
For junior roles, having a second opinion in the same interview can be beneficial. For more senior roles, conducting a second interview with another interviewer helps ensure a well-rounded assessment of the candidate.
Trust Your Gut
While structured interviews and scoring matter, trusting your gut is important too. If a candidate feels like a great cultural fit and matches your company values, that’s a strong sign they are right for you!
For more information call us on 01 814 8747 or email nikki@excelrecruitment.com.
