By David Brown. Originally published in Retail Jeweler.
Ask most store owners their list of favorite tasks and you’ll be unlikely to find hiring staff as one of the top ten. Few people enjoy the process, partly because of the time spent working through many applicants that may not be ideal, and partly due to the fear of getting the process wrong. Bad hiring can be a very expensive mistake in terms of lost sales, poor productivity and litigation for wrongful dismissal.
It doesn’t have to be that challenging. Following a few set rules and guidelines and simplify the process can save you time, and increase your chances of getting the right person for the job. Here’s our list of recommended tasks to stack the odds in your favor.
- Have a clear job description. If you don’t know what you are looking for your chances of finding it will be close to zero. Many managers hire the first person with a pulse and spend the next few months regretting their decision. If you can define what you are looking for and clearly state it in your ad you’ll increase your chances immeasurably.
- State what you don’t want. This is not about discriminating but in terms of being clear who this job will not suit. Doing so will help to eliminate those who aren’t suitable from the very beginning without chewing up your time during the recruiting process.
- Look for transferrable skills. Many hirers look for previous experience in the jewelry industry. What they really want is someone with strong customer relations skills who can present well, is not afraid of selling glamour or high end and has good attention to detail. I know one jeweler who regularly targeted staff who had worked in the cosmetic industry because they ticked all the boxes. Choosing the right skills comes first, the rest can be taught.
- Talk to your staff. Often your staff can be a great source of staffing leads. Who have they been impressed by during their shopping experiences? Who do they know? They will be reluctant to recommend a poor performer as it will add to their own workload and involving staff can help them buy in to the experience. Consider having senior staff sit in on the recruiting process – more than one set of eyes will help.
- Always ring their references. It’s often surprising how often this isn’t done…then a problem employee is later discovered to have been difficult at their last job also. One of the best questions to ask former employers is “would you hire them again?” If they hesitate before replying you have your answer!
- Sell the Benefits of your Company. Just because there are 80 applicants doesn’t mean the ball is all in your court. The best employees will have the pick of positions and will want to know why they should work for you rather than someone else. In your job ad talk about why your company is unique – you will attract a better class of applicant if you look like the place to work.
- Ask Good Questions. So often the interview process can be a monologue from the interviewer with little opportunity to really find out about the potential recruit. The quality of the interview outcome will be directly related to the quality of the questions asked during the interview process.
- Give yourself time. A hasty or rushed recruiting process can lead to errors and mistakes. Make sure you give yourself sufficient time to work through each stage. The more senior the position the more time you should give it.
- Score your applicants. It’s very easy to be subjective when comparing applicants but determining a list of key criteria and rating each applicant on their ability to meet that area will help you stay objective during the process
Recruiting can be an intimidating process but planning it well will go a long way towards getting the maximum value and ensuring your business has the best staff for the road ahead.
David Brown is President of the Edge Retail Academy, an organization devoted to the ongoing measurement and growth of jewelry store performance and profitability. For further information about the Academy’s management mentoring and industry benchmarking reports contact inquiries@edgeretailacademy.com or Phone toll free (877) 5698657.
Originally published in Retail Jeweler.