Tom Peters once asked a group of about 6000 retailers if they had a tough time hiring and keeping store associates. They responded with a hearty, “YES!”
Then Peter’s dropped a bomb: “That’s because it sucks to work at your store.”
You could have heard a pin drop, but he was right. Do you have a tough time attracting and keeping store associates? Maybe it’s a good time to take the blinders off and take an objective look at what it’s like to work in your store. As the Baby Boomers begin to leave the marketplace it will become increasingly harder to find great people.
According to our good friend Gail Czech, Human Resources Guru and founder of The Creative Network, Inc., a professional recruiting firm:
For every one new person entering the job market this year (2006), there are four Baby Boomers retiring, and for every one new person who will enter the job market in 2012, there will be five Baby Boomers retiring.
And you think you’ve got problems finding good help now!
Gail continues, “According to a recent three-part series in The New York Times entitled ‘Sick of Work,’ 62% of American workers say their workload has increased over the last six months. Fifty-three percent say their work leaves them ‘overtired and overwhelmed.’ One reason, stated in the article, is that white-collar workers take their work home with them. Furthermore, the American Institute of Stress in New York states that ‘workplace stress costs the nation more than $300 billion each year in health care and missed work.’ "
"It should be obvious", Gail says, “that we have wrung about as much juice out of our workforce as we are going to get. Today’s employees are being hard-pressed to achieve high levels of production, not because of reasons that are intrinsic and prideful, but because of layoffs that have resulted in having employees compensate by doing the work of two or even three of their missing co-workers, all the while coping with the stress of wondering whose head is next on the chopping block. This is not a civilized way to live one’s life."
Gail suggests you ask yourself these questions:
1. Do you find that it seems harder to find qualified candidates?
2. Does it take longer and longer to fill positions?
3. Do you find hiring managers agonizing because they can only hire one person when they really need three or four or five to get the job done well?
4. Are you more stressed than you were ten years ago?
She says “If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then you rank among the those employers who are ‘killing’ those who are already employed, but who are always trolling for just a select few more who will allow us the privilege of ‘killing’ them as well.
Visit Gail for more tips and for all of your staffing needs at http://www.creativenetworkinc.com
One of the sessions we are doing at the 2006 MemoryTrends Conference & Expo in Las Vegas this October 8 – 12 is “We Liked You Because …” where you'll learn what outstanding associates do to shine in customers eyes and hearts as we share: * What customers like about store associates and what drives them nuts; * How to get customers to tell you exactly what they expect from your associates; * How to create a customer-winning store culture; * Street Savvy hiring techniques; * How to keep your outstanding associates motivated; * Plus additional strategies, tactics, tips and training to inspire your team. Your business is only as good as the people who work there – come and learn how to strengthen the skills and involvement of all associates!
Click here for more information and to register for this and our other workshops held throughout the show: http://www.memorytrends.com
