Recruitment and Hiring Post Pandemic
By Marc Weiss - CEO, Management One
For over 30 years we have built relationships with other firms that serve our Indie retail community. Our focus is Merchandise Intelligence and Education. However, we have aligned with partners who have specific expertise in areas that are tangent to us but not our focus.
Kim Pagano of Publik Image has worked successfully with many of our clients. I want to share some of her critical insights on staffing in a post-pandemic environment. Kim has tremendous credibility because she actually goes out and does what she preaches. No theory here, just real solutions that she implements passionately every day.
Marc Weiss, CEO of Management One, sat down with Kim to discuss the topic of hiring and recruitment for independent retailers- a topic on the minds of many business owners as post-pandemic traffic continues to grow.
Marc: Where do you find good people?
Kim: Most retailers depend on job posts in Indeed, Ziprecruiter, social media, or other resources to find talent. I'm sure that on occasion some of these resources do work, but for roles at Store Level, one of the best ways to find these great people is to go and find them where they are WORKING!
Marc: I hear people complain that they can’t find people because they would rather be home collecting unemployment.
Kim: That’s great because you don’t have to waste your time talking to those people. They are filtered out by not being present in the workforce. Those are not the individuals you would want working for you.
Marc: Where have you been successful in finding people?
Kim: Recruiting in your local Malls, Lifestyle centers & just anywhere where people are working with customers similar to your customer base. For example, someone who works in an Equinox " luxury" gym would understand the luxury approach and would be able to adapt to a luxury boutique. But you do not just have to search out luxury people who have the exact experience. Of course, that would be the perfect case scenario, but this is why most Management staff who go out recruiting come up empty-handed. They are looking for that perfectly trained person that has every skill they require! They expect that they will provide the ultimate experience where they are working so that they can walk on your sales floor or business and just start with little training!
Marc: What do you look for when you go recruiting?
Kim: For me when I go recruiting, I am looking for a certain "Energy & Dynamic" that " Je ne sais quoi" that you just cannot explain. After recruiting for over twenty years in person, I can see them from hundreds of feet away and can tell that they have it! If they have the Energy & Social Skills, I know I can train the rest!
Marc: Some retailers feel they need to hire people who understand their brands and point of view.
Kim: They don't need to know the brands that you sell, they can learn it. They don't need to know your exact selling technique; they can learn it! What they need to bring that you can not train is DRIVE! That internal drive to WIN & SUCCEED!
Marc: How often should retailers be recruiting and looking for people?
Kim: Now more than ever Retail Store Owners & Managers need to network & recruit on a regular basis. Right now, there is so much competition to get the best talent. I recommend creating a Q3 hiring plan now, assuming that this will be the best holiday in ten years' time! People will be traveling, celebrating with parties and DRESSING UP! So, we need to have the right people on the floor now more than ever. If you don't hire now, then you will not find the best people later. or you will be in a bidding war!
Marc: Do you have thoughts on compensation?
Kim: Spend the extra payroll now, make the investment in advance. We should also look at internal talent & see if there are people in our organization who can step up and take on new challenges & responsibilities! This shows your team that you are invested in their personal development & future. keeps them challenged & motivated!
For more information on talent acquisition please go to our webinar on this subject.
TALENT ACQUISITION: Finding and Attracting The Right Talent for Your Retail Business
A collaborative production with our friends at the Fashion Scholarship Fund
Join our panel of experts including Dana Elhai of 24 Seven Talent and Peter Arnold of FSF during a live, retail roundtable discussion as we unpack innovative strategies that are working for independent retailers looking to forge ahead in 2021.
I want to thank Kim for her insights and for sharing her expertise on recruitment and hiring in a challenging and competitive environment. If you would like to contact Kim she can be reached at kim@publikimage.com or contact info@management-one.com and we will be happy to forward your request.
Onwards and Upwards.
Marc