What to Consider When Hiring Seasonal Help in Retail
Posted by Don Capman
What’s the most important thing to consider when hiring seasonal help? When should you hire?
One of the least thought about business decisions that is usually dealt with at the last possible moment , is seasonal help. Throughout the Great Recession, most cost-conscious business owners and managers have been preoccupied with cutting and controlling expenses versus increasing expenses. While this may be a prudent and effective strategy in most areas of a retail business, it may be counterproductive in other areas. Seasonal help is most often given too little thought and not enough attention.
It is a fact that most traditional retail does most of its annual business in the last two months of the year and the first couple of weeks of the New Year. This increased sales volume translates into a groundswell of customers, both current and new. They pass through the doors and will make a decision, not only to purchase something during the holidays, but whether or not to return to the store after the holidays are long gone. Like most retailers functioning on a minimal staffing pattern most of the year, the need to accommodate this increased number of customers during the holiday season necessitates hiring seasonal help.
There are several points that a retailer should consider when hiring seasonal help:
• START LOOKING EARLY – Many retailers wait until the last minute to look for seasonal help and are often forced to choose from the “bottom of the barrel.”
• HIRE EARLY - If you know your busy season begins on “Black Friday”, hire a week or two before Black Friday so the new hires can become acclimated to the store and won’t look like overwhelmed misfits when the surge happens.
• HIRE GREAT PERSONALITIES – Impressions are everything in retail. It is important to hire energetic, positive, well- groomed sales people who project an image consistent with your brand. Simply hiring warm bodies can drive customers away and ruin future sales.
• PAY MORE THAN YOUR COMPETITORS – Retail is one of the lowest-paying jobs on the market. If you can pay a little more than your competition, you will be more apt to get the best. “You get what you pay for.” The season is short!
• TRAIN YOUR PERSONNEL – You could have the nicest sales people in the world, but if they don’t know what they’re talking about, potential customers will walk and shop elsewhere.
These are just a few quick thoughts to keep in mind when making what could prove to be one of the critical decisions in your business.
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Attention Retail Pro, Microsoft Dynamics RMS/POS 2009 and QuickBooks POS users: J.D. Associates will train your seasonal help on the basics of POS. Send an email to find out more: debra.neville@jdapos.com
