How to Create and Execute a Staffing Plan for Your Retail Stores

Retail Stores throughout the world are reopening just in time for the holidays as the world recovers from the consequences of COVID-19, which included local company closures and layoffs.

According to a recent study conducted by Ipsos, a marketing research organization that has been tracking consumer behavior during the epidemic, 54% of Americans said they had visited a retail store in the previous month, a number that has progressively climbed in recent months based on the business’s studies.

If you own or run retail stores, your reopening strategy most likely includes hiring new personnel and establishing a schedule that works for everyone. When you use the correct tools to optimize these important business processes, you can set yourself up for success and reap the benefits of returning consumers.

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Make an easy hiring experience

It’s critical to not just hire quality staff for your retail shop when reopening but to do so fast in order to get your firm up and running.

Recruitment should be as frictionless as possible in today’s world. To conduct successful interviews, training, and onboarding experiences, you’ll need a plan and the correct technologies.

Find internet software that can assist you with all of these buckets if you don’t already have one. Your candidates have most likely become accustomed to conducting business entirely online. Showing that you’ve kept up with the times and can adapt will help you attract top talent.

The first step in deploying the correct technology is to make sure your video interviewing strategy is simple for candidates to use—that is, the login process is straightforward and there aren’t too many bells and whistles to confuse them.

It’s also ideal if they don’t have to install any new software, so well-known platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or even Facetime are excellent choices.

After that, you’ll need to set up a virtual document sending and receiving process. To complete the process of employing someone virtually, your candidates and new recruits will need to send legally required papers back and forth.

Hiring and onboarding software, such as Homebase, can help your company become paperless and make it easier to finish the hiring process without the candidate having to visit your office.

Your new employees will receive a welcome packet comprising all relevant documents to sign if you use an automated onboarding system. You can also send any additional documents you want them to fill out.

They can then e-sign and return each form to you. When everyone has signed the documents, the software may store them safely for you.

Create a compelling job posting

No one profits from a hastily drafted job posting. Inadequate job advertisements might lead to underqualified candidates, while the appropriate candidate may be ignored since they did not emphasize their more relevant work experiences on their application.

Instead, create a job description that outlines the role’s minimum criteria. This will lower the number of applications that do not satisfy your requirements while increasing the number of applicants with relevant job experience for your open position.

According to Indeed research, “most individuals look for jobs that match their talents and experience,” therefore using adjectives like “ninja” and “rockstar” in job names and descriptions can confuse job seekers and discourage them from applying. To make your title stand out, avoid employing gimmicky terms, as this can sometimes have the opposite effect.

You should also concentrate on giving clarity and correctness in the role description. If they aren’t currently on the job, candidates may be turned off by industry-specific jargon and complicated terminology they don’t comprehend.

Begin looking now

Waiting until you’re completely reopened to start the hiring process and fill open positions will cost you time and money. Conduct preliminary interviews online, examine potential new hires’ references, and compile a list of the best candidates. This way, when you’re ready to reopen fully, you’ll be able to concentrate on final interviews and job offers.

After you’ve selected fantastic candidates to interview, you’ll need to make a list of questions to ask them. To avoid discrimination, there are various regulations that govern what you can and cannot ask during an interview.

To get you started, here’s a list of questions that are both safe and creative:

– What would you do if you were faced with a difficult job situation?
– What do you do if you’re running late and a client or employee asks for your assistance?
– Tell me about your background.
– On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you think your prior employer would evaluate you?
– Is it possible for you to teach me something in 5 minutes?

Minors seeking summer employment will make up a significant portion of the prospects currently looking for work. While it’s fantastic to have an influx of eager workers when you need them the most, when it comes to child labor rules, things get a little more complicated and tight.

When making a recruiting decision, don’t forget to think about the culture of the company. The ability of a candidate to fit into the culture you’ve worked so hard to establish among your team is perhaps just as crucial as their credentials. When you place too much emphasis on a candidate’s credentials, you risk overlooking other important personality traits.

Asking the proper questions in an interview is the first step in determining if a candidate fits into your culture:

– Describe the perfect working atmosphere for you.
– Please describe your favorite working style.
– What would your coworkers say about your work style?
– What qualities distinguish the best boss/manager?
– Describe a workplace where you would be miserable.

It’s also a good idea to include your current employees in the interview process—after all, they’re the ones who shape your workplace culture. Choose a few team leaders to meet with your favored candidates and give them the opportunity to provide comments on who they believe would be the greatest fit. This will also demonstrate to your current staff that you respect their input.

Refresh your employee benefits package

The coronavirus outbreak has shed new light on which benefits are most important, such as sick leave plans, health insurance, and other wellness-related perks.

According to a recent study, one out of every four business owners in the United States now considers short-term disability and life insurance to be more crucial than before the pandemic.

Additionally, nearly 40% of questioned companies said they now place a higher priority on critical illness and hospital indemnity coverage than they did previously.

Due to an increase in stress, depression, and anxiety since the pandemic began, mental health benefits have also grown in popularity. According to a poll conducted by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, 53% of businesses now provide emotional and mental health services to their employees.

Job seekers have had time to consider what perks they require, and providing the correct package could be the difference between your company and a position elsewhere. Examine the services you already supply and see if you can afford to improve them. View this handy resource to learn more about the financial implications of each benefit bucket to better understand how much you can afford to offer.

You should use the following strategies to make the most of your post-COVID hiring process:

– Straightforward virtual technologies can help you create a simple hiring process.
– Create a job description that is clear and simple.
– Make the most of your interview by asking questions that focus on the employee’s work style as well as their fit with the company’s culture.
– Make changes to your benefits package to meet the demands of today’s workforce.

Your reopening plan will be far more effective if you adapt your hiring processes to match the needs of your new firm as well as the needs of today’s job searchers. Optimizing your hiring strategy will assist you in getting your business up and running quickly, and you’ll reap the benefits in no time.