#TalentAttraction #Tuesday – HELP WANTED! Retail
Would you agree that Retail is a sales process? Yeah! Isn’t it great when we can begin a Blog in total agreement? We do not often agree…however, more and more Executives are joining my Talent Attraction camp!
Let Us Focus on Attracting Retail Clerks and Restaurant Wait Staff
Would you also agree that expecting different results while insisting there is no reason to change actions to create a different result borders on insanity? If an organization does not change their approach to solve a problem, they may never solve the problem.
Retail Management’s inability to try a new approach perplexes me. Do not tell me that there is a shortage of workers. Every industry tries that excuse. Then out of desperation, they try a new approach that solves their staffing problem. They ATTRACT (Sales process) new Staff instead of Acquire (Administrative process) them.
A Tale Of A Giant Retail Company
A company that I admire, Walmart, evidently does not have the same entrepreneurial people Attracting Staff as those who Attract Customers. Currently most stores (according to the managers I have spoken with) are short staffed. (Please keep in mind Walmart Executives – and other company Executives, I am consulting with you for free now).
Why do stores have candy, toys, magazines, etc. stocked in the aisles as customers check out? You will tell me that it is called impulse buying. People did not come to the store to buy those items, but something or someone (kids) forced them to BUY one or more of those products. It is well documented that customers buy on impulse daily.
Go into a Walmart store. As you approach the store, there is a “We’re Hiring!” sign. Then the customer who chose to visit Walmart is forced to write the website to apply on a napkin, grocery list, Kleenex, etc. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this process? I have been a professional recruiter for 40 years. How many of my candidates over all those years came to me and said, “I want to work for XYZ Company right now”? Very few. I recruited (sold) them to create an interest.
There is no computer in Customer Service area in the front of the Walmart store where the potential employee may apply if it strikes their fancy. They enter the store, buy what they need, and leave. They lost their thought of applying – and then apply at Costco (because their sign has the name of someone to ask for in the front of the store if they are interested in a part time or full time position). If you believe that insisting the potential employee gets 10 to 40 minutes away before they apply to work for Walmart works so well, why do you also insist that impulse buying is different?
As a test, place photos of those impulse sales products on shelves in the checkout aisle – with a website to buy them. Do the sales increase or decrease? If that idea sounds silly, why do retail companies treat recruiting that way?
Talent Attraction requires conversations for potential employees to understand the opportunities and benefits of working for Walmart.
Let us be clear, this is not an attack on Walmart. Almost every Retail Establishment and Restaurant does something similar. I used Walmart as my example only because they are one of the few retail firms who have grown to be ubiquitous. Walmart is amazingly skilled with their retail sales model. Their Talent Attraction model is only flawed because executives with Administrative Talent, instead of Sales Talent, run the recruiting.
If you are reading this blog, consider trying something different when it comes to attracting talent. Make it easy for People to tell you they are interested in working for you – and teach them how to sell.
McDonald’s trains their staff to upsell – “Do you want fries with that?” and “Would you like a meal?” Train your staff to ask, “Who do you feel would be a Great Associate?” (Maybe give your employee that attracted that person a referral bonus?)
If You Do Not Change Your Process, What Happens?
Nothing.
Talent Attraction is Better than Talent Acquisition!
If you would like a conversation on how to ATTRACT talent instead of using an Applicant Tracking System or HRIS to screen them out, we should chat. Call me directly at 435-714-4425 (mountain).
I am available to consult with your company to improve your Top Talent Attraction strategy. Attracting and integrating Top Talent gives your company an industry edge. The process is worth the effort by improving productivity, innovation, and profitability – Look at Google, Tesla, SpaceX, and Apple. Retaining Top Talent keeps your industry knowledge inside your company – instead of with the competition.
The RecruiterGuy.com Top Talent Attraction business model is my differentiator. I focus on one client at a time and charge a flat monthly fee. This model enables me to attract new talent to your organization while identifying and suggesting improvements to your company’s Talent Attraction process, including Manager Interview Training. https://recruiterguy.com/
Learn how I coach my Career Transition Clients in my most recent book – Employee 5.0: Secrets Of A Successful Job Search In The New World Order http://amzn.to/2D9w39f My book includes an appendix with action verbs and sample interview questions.
I help organizations Recruit, Onboard, Actuate, and Retain Top Talent.
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Bill Humbert is available for Speaking, Talent Attraction Consulting, and Training contracts.
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