Using Google Analytics, I noticed that many of my readers are foreigners, so I shall run a sort of test, so that my next 4 articles to write in English. I shall see if there is a significant difference between my current number of viewers and the number after this kind of trial. The first article from this series is called: How to reduce turnover in retail?
That’s a difficult question especially in hospitality industry, but the other industries face this problem too. We, Romanians, have the second biggest in the world, number of emigrants, after Siria. Connecting this with birth date in decrease, this means our competition for talent attracting is as stronger as ever. We do have a few methods to do this, from financial to nonfinancial aspects. Let’s take a look based on a few industries.
For example, in retail, according to Ziarul Financiar, the turnover can get even 31%, which is a very high rate. How to reduce turnover in retail is the question. Here you find few of my ideas about that:
- Build up your employees profile. Appeal to statistician to build up a profile. What is his age, how big is his family, what are his main expenses, what motivates him, how does he spend his time? If you understand your employees, you will know what to provide them, even individual financial packages.
- Align your salaries to the market. If you know that your salaries are under the market and there is no way to increase them, talk in advance with recruitment colleagues to have backups, even when you have full capacity. Preferably would be to align the salaries, because loyalty is acquired after accomplishing first level of Maslow Pyramid. That means physiological needs, as food, water, clothes etc.
- Give awards before you are asked to. For example, most of employees leave abroad in summer time. Try to offer them incentives, based on a quiz or on a team task before they come to you and inform about leaving. Maybe in May-June would be the best to do that? Do not afraid to test, it’s chance to discover what goes and not in your company.
- Pay attention to familiy kids! I may be wrong but I noticed many people from retail, which are completely devoted to their kids. Their motivation comes from there, so why not focus on them? Check out each employee kids age and organize different events for them. Either is a party or a teambuilding for them or a partnership to sponsor a special talent, you will gain trust of parents, so the employee will feel motivated to remain in your company.
- Recognize their successful activities. As mentioned in the book I made up review – How to win friends and influence people, people need to be recognized, to be admired and this is the biggest nonfinancial method you can use. How would it be that all people who come in your supermarket to find out that is your employee’s birth date? How would that be to find out more about his activities, his merits? You can also establish that a small percentage from the sales in that day to reward him. He will be surprised too.
- Organize surveys or/ and talk with them as often as you can. At least one discussion per month should be good to find out more about difficulties he faces, his reasons to be proud or daily challenges. You may anticipate if there is a risk to leave.
- Play games even online games. As recruiters, we do like games and their power to reveal more about personalities. You may also use them during employee professional life cycle, not only in the hiring process. Here are some games of integrity, which you may adapt and use for them.
Last, but not least, pay attention to managers, to whom you promote in this position! They need to be communicative, supportive and to motivate their people. They say people leave managers, not companies and even in retail, booking clerks, sales agents, merchandisers and so on leave because of that, not just for money.
What other methods do you use to reduce turnover in retail?
Photo is taken from there