Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
The challenges of finding and keeping excellent employees are obstacles to running a business smoothly.
As an owner, you can choose inventory, set prices, plan promotions and organize events, but you can’t make employees show up to work or force them to provide excellent customer service.
More than 700 independent retailers contributed to research conducted by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA), and many of those retailers say that the biggest short- and long-term obstacle to business growth is finding the right employees.
Applied to Retail: In-depth training, a company culture that motivates employees to take ownership of their roles in the business and constructive feedback on staff performance can all help retailers retain workers. For suggestions on how to recruit and retain quality employees, read the article in Hardware Retailing’s January issue.
Training is a vital part of keeping top-notch employees, yet only 40 percent of respondents to NRHA’s 2014 Employee Compensation Report offer formal training programs.
NRHA offers resources to help you launch a training program in your store. For example, the Train the Trainer guide provides information on how to start a training program. The guide is available at http://www.nrha.org/freetraining.
In addition, the Trainer’s Toolbox offers you free, short, quick-hit lessons you can share with your employees during staff meetings.
