Talent show

Looking for ways to attract new talent and present the supermarket industry as a viable career option? Here are a few tips from the pros:

•Supermarkets should advertise the fact that many people who end up in management positions started out in part-time jobs, says Michael Patrick, president of MOHR Access in Ridgewood, N.J. A great place to advertise this fact is in your stores, where future job candidates, or their friends and families, may be shopping. In addition, stress that the barrier to entry at retail is low, he suggests. "You don't have to have a lot of skills to start at retail, but you'll certainly gain a lot of great experience."

•Don't let the industry's high turnover rate discourage you from pursuing career development efforts, advises Patrick. "If you don't want to formalize it so much, just think of making your time with employees as productive as possible. Then, if they're beginning to look for careers, you can safely assume they'll look at your company again."

•Look for people who already love food. Thibodaux, La.-based independent retailer Rouses Markets, for instance, recruits aspiring chefs from the local Chef John Folse Culinary Training Institute at Nicholls State University. "They have two- and four-year programs and attract people from out of state," says Steve Galtier, Rouses' human resources director. "There are always students looking for part-time work."