Effective Rules for Hiring and Retaining Great Employees
There’s been lots of chatter in the Twittersphere about employees and getting the right people in the right seats on the bus. From a cupcake company that went from 1 to 35 stores, to the president of a chain of southwestern grill restaurants, everyone seems to be channeling Jim Collins’ book Good To Great as of late.
Great employees really do make a great company. Without a great team, a company is relegated to mediocrity -- one that is "good" and not great according to Collins.
In fact, Collins spends an entire chapter in his book and the subject and I’ve talked about it before we well. So why the chatter now? Who knows, but for retailers and other small businesses, here are a few simple rules on how to hire and retain for greatness.
1. Hire personality, not skill sets
It’s retail, and it’s far easier to hire someone who innately can engage and interact with customers than it is to teach someone that talent. And yes it’s a talent, not a skill. Outgoing, warm, authentic personalities make a retail experience today and truly allow you stand out from your competition.
2. Spread the responsibility
Are you hiring someone to be a taskmaster, or hiring someone who wants retail as a career. It’s fine to hire upstanding, responsible employees who just want some extra cash to spend while they go to college. But try to find employees who are looking for a career path. You’ll find that often they’re more dedicated to the greater goals of the business. And that means they’re not going to be happy just punching in and helping customers. They’ll want to learn and they’ll want responsibility and that’s something that I’ll take any day over someone who just wants a paycheck. And you should to. Pile it on. Teach them, let them take ownership, hold them accountable and they’ll be the happiest employees you’ve ever had.
3. Throw them outside their comfort zone
Most people grow when they’re forced to do something they don’t know how to. Remember the first time you ever had to manage a team? I do. Scary stuff. You want to lead but don’t want to offend. And you kind of have to figure it out as you go along, developing your management style along the way. Your employees need to be thrown outside their comfort zone in order to learn too. So throw them, and coach them. Let them fall forward and make mistakes. It’s okay. The business isn't going to fall apart because someone made a mistake. As long as it’s acknowledged and the employee understands how to fix it and prevent it from happening again, it’s fine.
Having a great team is more than just hiring great people. It’s about hiring them, and then making sure the appropriate role is assigned so you can maximize their contributions to the organization.
How are you building a great team?
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