The global COVID-19 crisis has caused reverberations throughout all industries which are continuing to be felt to this day. Many companies in nearly all sectors are having trouble acquiring and retaining quality talent as people’s attitudes towards work have dramatically shifted.

During lockdown restrictions businesses were forced to close their doors and people got a taste for what life could be like when work is not the dominant force in their schedules. Most of us got to spend more time with our families and friends and were able to indulge in hobbies and other interests without work clogging up the day.

Even those who continued to work from home found a better work/life balance and discovered the many benefits of remote operation such as not having to worry about sourcing additional childcare and being able to fit other activities, such as housework and cooking, more easily around their working day.

Retail

According to Fourth’s latest whitepaper Cost of living: Supporting your retail workforce as the crisis deepens, retail leaders’ concerns regarding acquiring and retaining talent have increased since 2021. Nearly every retail leader which participated in the research [99%] agreed they were concerned about the situation.

Some sectors of retail have been affected more than others. The grocery and supermarket sector for example has seen fewer issues than other parts of the industry, perhaps because these and other essential retailers continued to operate during even the worst days of the pandemic and thus their workers never got to experience the other side of the coin.

Many industry leaders and other commentators have written this crisis off as being down to laziness and people simply not wanting to work anymore. However, if you or your managers have found yourselves uttering these phrases yourselves, you are missing the point.

People have simply woken up to the idea that maybe there is more to life than slogging away for several hours a day, missing out on precious time with family and friends, and losing years of their lives enriching other people. They still understand they need to work to earn money but are actively seeking roles which empower them to achieve the kind of work/life balance which works for them and helps them achieve all their life goals – not just the ones tied to their careers.

We see this clearly, for example, in research which tells us that, if their current employment doesn’t offer working from home options, people are willing to look for an employer which does. In fact, according to McKinsey, it is the third most prevalent reason people seek new employment – behind greater pay or hours, and better career opportunities – even beating out access to health insurance.

Solutions?

Clearly a great deal of retail work requires employees to be present and cannot be conducted remotely. However, there are still many back-office roles which can be completed in this manner and retailers looking to attract staff in these areas should seriously consider offering these options.

For those retail positions which absolutely require boots on the ground – such as shop floor and customer service, and warehouse staff – retailers need to make sure they are offering the most flexible working arrangements possible. Allowing staff more freedom and choice when it comes to shift patterns is a terrific way to ensure you have the staff you need to operate and give them the freedom to take care of their kids, for example.

It's also important to ensure the staff you do have feel appreciated and rewarded in their work – especially whilst there’s a talent crisis and potential understaffing abound. And, no, we are not talking about pizza parties here; it’s truly staggering how many employers believe these kinds of token gestures are appropriate.

Money is the answer. People are working in your store for one reason and one reason only – to be able to pay their bills and take care of their loved ones. Reward them with either cash or increased discounts in your store. Staff working in supermarkets, for example, are certain to appreciate more money saved on their weekly shop, or extra money in their pay packet, far more than some lukewarm pizza they have to clock out to enjoy.

Final Thoughts

The talent crisis is going to continue to plague the retail industry until leaders get their act together and tackle the real reasons why people are forgoing roles in this space. Ditch the patronizing pizza parties and make your staff’s lives easier and more enjoyable for them and you just might stand a chance of attracting and retaining the best people during this difficult period.

The talent crisis is sure to be part of the conversation at Future Stores Seattle 2023, being held in June at The Sheraton Seattle.

Download the agenda today for more information and insights.