your team
" Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people."
Wishing You had your Own HR Department?
As a small business owner, you often wear many different hats. One of the most time-consuming roles you play is managing every aspect of building a great team. We could designate an entire website to just this one topic. However, we’ll address a few tips covering:
- Recruiting & Hiring
- Training
- Team Development
- Performance Coaching
Recruiting Tips and Tools
IT's ABOUT
Community
You're Losing a Key Employee, Now What?
In a perfect world, that’s not a problem. You’re such a networker you have connections with non-profits, schools, universities, women’s or men’s organizations, religious organizations which are always introducing you to potential employees, plus a slew of resumes of potential new hires you liked and kept on file when you couldn’t hire them. All you have to do is make a few calls.
Sounds Easy, Right?
Talk up your store and how your always looking for good people to everyone you know, especially potential future employees. Hang on to the resume’s of all those great candidates you couldn’t hire at the time. Be a source for a great internship for local schools and universities and post on their job boards.
This sounds like a no brainer, however, I can’t tell you the number of small businesses that don’ have these on hand. structuring it is a great way to think about the position and what type of individual would be ideal to fill it.
I’ve always found when going through this process, that it helps to think of a past employee who held the position whom I very much admired.
When hiring, everyone in your network should know. Post it everywhere – in-store, sandwich board, LinkedIn, Facebook, tell all past and present employees and don’t forget to email all those fabulous customer too!
Interviewing Tips and Tools
Great Candidates
Come From All Walks of Life
You have number of applications, Now What?
Each resume you receive might be that of a future employee, even if not the right person for the current opening. Put your best foot forward and get to know them. Taking time to review the applications when you receive them can be helpful from a time perspective. Keep in mind that list of qualities, traits and talents you put together as you review them and look for anything that stands out on a resume. If there are two many to meet with individually, consider conducting initial phone interviews.
When Interviewing
This keeps the process fair and gives you a good basis for comparison. You’ll also want to draft a follow-up questions for each of these. One interview technique to allow for getting to know a candidate in depth is to always ask a more thought provoking follow-up question to the original. You’ll get to know each better and have better comparisons.
In addition to your standard questions, draft a list of questions specific to the position that you will ask each candidate. Again draft a thought provoking follow-up to the original.
This has often been the decision maker for me when making a tough decision between two great candidates. Speaking directly with someone that knows the candidate often sheds light in one or another area. You’ll also want a standard list of questions you’ll ask them.
Let them know when they’ll hear from you and make the call, even if you have to delay the offer. Let them know.
All Your Needed HR Templates
right here at your fingertips
Just - RecruitPlanIT, PeoplePlanIT, PayrollPlanIT, PerformPlanIT
created by a retailer for resilient retailers
Training Tips and Tools
IT TAKES
A TEAM
The amount of dedication you put into training your team, equals what you'll get back in performance.
Implement as much of your new hire training as possible during non-open hours. This is your time to give them your undivided attention which may not often occur once they are in position.
Find information in the Minding the store page for reference.
Pre or after hour training on the POS System is critical for non-customer facing practice.
Your associates should try on a the majority of items you have in the store, and be giventhe features and benefits of each. As how to sell it training.
You’ll have associates with all levels of selling experience, all can benefit from going through the Art of Selling Training even if it’s a refresher.
Team Development Tips and Tools
Make Time
For Your Team
The More You Give- The More You Get
Being team centric and consistently focused on performance improvement can enhance respect, loyalty and passion among your team.
This 10 to 15 minutes starts the day off right. A review of what you’re focusing on that day, a review of goals, any projects and kudos to for recent employee successes can elevate and inspire. Try a quote of the day.
At the end of the day every team member needs to know they are there to sell and deliver awesome customer experiences. Metrics are how you measure their selling and they need to know which you focus on.
Make two lists. A list of all the tasks in your store. A list of your staff’s unique talents. Assign responsibilities based on the best fit. Meet with each to discuss what the goal of their responsibilitiy is. Ask what their approach will be to achieve the goal. Allow them to manage the responsibility while checking back in weekly to see how it is working and make any adjustments. Give kudos when deserved. As associates get a responsibility well under control consider asking them to take on additional responsibilities. People like growing and learning new skills.
Each retailer measures sales performance through the use of different metrics. Sales Per Hour, Dollars Per Transaction, Units Per Transaction or Converstion Rate to name a few. Pay attention to your team members metrics and review them with associate immediately following the end of each quarter.
Performance Coaching Tips and Tools
Be Your
Best Coach
You Can't Achieve It, if You Don't Measure It
Measuring your associates sales volume and metrics is just the beginning of understanding where opportunities lye for each team member. Where individual metrics fall short of store average there is a “Why” to uncover and an opportunity for improvement.”
Recommended Reading & Listening
