When you fire an employee or they quit on their own, it can be a real blow to your business. Their absence leaves a hole that may never be filled.

As a retailer, it’s really frustrating when I have merchandise that doesn’t sell or displays with gaps and schedules without enough employees.

The more employee turnover you have, the more holes you’ll need to fill. The Center for American Progress found that it costs $3,328 on average per retail worker we lose and replace.

A study found that turnover rates for part-time employees in the retail sector were 67% and it’s only worse when there is a pandemic.

The problem with an impersonal application process is that you are not able to find out what the person will be like before they start. This means it’s hard for them to stay on after a few months because of how different work can feel from home.

How to Fix?

1 – Management

It turns out that the only incentive is at a manager level.

It is hard to motivate employees with just a paycheck. It’s important for everyone in the company, not just salespeople, to feel good about their job and how they contribute.

You may have an outdated policy or procedure that’s holding you back.

2 – Policies

Refunds, exchanges, and flexible schedules can cause frustration for your employees. These policies also make it difficult to retain good workers.

When I was first starting out in retail, it became clear that my company needed to get rid of outdated policies. Policies like not being able to take breaks or having a dress code are all rooted in the 1950s and needlessly strict.

3 – Training

Just because someone has worked in retail before does not mean they will understand what you are trying to do. You have to make sure that your employees know the difference between your store and all of the other stores on your block.

When I first started hiring, it never occurred to me that new employees should be introduced to the rest of my team. It was a big mistake.

4 – Engagement

In order to keep your millennial employees engaged, you have to be intentional about bringing them together. You can’t just assume that they’ll proactively connect with others on their own.

I realized that I was forcing my employees to work on specific tasks and not think about new solutions.

5 – Experience

Young workers, in contrast to older generations who grew up with a more rigid work ethic and sense of what is worth their time, have an innately positive outlook. They’re flexible about the tasks they do when stocking shelves or pricing merchandise.

One of the advantages of this job is that employees have plenty of time to gripe about how much they hate their jobs.

6 – Same Things

The same thing every day. You know what I’m talking about.

If every day is the same, it gets boring. That’s why people are always looking for new customers to keep them interested in their work.

Sometimes, we have employees who are too valuable where they are. Try to change things up for these people by giving them new duties and responsibilities so that their work does not become stale.

The only way to keep your employees happy is by paying them well and keeping their motivation high. Click To Tweet

7 – Hiring

As you start to tire of the interview process, don’t just hire any job seeker that says what you want them to say. You need to test their ability by asking if they can speak in front of people and not just be able willing.

8 – Promoting

I just promote employees who are good at their tasks to supervisors.

Employees quit managers, not brands. Hiring someone because they get things done is just one criterion.

It’s a common misconception that retail managers need to be extroverts. In reality, those with poor interpersonal skills will have some employees stick around for the duration of their employment, but not as many good ones.

To help reduce turnover in retail, see this article.

Conclusion

When you have to fire someone, ask yourself if their behavior was caused by your training. When people quit and it’s not just them that quits but also the team they were on with, try to find out what interpersonal dynamics might exist.

We need to get past superficial fixes and examine the roots of our company in order to build a sustainable culture. Otherwise, we’ll just be throwing money at high turnover rates while simultaneously failing employees.

Training your employees on what to do will make them feel confident enough to talk with customers. I have the perfect solution for you, too! My SalesRX online training can help get this done in a cost-effective manner and provide an excellent ROI.