Why Retailers Need to Hire as Fast as They Operate

Over the last year I have witnessed a rapid rise in the number of retail vacancies that are live at any one time, particularly in fresh food at the moment. Counter offers are back in fashion, candidates are negotiating for bigger salaries again and quality candidates have multiple interviews lined up. This is of course a sign that the economy is truly finding its feet again. Even within the last number of weeks we have been informed that the minimum wage will rise to €9.15 in the New Year, Lidl have increase their basic wage to €11.50 and Aldi will follow suit early in the New Year. For candidates, this is music to their ears. For some SME’s and even large national or multi-national retailers, it’s the stuff of nightmares. Regardless of which end of that spectrum you find yourself on, it does mean one thing for sure: you need to hire faster!

Until recently the market has very much been employer lead. Retailers could hire high calibre candidates for relatively low wages and put them through rigorous selection processes, sometimes involving up to five rounds. A message that I strive to get across to all my clients is that the market has completely shifted and is now candidate driven. High calibre candidates now need to be courted and fast tracked through interview processes in order to ensure successful acquisition of said candidate. Sadly this is a message that some retailers are still ignoring to their detriment.

Retail is by nature a very fast paced industry, so why hire slowly? Why give your competition a chance to steal the candidate that you want? Retail candidates are very busy people, particularly the good ones! So why force them to endure an aptitude test, 3 rounds of interviews and then wait an additional week for feedback? Then by the time you have given your feedback, your competitor has interviewed and offered your chosen candidate. I guarantee you that if this issue has not already started to affect your hiring processes, it will be a major problem for you next year. Additionally, this problem will be magnified if you’re a fresh food retailer due to the very high demand for strong candidates in that sector.

All that been said there is of course a solution. A shortlist of 3-5 candidates should be sourced either by HR or a retail recruiter, who conduct the initial first round interview. All shortlisted candidates should be lined up for interview on a pre-determined date. The hiring manager and not HR should interview the candidates and make a decision at the conclusion of the interview day. Feedback to the candidates both successful and unsuccessful should be given that day. This simple, straightforward process works. It works because retail candidate’s who find it very difficult to get time off work for interviews can identify with the efficient, no-nonsense process and they appreciate the clear, immediate feedback. However, more importantly than those factors, it gives you the jump on all your competitors who decide to engage in lengthy interview processes. It lets you hire just as fast as you operate.