What’s the solution?
When it comes to seasonal hiring, there are several factors at play—and not just the fact that onboarding and training are currently the sole responsibility of managers. Get the full survey to learn more.
POLLING THE FRONTLINE: SEASONAL HIRING IN RETAIL
Are U.K. retailers ready to handle the seasonal surges ahead?
Peak shopping days are fast approaching, and retailers are once again looking to meet that increased demand with a fortified workforce, trained and ready to deliver the memorable experiences that customers are expecting. But will they be ready? We polled 300 U.K. managers to learn more.
What’s this survey about?
Seasonal hiring is on the rise, but finding skilled staff is harder than ever. And with the burden of recruiting, hiring and training seasonal staff on managers, there’s a heightened risk of manager burnout, inconsistencies and understaffing during peak periods.
Get the full survey findings here (no form fill!), but here’s a glimpse at the insights we uncovered.
Seasonal hiring is on the rise, but the quality of applicants is declining
Almost half of managers polled said they are hiring more new staff this year, either because they simply need more people physically on the floor or because their current staff doesn’t have the skill sets or expertise to perform the specific jobs needed. Unfortunately, 49% of respondents also said it’s become more difficult to find staff this year, and 57% said the quality of seasonal job applicants is worse.
The burden of recruiting, hiring and training seasonal associates is (still) on managers—leading to increased burnout and inconsistencies
During peak seasonal hiring periods, many U.K. retail managers find that the majority of their time is spent finding seasonal staff, leaving no time for everything else they need to do. As a result, 69% of managers polled said they feel more burned out leading into peak seasons, and 54% said seasonal hiring increases their burnout.
This is an urgent problem, because understaffing is expected to cause a lot of business impacts in retail
The risk of a perpetual cycle of understaffing and burnout can result in major impacts on the business, according to U.K. retail managers. The ability to deliver a memorable and consistent customer experience, adhere to compliance regulations, follow safety and security protocols, and control customer issues like theft and violence are all at risk.
