In an industry with a reality of a high turnover rate, as much as 60% annually according to the National Retail Federation, it is essential to safeguard your company from the costly effects of a poorly judged hire.
The retail industry’s high turnover rate, coupled with nearly 15.8 million employed retail workers in the United States and unemployment at historic lows (3.9%), creates a unique challenge for hiring managers today. Underqualified individuals most likely have been able to work their way into the retail sales profession with ease given the economies current conditions, allowing them to build resumes with a work history that inaccurately portrays their abilities.
Practical communication—the ability to listen, engage, entertain and exude confidence, and enthusiasm—is one of the most critical elements of successful retail sales. All the experience in the world won’t help if your new hires lack the skills to communicate information effectively to customers. Also, it is necessary to find motivated employees with the aptitude to acquire the necessary job-related knowledge quickly.
Given the often slow-moving and costly hiring process commonly used by businesses, it is necessary for employers to modify hiring practices. Utilizing eSkill’s retail sales assessment tests during the hiring process allows you to quickly pinpoint the best candidates possible, ultimately reducing turnover and increasing profitability.
You know, it is not enough to have warm bodies on the sales floor. These employees must have the necessary skills and characteristics to realize a profitable return on investment. There is real, measurable value in using retail sales tests to evaluate candidates during the hiring process.
Zappos.com, an industry giant in the online retail world, began using eSkill’s retail sales assessment tests in 2005 to scale quickly and mitigate the costly impact that unqualified sales staff cause.
“The wide variety and customizability of eSkill’s online testing allow us to pre-screen many of our candidates before they even get in the door. eSkill helps us assess a high volume of candidates in a fast, easy and efficient way.”
– Chris Foley, Recruiting Manager, Zappos
The success of a retail sales employee depends on their ability to be customer-centric, organized, communicate effectively and, most importantly, close a sale. Utilizing eSkill’s retail sales tests is a swift and undemanding way to select and hire not just anybody, but the right body.
To realize the benefits of proper retail sales staffing, companies must invest in the hiring process of their essential human capital. From advanced simulations to job-based tests, eSkill offers the broadest pre-employment assessment test coverage in the industry.
Those working in retail sales need to demonstrate effective communication. They need to be able to engage customers and businesses throughout all stages of the sales process, including initial contact, qualifying needs, and closing sales. Measure candidates ability to effectively communicate before you hire them with eSkill’s retail sales tests.
These job skills tests measure the ability to qualify, negotiate, upsell, and close. For example, eSkill’s retail skills tests present candidates with many scenarios such as handling customer complaints, presenting a retail sales pitch, and fielding common product inquiries. Assessing an individual’s ability to manage everyday retail situations provides insight into their emotional intelligence allowing managers to hire capable employees quickly and efficiently.
Employee motivation is an elusive creature but is of the utmost importance when hiring for retail sales positions. Most managers find that motivating employees is the hardest goal to work towards, especially in sales. The solution is hiring employees who have an intrinsic drive to succeed. eSkill’s pre-employment behavioral assessments measure an individual’s pattern of thinking and feeling. These tests enable companies to assess a candidate’s level of drive and motivation, preventing the acquisition of employees that are likely to fail in a sales position.
In addition to the ability to communicate effectively and the drive to succeed, eSkill facilitates companies’ ability to test retail sales candidates general cognitive abilities. These pre-employment assessments measure a job candidate’s aptitude to acquire job knowledge quickly and perform job-related tasks.
Ensure your hiring process is thorough, yet fast. eSkill’s pre-employment assessments are relatively inexpensive, easy to administer, and customizable to fit any role. Not only are eSkill’s pre-employment assessments customizable, but they also easily integrate with most applicant tracking systems. The eSkill customer support team is available 24/7 to support you or your test takers. With a nearly 20-year history Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) compliance, eSkill makes it simple to administer valid and reliable tests to potential candidates.
Pre-employment testing makes the recruitment and screening process less subjective and significantly less time-consuming. Utilizing eSkill’s wide variety of retail sales tests allows you to streamline the hiring process and mitigate the risk of mis-hires.
Learn more about the benefits of using eSkill’s retail sales assessments to find qualified Retail Associate and Retail Manager candidates quickly.
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