Historically, the retail industry has been forced to contend with downright abysmal turnover rates. Unfortunately, these already concerning attrition rates have soared to new heights since the start of the global pandemic in 2020. According to some statistics, turnover has reached 60% in the retail industry.
If retail businesses hope to rebound in 2022, they must find a way to increase employee retention and create a positive workplace culture. Undoubtedly, hiring and supporting retail managers will be integral to the fruitfulness of these efforts.
But how exactly can organizational leaders ensure that the retail managers they hire will be successful? Relying on traditional screening processes has been mildly effective at best and disastrous at worst.
Fortunately, online skills testing offers the perfect solution. Below, we examine how retail businesses can accurately identify which candidates possess the skills needed for retail management. We also discuss what skills these assessments measure and how they can be effectively integrated into existing screening processes.
The Impacts of Hiring Unsuccessful Retail Managers
Making the wrong hiring decision when filling line-level positions can certainly be detrimental to your business. However, these entry-level staff members have a limited sphere of influence, which makes mitigating the impacts of a mis-hire much more manageable. Conversely, selecting the wrong retail manager candidate can create a cascade effect that permeates your entire organization.
Regardless of the industry, a bad manager can destroy company culture. This possibility is particularly concerning in the retail industry, as retailers are plagued by unusually high attrition rates.
In addition to damaging company culture, an unsuccessful retail manager can create division and friction in the workplace. Over time, this will decimate staff morale and negatively impact the consumer experience. In just a matter of months, a retail manager has the potential to cost your business tens of thousands of dollars and cause irreparable damage to your brand image.
With so much at stake, isn’t it worth taking the time to get things right?
Top Skills Required for Retail Managers
So, what are the top skills required for retail managers to be successful?
First, retail managers must be excellent communicators. Every day, they are tasked with putting out fires across your store.
This work may involve resolving conflicts between staff members, addressing a disgruntled customer, or contacting vendors regarding a late shipment. The best retail managers will seamlessly transition between these issues and leverage great communication skills to deescalate these friction points.
In addition, retail managers must have a keen eye for detail, as they are responsible for overseeing inventory, store layout, and financial information. A single miscalculation or oversight could cause some major issues for your business.
Perhaps most importantly, retail managers must possess dynamic leadership skills. Ideal managerial candidates should exhibit the ability to get the most out of their employees. They should be able to correct, inform, educate, and motivate, all in a manner that is conducive to a positive working environment.
How to Identify Which Candidates Possess Skills Needed for Retail Management
The most effective way to identify which candidates possess the skills needed for retail management is to administer skills assessments. These assessments are available online, which allows your hiring team to seamlessly administer them during the screening process.
Industry-specific assessments are available, such as General Retail Knowledge, Retail Math, and Supply Chain Management. In addition, there are plenty of other general assessments available, such as Data Checking and Attention to Detail.
Once a candidate completes their assigned skills tests, your HR team can review their overall performance. They can also identify which topics the applicant excelled in and which subjects they struggled with. Your team can leverage this information to make analysis-driven hiring decisions supported by quantifiable data.
Can Skills Assessments Measure Leadership Skills in Retail Management?
Yes, modern assessment tools can not only measure an applicant’s learned skills, but you can also use them to gauge candidates’ propensity for leadership.
Specifically, behavioral assessments can provide valuable insight into a retail management candidate’s personality traits, motivations, and other psychological attributes such as resilience, integrity, and grit. Given this information, your HR team can zero in on top candidates while simultaneously ruling out underqualified applicants.
Behavioral assessments are by far the most effective way to test candidates for leadership skills in retail management. Like skills tests, you can administer behavioral assessments entirely online. This approach streamlines the screening process so your team can make faster and more accurate hiring decisions.
eSkill: Your Trusted Skills Testing Provider
During your search for new managerial staff, you must identify which applicants possess communication and leadership skills in retail management. eSkill can help you do just that with our proven online skills testing solutions.
Request a demo to learn how you can use help measuring candidates’ leadership skills that are needed for retail management.