Retail staff productivity is a metric that every store owner or manager wants to maximize. After all, the more retail staff productive your stores are, the better it is for your bottom line. Many retailers have improved their operational productivity through — your selling space, fixtures, and product key examples. But one factor that’s sometimes overlooked (and often under-invested in) is the workforce. Your employees can be the biggest drivers of retail staff productivity, so developing their skills and improving their efficiency should be a priority. In this post, we’ll explore the ways that you can help your team be more productive. Go through the pointers below and consider incorporating them into your staffing strategy. In retail, much like in any other industry in the modern business world, your employees are your most valuable assets. Your goal should be to raise productivity as much as you can and maintain high productivity levels in the workplace in order to ensure customer satisfaction, boost sales and repeat business, and achieve numerous other marketing, sales, support, and expansion goals. That said, there is no denying that maintaining high productivity levels during these trying and worrying times is a difficult task. Now that employee mental and physical health is suffering, and many are dealing with personal and family issues, it’s time for retail staff productivity leaders to step up and provide the guidance and assistance people need to thrive at work. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some smart tips that will allow you to maximize productivity in your Retail staff productivity business in 2021 and beyond.
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TRAIN YOUR STAFF PROPERLY :
The first secret to retail staff productivity is to train staff properly. Employee training should cover all the basic aspects of the job, such as product knowledge, customer service, and sales techniques. In addition, employees should be taught how to use the store’s point-of-sale system and given a thorough understanding of the store associates’ return policy. By providing employees with the knowledge and tools they need to do their jobs effectively, you can help to ensure that your store runs smoothly and efficiently.
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INVEST IN YOUR FRONT-LINE STAFF :
We’ve talked about investing in your staff a few times on the blog, but it’s worth bringing up again. Customer-facing employees can have a massive impact on store productivity, so don’t make the mistake of undervaluing them. Think of it this way: your employees, in a sense, breathe life into your store and keep sales going. Metaphorically speaking, cutting labor costs is akin to skimping on your oxygen tank. As Terry Hawkins, Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Progress Retail, the best retail company to work for that provides tailored retail learning and development solutions, shares. She adds that encouraging productivity in front-line employees means keeping them inspired and connected. “It’s about giving them a bigger reason to get out of bed in the morning. I’m sorry, but $11 an hour will not make me inspired and passionate to sell your product.”
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USE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT TOOL :
Employee management is so much more than manual oversight nowadays. It’s important to use technology to your advantage in order to get a comprehensive overview of your operation so that you can guide and assist your employees whenever possible. As a leader, you need to take a proactive role in employee management, and use a comprehensive tool to oversee your store(s) and your staff. This tool should also allow you to automate time tracking and clocking, organize shifts and rosters, and communicate with your employees.
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USE RELEVANT DATA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE :
Another crucial pillar of a productive workforce is, simply, data. Having the right information at the right time enables you as a leader to optimize your decision-making process, and focus on fine-tuning various areas of your business. On the other hand, if you just wing it, you will invariably let a mistake slip through the cracks. For example, if you want to maximize the productivity of your marketing staff and stop wasting money, then utilizing reporting software is one of the best ways to generate actionable reports and act on relevant insights and KPIs. The same goes for your other departments and in-store staff. Use dedicated software to compile data, identify bottlenecks and money-wasters, and make better decisions by allocating resources towards attainable goals.
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EQUIP YOUR STAFF WITH THE RIGHT TOOL :
Just like you should use the right software to lead your workforce, so should your staff use the right digital tools to do a better job. Technology is transforming the modern retail environment, and it’s important to invest in digital transformation in the workplace in order to empower your employees. The key here is to help staff from various departments automate repetitive tasks and processes and focus their talent and expertise on mission-critical goals. Luckily, there’s plenty you can automate in retail nowadays, ranging from support to order processing, all the way to CRM and inventory management.
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PROMOTE RETAIL EMPLOYEE COLLABORATIONS :
When retail employees collaborate and work together, they also tend to win together. Let retail associates share ideas with each other and many members of your retail staff work together to achieve key tasks or major goals. This is also a great way to improve communication, build a great work environment for everyone working in your business, and bring new solutions and strategies to help your business grow.
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HELP YOUR RETAIL EMPLOYEES GROW :
We already established that to increase productivity and raise the morale of your retail employees, it’s critical to make your retail staff feel valued. Do this by creating an atmosphere of growth; a sure way to help your employees grow and reach their full potential is by providing professional training and skill development. Training can be coordinated internally or externally, it can be performed in so many ways and forms and within or across various departments of your business. Expand the skills and knowledge of your retail employees, and cultivate an environment of learning and all will grow as a result.
HIGHEST-PAYING RETAIL STORE JOBS :
These domains offer retail management jobs in India in 2023:
- Medical Professionals (Doctors and Surgeons)
- Data Scientist
- Machine Learning Experts
- Blockchain Developer
- Full Stack Software Developer
- Product Management
- Management Consultant
- Investment Banker
- Chartered Accountant
- Marketing Manager
- Business Analyst
CONCLUSION :
There’s a direct link between your bottom line and your Retail staff productivity; if you’re looking to raise your revenues, you need to start with your employees. So, keep them inspired, communicate with them often, and give them tools to do their jobs better to maximize retail staff productivity. And don’t forget to measure their productivity. Figure out the right metrics for your stores, track them religiously, and improve when necessary.
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