Hire Store Associates
When you begin the process of hiring a store associate, you will be learning how to fill the role of an essential employee for your retail business. The store associate is the team member who opens and closes the store, greets customers, helps them by providing relevant information, and keeps the store clean and organized. In short, it is your store associate who keeps the wheels of the retail company well oiled and moving. It is the quality of customer service provided by this employee that keeps your customers happy and satisfied. He or she also manages inventory and replenishes items on display in the store. They will also listen to complaints and feedback from customers and attempt to solve any customer service issues.
How to hire a store associate who is efficient and trustworthy?
When so much depends upon the skills and aptitude of the individual, it pays to be extra careful when hiring a store associate. Excellent store associates are difficult to find and retain. If you are willing to pay a good salary, you will attract several applicants. But you need to screen them wisely so as to interview and select the right candidate for your store. Experience as a store associate in a similar business is important. You will also need someone with a pleasant personality to impress your customers. Finally, the most important attribute for a store associate is his or her honesty and trustworthiness. It is important to request references from their previous employers. You might also require a bilingual store associate if your store expects customers who speak a language other than English.
Describe the role and responsibilities clearly in your sales associate job posting
It is always prudent to be clear and straightforward in order to find the right person who will succeed in the role of a sales associate at your store. You don’t want to be told by the selected applicants later on that they were not told about a particular responsibility. By specifying in detail all the roles and responsibilities, you make sure that you are able to screen the applicants and find the person who is the best fit for the job. Also, you save time and energy that goes into interviewing applicants who are not ideal for the job of store associate in your retail business.
Necessary skills your store associate should have
There are some subtle qualities in a store associate that determine their efficiency:
- Is he or she a good listener?
- Is the person capable of providing excellent customer service?
- Can the person match customer’s requirements with the products available in the store?
- Does the applicant have good communication skills (in more than one language if the role demands it)?
- Does the applicant have strong math skills along with inventory maintenance skills?
- Does he or she have a high energy level?
- Finally, is the person dependable and can they be trusted with the store’s responsibility and security?
When hiring a store associate, you need to be careful and focus on your specific requirements. If you mention you are looking for a results-driven store associate, you have already made it clear that you will not allow the store associate to continue if he or she is not delivering desired results.
