I am often asked, “how do I stop hiring the wrong people? I hire people who I think are going to be fantastic and then a day or week later, they turn out to be the wrong fit. What am I doing wrong? How do I hire people who end up being here for the long haul? How do I find the right people?”

This is a great question that I have struggled with in my early years running stores. I want to talk to you today about stopping hiring the wrong people and hiring the right people for your store.

1. Your Current Team Knows Great People.

One way to stop hiring the wrong people for your store is to engage your own team and ask who they know. What is in it for them? Well, people love working with their friends, and an added bonus, they already know and can share the expectations of the job.

To get the best results, it is important to not just ask them who they know who might want to work at your store. It is more effective to spend a few moments off the shop floor with them. Explain the scenario and describe the help you need from them. Articulate the value they add to the team and reinforce that you need more just like them. Then ask who they know who would like to join the team! This approach will make them much more likely to think about good candidates who might fit your team. Sure, it is time consuming to sit down and connect with each member of the team, but the output will be worth it.

2. Your Customers Are Potential Superstar Candidates.

The next approach is to talk to your customers. These people have already demonstrated love for your brand and shopping in your store. Who better to join the team and already have a perspective on what customers want?

Now don’t just walk up to a good customer and ask if they want a job. The best approach is to start by complimenting them. Build a relationship with them, ask them if they are working currently. As the conversation evolves, suggest that they might enjoy a part time role at your store! Reinforce the amazing benefits of getting a discount where they love to shop, or flexibility in scheduling or other benefits your store may offer that aligns nicely with where this customer is in their life and what they might need.

3. The Dreaded Sifting Through Applications.

Perhaps your employees don’t know anyone to recommend and you have not found a customer who wants to work at your store. Now you are sifting through applications or a portal of applicants to find talent. Screening candidates can be time consuming and ineffectual if you don’t know what to look for.

So what are you looking for when you screen applicants?

• Are you looking for someone who’s worked in retail? The answer to that question is most often yes. But is it the most important thing? NO.

• Do you want someone who is energetic and friendly? It is much more difficult to teach someone how to have a positive and energetic personality, how to love customers, engage and create memorable experiences. THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE SHOULD BE YES!

• Are you looking for expertise in your products? Product knowledge can be learned or memorized!

• Are you looking for a superstar seller? Selling models can be learned too!

Hire for personality, train everything else. If you’re hiring for retail, you must meet them in person experience their energy and personality and I am going to encourage you to hire for those things. Now there is a caveat, are you prepared to provide thorough training? If your brand does not offer training, you might be required to hire for experience. (and if you don’t have training, suggest they hire Running Great Stores to create training that amplifies the brand and works every time to convert customers!)

4. Stop Hiring the Wrong People by Asking The Right Questions.

How are you preparing for these interviews? Do you have questions prepared? Does your company provide an interview guide that helps you ask the right questions? Asking the right questions is one thing. Knowing how to probe a little deeper is another. Here are a few pro tips to conduct the best possible interview.

• Spend time Preparing for the Conversation:
  • Spend 15 minutes reviewing their resume/application and prepare some questions to ensure you maximize your time.
  • Consider probing questions. Jot down a few questions you might ask to go deeper into questions or concerns you have from their application.
• During the Interview:
  • Be friendly and put the applicant at ease so they can be their best selves. If you are intimidating or in a bad mood, they will be nervous and it can be difficult to tell what they can really do.
  • Walk the shop floor with the candidate and ask them what they stands out to them. This is designed to see how they think about things and where their attention to detail might be.
  • Give them a few minutes to engage customers. See what their approach is like. Do they make eye contact? Are they friendly or are they just asking the customer if they are finding what they need? This gives your evidence that they can (or cannot) do the job at the level you need.

Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. We often find ourselves running around and when the applicant shows up, we aren’t ready. The way we transition from a task to an interview is important. Check your energy! Remember that your words, your energy, your behavior reflect you as a leader and your brand. Not doing this is exacerbating the hiring problem.

5. Stop Hiring The Wrong People By Having Bench Strength.

What is bench strength? It is people we have identified as potential candidates for your store and once an opening occurs, you reach out to them and talk about the opportunity. There is not a guarantee that they will accept the job offer, but its a great place to start.

Position openings often happen at the most inopportune moments, don’t they? We feel desperate and we hire the wrong person.

Using a recruiting log to record people you are impressed by is the best way to create that bench list that you can go back to when you have an opening.

Apply It.

Hiring and retaining top talent is job one if you want to run great stores. There are no shortcuts to identifying talent that is a fit for your brand. We have to be diligent in who we prospect, how we engage and interview, the training provided, and recognition that makes them feel like a valued part of the team. If you leverage these methods in hiring talent, you will see improvements in your team!