Common Hiring Mistakes In The Retail Industry

Unfortunately, finding employees such as this isn't always an easy task. You can go through dozens of even hundreds of applications without a single prospect. To help you started on the right foot, though, we're going to reveal some of the most common hiring mistakes in the retail industry.

Hiring Mistake #1 – Waiting For The “Perfect” Candidate

One of the most common hiring mistakes retail owners and managers make is waiting around for the perfect candidate. In a perfect world, all of your job applicants would have a resume complete with years of retail training, experience and education. Applicants may have some of these items covered with their resume, but it's highly unlikely that you'll find the “perfect” job candidate. Unless you want to leave the position open for several more months, don't wait around for the perfect candidate.

Hiring Mistake #2 – Hiring Too Soon

Another common mistake is hiring a candidate too soon. You might scan through their application and find some previous experience listed that will help out your retail business, at which point you call the candidate up to let them know they have a new job. Making such a hastily business decision could have negative consequences, though. A better solution is to place the candidate's application into a “prospective” stack where you can compare it to others.

Hiring Mistake #3 – Not Performing an Interview

Interviewing each and every potential job candidate is both a time-consuming and tiresome process. However, it's necessary to get more information about the applicant. A one-on-one interview will give you the opportunity to ask more questions to determine whether or not the applicant is capable of handling their job responsibilities. Interviews will also give you a more personal feel of the applicant's character and level of professionalism.

During the interview, take note of the applicant's body language and confidence. Because the retail industry deals directly with customers, you'll likely need a worker who's confident and able to communicate well.

Hiring Mistake #4 – Going With “Gut” Feeling

You shouldn't let your personal opinion on job candidates trump their qualifications. Just because an applicant has a positive, uplifting personality doesn't necessarily mean he or she is the best candidate for the job. Go through their application to determine whether or not they have the skills and experience necessary for the job. If you believe they do, then you should call them in for an interview.

Hiring employees for a retail store business requires patience and persistence. It's not uncommon for owners to go through hundreds of applications without finding a single candidate for the job. However, continue to analyze each and every application while performing interviews on prospective candidates and you will eventually find someone to fill the open position.