Tag: hiring trends

The Shift Towards Experience in Grocery Retail Hiring

Posted on | by Excel Recruitment

For years, the typical hiring pattern in grocery retail was predictable. When a senior role came up, retailers often leaned towards the up-and-coming manager – the high-energy assistant manager ready for the next step up. Recently, I am seeing something different. Across independent and larger groups alike, there is a noticeable shift towards experienced and, in many cases, returning candidates. Retailers are leaning into maturity. They are choosing steady over speedy. Proven over promising.

One reason is simple. Fewer younger managers are putting themselves forward for full accountability roles. I speak daily to talented department managers who are excellent at running their areas but are hesitant to step into total store responsibility. The weight of staffing, compliance, margin, rosters, and constant problem-solving is not as attractive as it once was. Again, this is not about a lack of ability. It is about priorities. Many are carefully balancing career ambition with lifestyle, and full store accountability can feel all-consuming.

Creating risks

For independent retailers, in particular, this creates risk. Succession has traditionally been organic. A strong grocery manager becomes a store manager. A capable fresh food manager steps up when the time comes. But if the fewer mid-level managers want that jump, the natural pipeline narrows. Interestingly, while retailers are finding some resistance from the next generation, they are also rediscovering the value of those who have already done it. I am often successful in placing deli managers who are looking to return to work as their children get older. These are experienced professionals who stepped back for family reasons, not because they lacked skill or drive. Now, with more flexibility in their personal lives, they are ready to re-engage.

Wealth of experience

Retailers are actively seeking out these candidates who have this wealth of experience behind them, even if there is a break in between. They know they are getting someone who understands gross profit, waste control, food safety audits, and customer service standards without needing handholding. More importantly, they are getting someone who does not panic when a delivery is late or when the queue builds at lunchtime. They have seen busy Christmas weeks, supplier issues, staff shortages. Very little surprises them.

Another recent example is two butchers I worked with who took a break from the physical demands of lifting carcasses. One drove a bus. The other became a taxi driver. Both have now returned to the butcher counter, but in a slightly different capacity. They are using their experience and insight rather than relying purely on physical strength. Retailers value their product knowledge, their ability to train younger staff, and their understanding of margin and their stunning displays. Retailers are happy to delegate some of the more physical tasks on return for this level of experience behind the counters again!

Comfort in experience 

Their is a comfort in experience that many retailers are prioritising right now. More clients are telling me they would rather appoint a candidate who is a steady pair of hand, who has seen it all, who does not flap under pressure, and who is as reliable as the day is long. In an environment where margins are tight and operational pressure is constant; steadiness has real value. There is also a noticeable mindset difference. Many candidates from this generation believe strongly in ownership and personal responsibility. If something goes wrong in their department or store, they fix it. They do not immediately look outward for blame. They are not constantly scanning the market for the next title or the next move. For many, the priorities are fair pay, respect, and autonomy. Give them the space to run their store or area properly and they will.

This does not mean there is no place for ambitious younger managers. There absolutely is. But the balance is shifting. Retailers are thinking more carefully about risk. They are asking themselves who can protect margin, lead calmly, and stay the course. Increasingly, the answer is not always the fastest rising star. Sometimes, it is the professional who has already weathered the storm.

The shift towards experience may not be dramatic, but it is real. And for many retailers it’s a win-win option for them but also for the candidate and the store!

How, and why, to think long-term when hiring during post lockdown uncertainty

Posted on | by Editorial Team

As a country, we continue to balance the fight against COVID-19 with the fight to rebound against its effects on the economy. Businesses are also moving from focusing on operating safely to focusing on their longer-term goals; while still operating in an uncertain and constantly changing landscape. This leads many managers to question their strategies for hiring during post lockdown uncertainty.

What this means in recruitment terms, is that hiring someone new at any level is now a more important decision than ever. Even for business with bright long-term futures, the uncertainty that’s affecting the entire world has understandably hindered everyone’s ability to plan anything, from holidays to houses to new hires. Below are a few tips to ensure you maximise the effectiveness of your recruitment efforts for the long-term, even as things continue to change.

Take stock

Now more than ever it is crucial to be clear on the needs and goals of your business, and who you may need to hire to achieve these. Taking a step back and actively assessing your current team’s strengths and weaknesses can allow you to identify potential gaps in talent or assess whether it may be a simpler issue of retraining, motivating or even promoting your current team. By refocusing on the long-term vision for the business, as well as current needs rather than just making the quickest/ cheapest/ most convenient hire, you are less likely to make a potentially costly mistake.

Quality over quantity

An unfortunate fact of this pandemic is that more people from a wide range of industries are now looking for work. Many are looking for a change of sector, either temporarily until things return to normal or permanently. Open vacancies, including those that were headaches to fill just a few months ago, are now seeing a huge spike in applications. While this sounds great, shifting through unqualified or unsuitable candidates can be time-consuming, particularly if you’re not looking with a focused eye. While it is important to stay open-minded to transferable skills and experience, by building the profile of your ideal hire before you start recruiting, you’re less likely to waste on unsuitable CVs or make a snap decision on who to hire for the sake of speeding up the process.

Candidate experience

While we are no longer operating in the candidate’s market we were just a few short months ago, it is important to remember that to have high calibre staff, you must first attract a pool of high calibre candidates. While there are now more active jobseekers generally, grocery retail is still a competitive and thriving employment market and you want to ensure you’re attracting the best applicants possible.

Budgets are tighter and employers want to avoid having to offer candidates more and more money to entice them to move. But salary isn’t the be-all and end-all for candidates either. Factors such as commute, work/life balance, company culture and career progression are all still priorities to candidates regardless of COVID-19 and should be highlighted throughout the recruitment process.

Remember the soft skills

Although there is a lot to be positive about as the country returns to normal, there is still uncertainty around the economy with government guidelines being revised and reassessed as needed. As frontline workers during the entirety of lockdown, those working in the grocery industry know more than anyone how crucial it is to be able to react and pivot quickly, while simultaneously remaining welcoming and friendly to customers. Resilience, adaptability flexibility and positivity are qualities in your team and potential new staff that cannot be underestimated as we continue to learn how to operate in post lockdown life.