With the holiday shopping surge fast approaching, supply chain issues a top concern, and the stark realization that retailers are still struggling to fill holes in their store labor schedules, it is paramount that retail employee engagement is given top priority.
Retailers need to consider how to improve employee retention to be successful in a high-speed changing environment. As an example, amid the ongoing labor shortage, Target is focusing on flexible scheduling and providing more hours for current employees, while cutting down the seasonal hires this holiday season. Incentives to earn an extra $2 per hour if team members work on high-velocity days through the holidays is another strategy Target is using to reward employees for hours worked on peak days.
Further, leading companies understand that employee engagement is a top factor in building and strengthening associate loyalty as well as reducing turnover. This tenet is even more critical today.
In today’s digital age, companies must be mindful that the lack of person-to-person interaction plays a role in eroding employee engagement. Retail employers must find ways to create a sense of meaning and connection with their internal customers: their employees. This approach to retail employee engagement takes a balance of clearly outlined roles that empower associates to strengthen their skills and feel like they are contributing to the brand, coupled with face-to-face interaction and leveraging the technology that speaks to their internal audience.
Companies that are known for having high employee engagement focus on the following:
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The Parker Avery Group is a leading retail and consumer goods consulting firm that transforms organizations and optimizes operational execution through development of competitive strategies, business process design, deep analytics expertise, change management leadership, and implementation of solutions that enable key capabilities.