Retail management recruiting can be tricky, finding the right person for the position can be a challenging experience. But with the right guidance and some helpful tips you can find the perfect candidate for your open C-Store management position.
Crafting Your Job Description
The first step in recruiting the right candidate for your convenience store management team is to write and effective and complete job description. A well-crafted job description will help you attract the right candidate, eliminating unnecessary interviews and saving time.
One tip to attract a better candidate is to include benefits your company can provide for the potential employee. For examples growth opportunities, constructive feedback and advanced training. However, be aware that a job description that is to extensive could alienate some potential hires.
Interviewing Your Potential Candidate
Asking the right questions will help you determine if you have the right person. Asking the same questions of each candidate will help you fair criteria for comparing candidates. If a response raises a red flag, do not hesitate to ask follow-up questions.
During the interview process with management candidates you may want to take some non-traditional approaches. Have your potential hires speak with various employees at different levels during the process. This will help your potential candidate get to know your company culture. It will also help you to get different perspectives of the candidate from current employees. Observing how they interact and getting feedback from current employees can provide insightful information about the candidate you would not see during a traditional interview.
Another strategy would be taking them on a tour of your retail location(s). Have them “walk the floor” to discuss the organization from the ground up and discuss potential problems and solutions they may see. Again, this format might provide some very important insight on how the candidate would handle the workplace environment and company culture. It also, lends the opportunity to discuss your past accomplishments and future goals, giving the potential hire a deeper insight to company values and culture.
When you ask your potential new management hire questions, investigate whether they have the following qualities and skills:
Leadership. Can a potential manager make tough decisions, keep the staff motivated and resolve conflicts? Have the candidate describe a situation in which their leadership helped solve a problem.
Communication. Your employees must be able to talk with you, customers and one another. As you speak with your management candidate you may want to ask how they feel about communication and what level communicator they are.
Customer service. Will the candidate be presentable and courteous when dealing with customers? Can he or she resolve problems without escalating them? Ask them to cite an example of how well they dealt with conflict with a boss and with a customer.
Efficiency and initiative. Time management is a essential skill for any management candidate. Can they get their tasks done well, in a reasonable amount of time? Will they set the example for other employees by pitching in, respecting their time, and/or be organized and methodical?
Enthusiasm. Ask your candidate why they want to work with you and your company. What can they bring to the job, and what are their long-term goals? Do they have knowledge of your company or brand already? What improvements would they like to see in your operation?
Lastly, remember that you may have to answer questions, too. Be prepared to respond to job candidates’ queries with honest descriptions of the work they can expect to do and the atmosphere of your company.
With good communication at the interview stage, you can find quality employees who are as happy with you as you are with them. Need help finding a qualified candidate? Haskel Thompson & Associates can help. Reach out to us to learn about our client process.
