The world of retail has seen a huge change over the past few years. Changes in technology and the way customers want to shop has led to some big-name retailers having to close stores or go out of business altogether. It is this uncertain environment that has caused many workers in retail to become worried about their future. For those companies that want to hold on to their most valued staff, it has meant that they have had to focus on what they need to do to keep their staff happy.
Honesty
One of the biggest complaints from staff in many companies is the lack of honesty from the management. By trying to keep important information or events from their staff, they think that they can control the situation. However, far from controlling it, management often make the situation worse. Your staff are an important part of your company, so you need to tell them anything that could potentially risk their jobs or update them on any particular changes in the business. You might be surprised to find that your workers will rally and try to find ways to keep the company going.
Communication
As well as honesty, communication is vital for you and your employees. The communication needs to be a two-way relationship, with both sides telling the other what needs to be done. For example, if there are problems with the sales of the company, then the workers might have an idea of how to fix it. Customer service in particular might be able to tell you what the customers are saying and offer solutions. You shouldn’t be afraid of what your customers or your staff are saying; they will know what they want and it is up to your company to deliver it.
Stability
Part of keeping your employees happy and feeling secure is trying to maintain stability. It might mean keeping your current job roles as they are instead of trying to move staff around. It can also help to continue to offer new contracts to staff and avoid anyone’s contract from lapsing. You should also look at the KPIs for contract management to see if there are any areas you can add for review. For example, by adding regular reviews on job satisfaction, you can see if anyone is starting to feel disillusioned.
Plan Ahead
Despite all of these measures, there may still come a time when you need to take drastic action to keep your business afloat. It might mean closing stores or streamlining the company. If this looks like it will be happening to your company, then you need to plan as far ahead as you can. Think about where you can redistribute employees if you need to close stores, and how you can streamline without losing staff. The further you can plan ahead, the less disruption there will be.
No one likes to worry about the future of their jobs, so by adding these simple ideas, you can hopefully avoid any painful layoffs in the future.