How your staff perform depends on many different factors, but ultimately reflects the professionalism of your business. In some stores, a busy schedule has the staff running off their feet and feeling overwhelmed without additional help. In other instances, experienced staff members might have been stuck in the same position for many years, and might have lost a lot of their motivation knowing there isn’t much hope of promotion. Others again may have a high turnover rate due to low salaries and always have new staff in training.
Consider possibilities like these details when considering your staff’s accountability and performance. Perhaps poor performance simply reflects on an individual staff member, or perhaps there are mindful changes you make to improve the accountability and performance of your staff. Let’s take a look at what you can do:
Keep Your Staff Happy
The most obvious solution to dealing with staff members who aren’t pulling their weight is to throw money at the problem. However, a raise can only go so far to improve on the situation, and you will find that money is not the primary incentive for all workers.
Instead of draining your resources, seek to find out what makes your staff happy and listen to their complaints. How do they feel the workforce is being treated and are they satisfied with how your company handles crisis situations?
Some staff members might be unhappy because they have to do most of the work during special events, while others might be less motivated because they have to perform tasks that aren’t in line with their main talents, abilities and potential for growth. Take all these issues into account whenever you seek to make important decisions involving the improvement of your staff’s performance and accountability.
Also keep in mind that everyone likes to feel appreciated, so do something nice for your staff besides the annual Christmas party. Celebrate birthdays, throw a few sundowners or afterwork drinks, or organize team building activities. Let your staff know their part of your business’ family.
Seek Feedback from Sales Associates
Sales associates have a unique viewpoint on the entire retail process that shop owners simply can’t afford to ignore. They represent the point where all your efforts come together and, as such, you should listen to their input on issues concerning your staff’s organization, efficiency and ability to serve customers.
Talk to sales associates to find out about loyal customers’ purchases, complaints made by and against your staff, and issues that might chronically disrupt the harmony of your workers’ daily activities.
Training and Future Prospects for Advancement and Continuity
While excited to work in your store at first, you might find that some staff members find it difficult to adjust to their tasks, while others pick things up quickly, and are then disappointed with their options for career advancement and continuity within the company.
The best way to counter this issue is to follow the example of CEOs like Elon Musk, who physically took the roles of some of their workers to evaluate what the workforce has to deal with and where various processes can be improved. You don’t have to spend a whole work day as one of your staff, but simply ask them questions and put yourself in their shoes to see how the training process can be improved.
Also, find out more about what you can do to create career incentives for your workers – such as promoting the employee with the best performance over a given timeframe to a manager position. Strategies like this will show your staff they’re not wasting their time in a dead-end job.
