Retail TouchPoints (RTP): What have been the most significant changes in the retail hiring landscape over the past two to three years? What are the major contributors to the current problems retailers are having in filling store-level and other vacancies?
Eric Holwell: Retailers have faced more competition for talent with the rise of “work-from-home” jobs in the past two to three years. In many cases, these jobs pay more in addition to being a safer workspace where employees are less likely to get sick. Supply chain issues have made consumers short-tempered and frontline workers in retail often are on the receiving end of those frustrations. These factors have also contributed to higher quit rates.
It’s not only remote jobs but also gig work that is luring job seekers away from retail jobs. At the end of the day, retail is facing more competition when it comes to recruiting.
RTP: Are any of these big-picture factors likely to ease in 2023, and if so, which ones?
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Holwell: Supply chains are easing and will help level-set consumer and employee frustrations. COVID is, however, still a wild card where safe and convenient workspaces will still play a major role in job seeker behaviors.
RTP: Do you foresee any new factors that would affect the pool of available talent in either direction, for example the chance of an economic recession in 2023?
Holwell: In most cases, a recession will create a larger job seeker talent pool, which can benefit retailers with more interest in their open positions. On the other hand, a large portion of new job seekers will explore gig work as a way to make money instead of working in retail, which could negatively impact the retail talent market.
RTP: What are the most important elements of a successful talent attraction strategy for retailers?
Holwell: Employers need to showcase competitive pay, benefits and comfortable working conditions on their career site and in their job postings. It’s also common for candidates to complain about not getting enough hours, so an ability to guarantee a set number of shifts per week will go a long way in attracting and retaining talent.
Retailers should make sure their job postings are showing up on sites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter every day. The more efficient way to advertise on all job sites is to run job sponsorships through a programmatic job ad platform that will optimize where retailers show up based on real-time application data.
RTP: What role does employer branding play in a strong talent attraction strategy, and what are some short-term things retailers can do to improve in this area?
Holwell: In addition to competitive pay, benefits and other perks, the speed it takes to screen, interview and hire candidates will be essential. Job seekers in the retail space are typically applying for multiple jobs, and the employer that can produce a delightful and speedy process will win over more candidates. This means leveraging automation tools where candidates are auto-screened and can quickly auto-schedule interviews within 24 to 48 hours.
RTP: I know it’s difficult to generalize, but what are prospective employees looking for in an employer?
Holwell: In addition to a fair wage and benefits, employees want a consistent paycheck, which means they need guaranteed hours each week. Otherwise, they will quit and move on as they have over the past two years.
RTP: What are some key internal changes retailers should make to strengthen their talent attraction strategies?
Holwell: Retailers should invest in a simple application, screening and interviewing process. An application should take no longer than 30 seconds on a mobile device; according to Bayard data, 80% of hourly job seekers are using their phones to search and apply for jobs. Retailers can implement tools like Bayard’s KROW software that allows qualified candidates to automatically schedule an interview with a hiring manager or programmatic job ad tools to sponsor open jobs across the most proven job sites available. These few things will help an employer stand in a league of their own and better compete for talent that is increasingly hard to find these days.
Eric Holwell is SVP, Strategy, at Bayard Advertising. He has worked in talent attraction and technology since 2006 with specialties in recruitment advertising, candidate UX and recruiting analytics. His primary role is to help Bayard clients envision, build and execute strategic recruitment marketing initiatives. He works closely with Bayard’s own subject matter experts in tech, media, creative and analytics divisions as well as client stakeholders to meet each client’s hiring and business objectives. Holwell’s passion for better recruiting models influenced his vision for several proprietary solutions including KROW, which is Bayard’s bold answer to slow and outdated TA tech. He is a graduate of the Metropolitan State University of Denver with a BS in Marketing, and he also obtained an MBA from Colorado State University.
