Unlike other industries, the skills most predictive of success for retail jobs are mostly behaviour-based. Like other customer-facing jobs, attitude is typically more important than aptitude, and because of this, assessing candidates against those requirements can be challenging. Like other high-volume hiring sectors, retail hiring is being improved with recruitment automation software, such as realistic job assessments.

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Retailers typically have high staff turnover and employee attrition, so as a recruiter operating in this sector, you will want to nail down an efficient hiring process that delivers results and runs smoothly.

To make things easier, in this post, we will highlight 8 key skills recruiters need to look for when hiring in retail.

1. Communication
2. Empathy
3. Desire to help others
4. Friendly and Positive
5. Multi-tasking
6. Fast learning skills
7. Problem solving skills
8. Tech skills

Communication

Like any customer-facing role, candidates have to be able to communicate clearly and effectively. They need to explain products, company policies, or services effectively. But this skill isn’t just about how well a candidate can relay learned information. It’s important to test a candidate on their communication manner. Is it friendly and approachable? Does it reflect the company brand?

Communication also involves how you listen, what your body language shows, and how you present yourself. A helpful attitude, a smile, and politeness are all facets of good communication.

Empathy

Customers want to know they’re being listened to and understood. Empathy is the foundation for active listening skills and building rapport. If a new hire can display empathy, a customer is likelier to buy from and return to your store. It’s also invaluable when dealing with customer complaints. If a customer recognises the employee as empathetic to their concerns, they’ll likely accept the response despite it being unfavourable.

Desire to help others

Helping others is a vital character trait to assess for retail hiring. Candidates must have an innate desire to help customers and make them happy.

Working on the shop floor can be demanding and tiring. You’re on your feet for 8 hours a day and constantly dealing with positive and negative customer inquiries. People will quickly find it’s not their job without a strong willingness to make each customer happy.

Customers can clock very quickly if a worker isn’t bothered, which can make or break whether they choose to ask questions, stick around, or return to the store in the future.

Friendly and Positive

It’s not enough to want to help others and make them happy; candidates must demonstrate they can. Candidates must be kind and welcoming to everyone who walks through the door. Unlike other sales roles, there’s no hiding behind a phone or email. 

Customers always recognise a bad attitude, so you don’t want to hire a candidate who could be impolite. You’ll need to ensure your hiring process is geared towards discovering the presence or absence of friendliness.

Multi-tasking

Candidates must show they can juggle several tasks, whether dealing with a difficult customer, replenishing shelves, or taking stock. An effective multitasker can prioritise work according to business needs and know which tasks are more important. A multitasking test can be a good measure of someone’s ability.

Fast learning skills

If you’re new to working in retail, there can be a lot to learn. Candidates will be inundated with information on sales, returns, stocktaking, cleaning, and many other processes. They need to be able to comprehend and implement those processes correctly.

It doesn’t end at the induction, either. Retailers constantly update products, technology, inventories, displays, and layouts. Flexibility and an ability to learn quickly are prerequisites candidates need to be able to demonstrate or provide evidence.

Problem solving skills

Retail sales jobs require frequent improvisation. No two days are the same, and you never know what issue a customer will encounter next. It will likely be something new hires haven’t ever dealt with before. 

Therefore, you should look for candidates who are adept at thinking on their feet or coming up with innovative ideas. Role plays, assessment centres or group exercises can be great for identifying this. 

Tech skills

Understanding everyday technology like mobile devices and computer systems is an important retail hiring skill to look out for. Candidates will have to handle an electronic cash register or point-of-sale system to process transactions, so you’ll want evidence that they can do this easily after some training.

Closing thoughts on hiring for retail

These 8 essential skills to look for when hiring in retail are best assessed using a blend of retail-specific work simulation assessments and interactive face-to-face or virtual interviews. 

Since many assessment skills are about attitude, not aptitude, scoring candidates objectively can be difficult. Using volume hiring assessments to screen high numbers of applicants can save your recruiters time. This time can be reinvested in engaging interview experiences that involve role-plays and if possible, group exercises.

When considering your recruitment process and how it might be improved, consider how these key skills for retail jobs might be integrated and assessed effectively.

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There are lots of things that determine a successful recruitment strategy. Is it time to figure out where your weak spots are?

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