RETAIL SURVEY WARNS “MIND THE GAP”

It’s an age-old story.  You think you’ve all the right qualifications for promotion, but somehow or other it eludes you.  Just why won’t the boss promote you?

According to a new survey this is because the gap between perception and reality in the retail sector is so wide that 95% of jobseekers feel they have the skills they need to progress in their career, but employers think very differently.

It seems the competencies most commonly lacking in candidates is not the ability to sell, but people management and leadership, according to 71% of employers.  What’s more, over half the employers interviewed feel that retail applicants are lacking in customer service (55%) or communication skills (54%) – abilities that are vital in retail.

This reality gap was revealed by recruitment specialists Hays Retail in association with Barclays, through a programme of extensive research that involved over 11,000 employers and employees. 

The purpose of the research was to reveal the truth behind recruitment and retention in the retail market and, according to Clare Kemsley, managing director of Hays Retail, what’s needed from employers to get – and keep – the best employees is a “more innovative candidate attraction methods, combined with a concerted effort to offer a greater range of training and career development opportunities.”  This observation is particularly apposite when it is considered in the light of the survey’s findings that the primary motivator for leaving an organisation is career progression (48%).

The Hays Retail Salary and Benefits Guide also threw up some other interesting statistics: the average hours worked a week are 47, compared against the average of 38 hours contracted; in fact, more than eight in ten respondents work for than their contracted hours, with 36% of those questioned said it was simply the nature of their role, while a further 29% work overtime to deal with their workload and get the job done.

And the effects of e-commerce have been welcomed, with 62% of retailers stating that e-commerce has impacted positively on their operations, with 38% saying that the impact has been “very positive”. 

“This new Guide gives a deeper than ever insight into the retail profession and the challenges facing employers as they go about recruiting and retaining staff,” said Clare. 

Footnotes:

Research of this nature can help shape businesses and is useful in planning however, when using any of the information, it is important to remember that there are a number of additional factors which influence salaries and benefits such as the size and nature of a business, industry sector and the responsibilities of the role itself.

To receive a copy of the Hays Retail 2007/08 Salary Guide on CD call 01483 302 106 or visit www.hays.com/retail/salaryguide

Note to Editor

Hays Retail provides high quality recruitment services tailored to the retail market – recruiting for technical, production, head office and retail operations management staff across the UK.

Hays Retail’s operates from offices in London, Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham and works with many of the top UK retailers - from boutique fashion outlets to national multiples and from food to furnishings.

Hays Retail is a subdivision of Hays Plc, the FTSE 250 Company, which employs 7,753 staff operating from 376 offices in 25 countries across 17 specialisms. Hays Plc placed circa 68,000 candidates into permanent jobs and paid circa 46,000 temporary workers weekly during the year ending 30 June 07.

For further press information please contact:
Gill Alexander
The Smarter Consultancy
T. 0560 127 5383
E. gill@smarterconsultancy.co.uk