Why I’m publicly committing to hiring Store Managers for my HR business

We opened our virtual doors in March and it sure has been one interesting ride.

Whilst I am still a long way off hiring my first team member, I do have a Big-Hairy-Audacious-Goal (a BHAG for the Collins fans) to be hiring in the next 12 months. What better place to announce a goal than the World Wide Web.

I’m publicly declaring that when it comes to hiring, I will ALWAYS seek team members who come from or started their journey as a Store Manager. There’s a method to this madness but the true premise for this commitment stems from my deep-seeded passion to change the perception of retail as a career of choice. There’s lots of non-believers who don’t see retail as a genuine career. And worse, our education system does a really poor job of promoting our CRAZY INSANELY AMAZING industry as a career of choice. There are BIG things to be achieved from a career that starts on the shop floor and Store Managers really are the bee’s knee’s in my humble opinion.

So here’s why I want my business hires to have grassroots in retail management…

Some of our recent Relier gals placed in Store Leader roles at their new dream home!

This nifty role requires the beholder to strike a delicate balance between the priorities of every single department ‘up there’ in the Support Office.

Inventory management. Operational accuracy. Coaching, performance management and recruitment. Customer experience. Team Leadership. Driving repeat business. Meeting client expectations. Thinking outside your four walls. Merchandising. Promoting product sell-thru. Reporting on quality control. Marketing strategies and liaison… I could go on forever. The role is literally (in my opinion) THE best stepping stone to test the waters for your career passions and to pick and choose where your strengths lie. Give me one good reason as to why I wouldn’t want a multi-tasking superstar like this leading the way in my own business?

2. Fast-paced, reactionary change happens in an instant. It’s the name of the modern retail sales strategy game. And Store Managers are expected to manage fast-paced change like no other.

Picture this: you’re deep in the thick of high Christmas or school holidays traffic but sales aren’t where they need to be. Those sneaky buggers in the support office pull sale forward one week earlier and your rosters aren’t prepared (nor is your physical body). Bulk consolidations need to be completed within 24 hours. Team members call in sick left right and centre. Deliveries arrive and are DOUBLE the expected size (on the reg). Store Managers are the Queens and Kings of tackling big, last minute jobs and they do it with a damn smile (most of the time). These guys know how to get a last minute task done and they still deliver sales while they’re at it. Sometimes it’s physically demanding, other times emotionally stressful. But they find a reason to get it done as a team and they pull through with the goods, each and every time.

3. Store Managers understand the true importance of every client interaction.

If you have a business, you have customers. They might look different to a retail customer, but they are still the crux of your business at the end of the day. By nature as retailers, we are trained to give a six-star experience to every person that walks through the door. Store Managers understand the importance of a happy customer … and more importantly, the disaster ripples that one UNhappy customer can cause. If they come from the right DNA, these cherubs will do everything they can to create a 'feel-better-than-you-walked-in’ experience for each and every customer. At the end of the day, client happiness should be the top of the list for every single business out there. No one does it better than your OG retail gang. Good service is good service. The fundamentals are the same across every industry and this is a skill that will transcend the needs of any role.

“A Store Manager is a team player. They are a coach. They are always on stage. They are always leading from the front. And I want team players in my business.”

4. Store Managers are motivated to deliver against set targets, in the right way

Not many industries can compete with the level of performance excellence that’s expected in terms of KPI results in retail.. Store Managers are trained not only to hit their targets, but to understand how each and every one will contribute to the bottom line of their business. They know how each individual KPI will impact the profitability of the store. They know which leavers to pull and when and take strategic action to do so. Combine this with a drive for six-star client experience, and you’ve got performance excellence on your hands.

5. No one can drive home team work like a Store Manager can

Every retail business is structured differently - in some, Store Managers lead the sales floor, always in the trenches with their team. In others, Managers lead operations and logistics whilst ASMs and Department Leaders are in the field driving that delicious sales success. Regardless of the structure, these guys certainly aren’t flying solo to cross that sales line. The only true way to achieve repeated performance excellence on that gorgeous shop floor is to coach and train a team of superstars to deliver results the same way you do. The ultimate Store Manager can leave the store for an extended period of time and sales and KPI performance won’t dip; not for a second. Their team is a well-oiled machine that delivers results with or without their leader. What I’m saying is, a Store Manager is a team player. They are a coach. They are always on stage. They are always leading from the front. And I want team players in my business, not sure about yourself!

In summary, yes I’m biased. I’m an OG Store Manager myself and the juiciest secret of all is that I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t become a Store Manager back in 2012. I understand the grit, the passion, the resilience and the hard work that goes into leading a team. I bloody love Store Managers and the day I launch my first vacancy at Relier, I’ll be looking at stock that comes from the same place I do. If you’re a business owner, do yourself a favour and do the same! These superstars should not be overlooked in an application for an opportunity with you.