Onboarding Programs For Retailers and Their Employees
Did you know that up to 40% of all new retail team members fail within the first 18 months of employment? There are HUGE costs associated with employee turnover. Between lost sales, overtime, recruiting costs, lost productivity, distraction, and training costs, many experts estimate that each time a retailer loses a front line team member it can have a cumulative cost of as much as $10,000. For field management and executive management the costs can be much higher.
Therefore, experts agree that a strong on-boarding program can not only improve retention rates but also positively impact many other business issues. On-Boarding is more than just a retail sales training or new employee orientation program for your new hires. It is a written plan that is designed to help your new retail associates get quickly acclimated to the company, culture, and position that they just accepted. Here are 6 reasons to develop a strong on-boarding program as well as a basic template to help you get your on-boarding program started.
Six Reasons Why Retailers Should Develop an “On-Boarding” Program :
1. Improves Employee Retention
2. Improves Time to Productivity
3. Improves Overall Customer Satisfaction
4. Improves Company Brand
5. Facilitates the Management of the Hiring Process
6. Eliminates Wasted Time and Costs Associated with Long Learning Curves
Your company’s on-boarding program should be more than just a new retail employee orientation program and product training. As such you will want to focus on the three “A’s” of great on-boarding programs. These are: Assimilation, Accommodation, and Acceleration. The following is a list that covers some of the areas and sub-areas you should consider when creating your own retail employee on-boarding template:
COMPANY OVERVIEW
- New Retail Employee Welcome Kit
- Vision and Mission Statements
- Organizational Charts
- New Retail Employee Orientation program
- Corporate/Department goals and objectives
JOB EXPECTATIONS
- Retail Training Program
- Job Description
- Job Expectations
- Individual Goals and Objections
- Performance Management Systems Review
POLICIES and PROCEDURES
- Safeguarding Company Information
- Protection of Company Assets
- Health/Safety Programs
- Drug/Alcohol Abuse Policy
- Complaint Resolution
- Contingency Plans
- Affirmative Action Policies
- Internal Job Posting Practices
- Overtime Pay Practices
- Vacation Allowance Programs
- Retirement Savings Programs
- Standard Operating Procedures
ADMINISTRATION
- Employee / Network ID
- Security Cards
- Work Hours
- Retail Dress Code
- Building Tours
- Building Evacuation Routes
- Recycling Programs
- Inclement Weather Policies
- Company News
- Emergency Contact Information
- Local Emergency Numbers
- Corporate and Department Numbers
- Email / Internet Use
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David Goodwin is CEO of Retail Training Services and is an expert in the field of retail operations and training. Over the past 30 years he has opened and operated hundreds of retail locations, launched new retail brands, authored training programs, and optimized struggling retail businesses. David has led national sales teams for fortune 50 companies and is a subject matter expert in the field of specialty retail operations, retail training, wireless retailing, and bringing service offerings to market. He understands the many pitfalls, challenges and mistakes independent retailers and business owners must overcome as they seek to attain growth and profitability. For more information on David and Retail Training Services, visit www.retailertrainingservices.com.