The post-pandemic era requires a more dynamic retail environment wherein customers are prioritized and given maximum control. The changing retail staffing trends for 2022 focuses on synergizing technology and people to find the best retail talent before the competition.
Amazon, Walmart, and Costco are the top three retailers in the world today with the highest retail revenue and effective customer service. Their ability to meet customer needs and expectations for every vertical of goods makes them highly efficient and prominent dominators of the industry. The highly customer-oriented nature of the retail industry requires constant innovation and upgradation to meet all needs and wants of the consumers. It is, therefore, critical for organizations to adapt their talent and technology strategies in order to stay competitive.
Changes in the retail industry after COVID
The post-pandemic era has amplified the already present need for a more dynamic retail environment wherein customers are prioritized and given maximum control, making them important stakeholders influencing technology tools brands deploy and experiences they deliver. Two of the most expected retail trends of 2021 and 2022 to include the adoption and addition of the following.
Adding value to the supply chain
Supply chain management is an area of concern for every retailer since without value addition, the supply chain can move out of trend and thus lose customers. With the adoption of technology in the retail industry, automation opportunities to streamline the retail supply chain for faster decision-making and delivering greater value to customers have become simpler and more affordable. For instance, putting RFID devices to track product inventory, transfers and movement with real-time data can effectively reduce loopholes within the supply chain and simplify order management and tracking for both customers and sellers. Additionally, shifting to cloud services to automate processes and management can also lower down the cost for retailers significantly.
Focus on experiential retail
As per modern trends and changing consumer behaviors, the need of the hour is to engage customers with experiential retail that is possible with the adoption of an omni-channel approach. Even before the pandemic, the popularity of e-commerce amongst consumers was on the rise. However, nationwide lockdowns further pushed customers to order online, making omni-channel an essential vertical during the pandemic limitation’s.
Now, customers seek an engaging and personalized experience. Therefore, introducing technology both online and offline for retail customers has become critical.
Top retail staffing trends 2022
As per statistics, the retail industry was among the worst impacted during the pandemic as global retail markets were out of customers, making it difficult to sustain and grow their business. Repercussions of the same were seen in talent acquisition firms and hiring departments globally. Keeping in mind the same, the top retail staffing trends expected for 2022 are:
Virtual recruitment
Retail companies are opting for virtual recruitment initiatives to save time and costs and employees prefer this medium as it is more convenient and flexible in today’s fast-paced world. This change reduced pain points in recruitment and hiring processes effectively and enabled a more diverse workforce in action for the near future.
New skills for retail employees
The retail industry is one that sees maximum interaction between sellers and customers and hence, another top retail staffing trend for 2022 is hiring candidates with strong soft skills. At present, according to statistics, there has been an evident shortage of soft skills across all industries worldwide since the last few years as the demand for the same on the other hand is rising faster than the talent market can offer.
Therefore, one of the crucial requirements in terms of skillsets for retail employees in the near future is to have soft skills like collaboration, communication and problem-solving ability. Retail companies like Amazon have committed a minimum of $700 million investment in employee development to help them build soft skills and other required skills to sustain changing market demands effectively.
Social recruiting
Given the dependence on and the requirement of confirmation bias from social media platforms, using it as a recruitment channel for future generations is one of the top retail staffing trends for 2022. A major portion of the professional population today is present on all popular social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
The popularity of using social platforms for talent acquisition and job searches is slowly becoming the go-to option as employees, even in the retail industry, look for employers who have high visibility and presence on popular social media platforms. Thus, there is much more that can be done on these platforms other than just social recruiting. So tapping into these channels for recruitment is highly recommended. Building a strong employer brand and sharing positive employee experiences can help attract high-quality talent that seeks a growth-driven culture. Apple Inc., for instance, is one company that uses social media to keep potential employees informed about vacancies and listings, while also maintaining an impressive social presence to attract a better pool of talent.
The skills needed for an evolving retail sector
The retail industry requires its talent to possess diverse skill sets that involve not only the ability to sell but also engage customers in a way that is consistent with the ethos of the brand. Therefore, some of the most important skills for talent in the retail industry are:
- The first and the most important skill necessary for a retail candidate is confidence as this determines their approach to customers who are the key stakeholders for the business.
- The next most important skill is emotional intelligence. Communication skills and emotional intelligence go hand-in-hand as it is important for the retail candidate to be able to successfully put themselves in the shoes of the customers to understand and meet their requirements more effectively. Additionally, emotional intelligence also ensures improved teamwork through collaboration among employees.
- Lastly, creative problem-solving is another highly in-demand skill as along with creativity, having the knowledge to resolve customer queries and operational concerns is necessary.
Overall, to conclude, the retail staffing trends in 2022 are based on the foundation of the ongoing changes in the industry and consumer behavior. The pandemic did push the adoption of technology into retail industries suddenly, however, it has proven to be an exceptional advantage for the larger retail companies, since digitization is undoubtedly the future of selling to consumers and giving them experiences that build trust and long-term affinities. And that is possible with a strong talent acquisition strategy and execution support.
VBeyond Corporation can help you with your staffing needs to ensure uninterrupted and sustainable growth for your business.
