In stores, recruitment and retention difficulties occupy a growing place among the concerns of managers and human resources departments.
Applications do not always match expectations, departures weaken organisations, and teams sometimes have to maintain their level of performance despite incomplete staffing.
Faced with these challenges, companies are multiplying initiatives to attract new employees. Yet one dimension is sometimes insufficiently taken into account: understanding the daily realities of the shop floor, because the human challenges of retail cannot be fully grasped through indicators, dashboards or remote exchanges.
Recruiting beyond the CV
In retail professions, professional experience and technical skills remain important criteria, but they are not always enough to identify the most suitable profiles.
Posture, a sense of service, quality of communication and the ability to create a relationship with the customer are essential skills, particularly in the worlds of luxury and beauty.
A prestigious background does not necessarily guarantee excellent commercial posture. Conversely, a candidate from another sector can have remarkable interpersonal qualities and genuine potential for growth.
The best profile is not always the one with the most impressive CV, but the one with the skills and interpersonal qualities needed to succeed on the shop floor.
This reality invites Maisons to diversify their assessment methods.
Behavioural interviews, role-playing exercises, sales exercises or conversations focused on motivations make it possible to go beyond professional background.
CV-free recruitment can also be an interesting avenue, provided it relies on objective criteria and a structured assessment.
The challenge is not to ignore experience, but to better assess potential and the fit between a candidate, a role and a Maison's culture.
Bringing human resources closer to shop-floor teams
Human resources departments play an essential role in talent development strategy. Yet the distance between head office and stores can sometimes make it harder to understand operational difficulties.
Management issues, tensions within teams, work overload or early signs of disengagement do not always come to light early enough.
HR indicators make it possible to identify certain trends, but they do not replace direct exchanges with employees.
Understanding retail requires taking the time to observe those who bring it to life every day.
Regular store visits, one-on-one conversations or immersion periods can thus help HR teams better grasp shop-floor realities.
Some organisations may, for example, introduce a monthly immersion day for their HR managers.
The aim is not to exert more control over teams, but to identify needs, support managers and detect difficulties before they become entrenched.
This proximity also helps strengthen trust between employees and their company.
Onboarding, a decisive step in retention
A successful recruitment does not guarantee a lasting working relationship.
An employee's first weeks are decisive in building their sense of belonging, their understanding of expectations and their ability to find their place within the team.
Yet onboarding is sometimes limited to a store presentation, product training and a few days of accompaniment.
In environments where operational demands are high, this approach can quickly put new employees in a difficult position.
Maisons therefore have an interest in structuring their onboarding processes more thoroughly.
A personalised welcome, the appointment of a mentor, immersion in the brand's culture and regular follow-up meetings make it possible to build a more reassuring and engaging experience.
Check-ins at fifteen days, thirty days and before the end of the probationary period notably offer an opportunity to identify difficulties, adjust support and gather the employee's first impressions.
Onboarding should not be seen as a mere administrative formality, but as the first step in retention.
It is also a privileged moment to convey the Maison's values, standards and identity.
Recognising commitment rather than reinforcing control
Absenteeism also represents an operational challenge for certain retail networks.
When it becomes recurrent, it can disrupt schedules, increase the workload of employees who are present and weaken the customer experience.
In response, some retailers are considering schemes to recognise attendance, notably through specific bonuses.
These initiatives can be a complementary lever, provided they comply with the legal framework and do not penalise legitimate absences, but the issue of absenteeism cannot be addressed solely from a financial angle.
It also calls for questioning working conditions, team organisation, the quality of management and employees' level of engagement.
Daily recognition, communication and listening are, in this respect, essential levers.
Valuing an employee for their reliability, their commitment or their collective contribution can strengthen their sense of usefulness and belonging.
Towards an HR function more firmly rooted in the shop floor
The transformations under way in retail could gradually change human resources practices.
The development of behavioural assessments, the structuring of onboarding processes and the increased presence of HR teams in stores are all avenues for better addressing recruitment and retention challenges.
But beyond specific tools, it is above all a shift in posture that appears necessary.
Human resources can no longer be seen solely as a management function. They must also be an operational partner, capable of supporting managers and understanding employees' expectations.
A relevant HR strategy is not built solely from head office. It is also nourished by shop-floor realities, human exchanges and knowledge of the professions, because attracting talent is a first step. Making them want to commit, progress and stay is the real challenge.
