CHAPTER TWO OF THE ULTIMATE RETAIL MANUAL

CHAPTER TWO: BRAND RECOGNITION

WHAT IS THE WORD ON THE STREET ABOUT YOUR COMPANY?

     Numerous retailers believe that the recruitment process is only about talent acquisition. About 75% of it is just that; however, people remember your first and last impression. The retail sector is a very interrelated community of like-minded professionals who network with other managers in their sector. Believe it or not, your organizational reputation is like any other “word of mouth” advertising that exists. Are your new hires raving about your company to their peers at other organizations? Is your ex-employee trashing your hard-earned brand? Are your previous hiring candidates that weren’t selected overly bitter? Are you losing market share and your most valued customers to your competitors? These questions are paramount to ask and are required to seek honest feedback. Remember, if you think everything is “hunky-dory,” then you will not invest your time or energy in the necessary work to recapture your prominence.

AUDITING YOUR HIRING PROCESS

     The rigors and demanding schedule of a retail manager are immensely overwhelming. Moreover, the last thing I wanted to do was to add anything else to my already overflowing plate of responsibilities. When I was a young and inexperienced leader, I felt that trusting my human resource associates (implicitly) was the proper thing to do. I sensed if I became “too involved” with their responsibilities they would perceive my participation as inadequacies on their part. I soon realized the hard way that my involvement was a requirement for ensuring that our store was overflowing with the best and brightest talent available.

     I created and implemented a structured auditing system that tracked all the human resource hiring metrics and instituted a level of consistency with all our new hires. At first, the human resource employees/leaders were feeling inadequate, micromanaged, and were not super enthusiastic with this new auditing system. I had a meeting with them to explain why I was implementing this process and how it was GOING TO MAKE THEIR JOBS EASIER. I received their buy-in immediately when they saw how this auditing procedure was going to streamline the hiring process while ensuring that we were following all state and federal laws. 

     The audit consisted of the following items: ensure compliance of the structured interview guide, reasonable candidate interview time and scheduling, surprise visits from myself to shadow the interviewer for objective assessments, I-9 & W-4 document inspections (for hired candidates), inspection of salary pay band adherence, etc. This auditing process was a huge success. Henceforth, I was then asked to assist other stores in the district/region with helping to assimilate the process into their stores. There were numerous hiccups along the way, and, on several occasions, I had to provide honest and direct feedback (to many human resource professionals throughout my tenure) that was not congruent with their beliefs.

     I had some of my human resource associates/managers that thought they were above reproach when it came to their ability to interview and hire new associates. The most common discrepancy was their inability to notice any red flags about the candidate’s personality that would predispose them as an improper culture fit for the organization. A poignant example is this: There is usually a question stating during the structured interview questionnaire, for example, tell me a time when you offered exemplary customer service to a guest. If the individual is having a hard time explaining a situation or is not describing an example in detail, then this is a red flag because we work in a heavily dominated customer service environment.

     Another example of retraining the interviewers is usually centered around the manager not sticking to the interview guide (which can expose your company to possible litigation) and or remaining too rigid or unapproachable. Either perceived behavior is not the “right energy” to project to a potential candidate. The ideal interview situation is a waltz between both parties, which can allow the applicant the chance to relax and settle into the interview. When a person is relaxed, they are going to be at their best. This atmosphere will generally showcase their talents through insightful and tangible examples from their prior careers.

     In addition, I encountered many managers who wanted to hire “a bunch of mini-ME’s” whose style was corresponding with their own specific personality. I repeatedly explained that our store/district must reflect many different personas. Henceforth, we should always welcome those individuals whose temperament is different from ours. The main admonition was that they fully understood our culture and how we treat our customers like family, which is a non-negotiable for employment with our company. This specific adjustment required massive deprogramming because of the information they received from previous leaders who surrounded themselves with employees just like them.

     The process was arduous and unwelcoming at first. However, after the new procedures were implemented, the leaders began to witness the success of hiring the right people. The results started to matriculate in from the diverse hiring principles I had imparted on my leaders. The store environment started to reflect an inclusive and accommodating atmosphere where MOST of the employees started to develop friendships with their colleagues that were established upon respect instead of competition. We were receiving a surplus of compliments from our associates surrounding the hiring process, the quality of candidates we were hiring, and the influx of fresh ideas from the new hires. Overall, the new hiring paradigms were taking hold while producing a conducive arena that was embracing a myriad of varied personalities that reflected our community.   

WHO IS REPRESENTING YOUR BRAND?

     The “success or failure” of your organization is most likely attributed to the caliber of talent that your company attracts and retains within your competitive sector. Bernie Marcus {Co-Founder & CEO of Home Depot} used to say that “he could tell the leadership style of the store manager within 30 seconds of entering any store.” Of course, I was behooved at this incredible feat of prognostication. At the same time, I experienced a sense of inquisitiveness to fully understand what he meant, and how to develop this type of superpower. Bernie was referring to entering the store and having all his Spidey-senses working to interpret the following information: the look and feel of the store entrance, the interaction of the associates with the customers, the sense of urgency surrounding the returns desk area, the cleanliness of customer service areas, the attitudes of the associates, the lines at the checkout, the responsiveness of the managers to customer issues, etc.

     He was completely accurate with the wisdom that he shared with me. Moreover, after some intense practice and due diligence on my part, I developed the same type of intuition that had an astronomical level of accuracy. This type of intuitiveness served me very well throughout my tenure in the retail sector, and of course, I was excited about sharing this practice with the entire leadership team. Our customers were MOST DEFINITELY able to sense this atmosphere within our store. Subsequently, I wanted to ensure that “all hands were on deck” to facilitate a pleasant shopping experience for all of our guests.

     Generally, your store management team is a microcosm of the organizational macrocosm of the “atmosphere” of your company. I always considered my store a mirror reflection of what the ideal store should resemble, and it was my ultimate aspiration to achieve this incredible feat. I always sought to create an inclusive environment that presented a polished store that would become a small representation of what our company brand was exuding to our customers.

     First, the process of creating an emblematic store that represents your company’s core values starts with your salaried leaders which is then subliminally filtered down to your hourly managers. When the ENTIRE LEADERSHIP TEAM is operating as a synergistic unit, then you can present a unified and consistent environment to your customers. Your entire management team must - I repeat must - all think and behave in the exact same way regarding service, safety, customer complaints, and employee issues. This will establish a store that will exemplify a strong unity where all leaders are “on the same page” about how to represent your organizational brand.

     Your store leadership teams are THE GATEKEEPERS OF YOUR BRAND. Too many times an inexperienced manager will temporarily weaken your brand which, if left unchecked, could ultimately damage your reputation within your community. I would personally call back every disgruntled customer (even when I did not have to) to ensure that our customers fully understood that whatever the issue or misunderstanding, we were going to reestablish their belief and commitment to continue to shop our store. I was obsessive with responding to customer complaints expeditiously to address their issues and to minimize the negative consequences from their experience. Unfortunately, 96% of customers WILL NOT complain to you. However, they will tell 15 friends/family about their negative experiences.

     We all understand that when a story is repeated, the narrative will accumulate some “embellishments” along the way. This is unfair to the store/company. That is why it is paramount to contact your upset customers swiftly to minimize the potential damage to your brand. It usually results in lost revenue, a diminished loyal customer base, and unflattering social media comments. The problem that existed for me personally was this: how do I allow my management team the autonomy they require to develop as future successful leaders without damaging our precious yet delicate reputation with our consumers?

     This dichotomy will exist in any retail organization. It should be addressed daily by continued follow-up with your inexperienced managers through role-playing, shadowing of experienced leaders, and an empathetic disposition from the store manager. I would “constantly” remind myself that I was once a young and inexperienced leader. I required autonomy and time to learn the retail lessons that would serve me later as I continued to advance in my career. It takes patience, commitment, and empathy from the store manager to foster an inclusive and transparent environment.

     This leadership style communicates to the entire store leadership team that mistakes are going to happen, customer complaints are going to be levied and there are going to be “growing pains” for your inexperienced managers. I created a slogan to help alleviate some of the newer manager’s anxiety and uncertainty with making so many decisions daily: BECOME THE MASTER OF THE ONE-TIME MISTAKE. This translated into learning the lesson and not making that same error again, which dove-tailed into the adage: “it is only a mistake when you repeat the behavior.” It now becomes a LESSON if you learn from the issue.

      Throughout my career, I worked for numerous managers who would literally crucify you for making a mistake. Conversely, they would criticize you for not making your decisions in an expedient manner. I always remembered how I felt paralyzed about making future decisions because I was afraid of the negative and demeaning consequences I would face if they were the wrong choices. I made a personal vow to ensure that I would encourage less experienced managers to embrace their decision-making abilities which I would relay through my REPETITIVE slogan of “practice makes perfect.” The only way you are going to excel is through repetition.

SCAFFOLDING TECHNIQUE

     I learned to utilize and implement the SCAFFOLDING TECHNIQUE which refers to a variety of instructional techniques used to move individuals progressively toward stronger understanding and, ultimately, greater independence in the learning process. This process is usually executed with students attempting to learn new material by “bridging learning gaps.” It leads to a better understanding of foreign information; however, I maximized this technique with my entire management team in the stores I managed. One of the main goals of scaffolding is, “to reduce the negative emotions and self-perceptions that students may experience when they get frustrated, intimidated, or discouraged when attempting a difficult task without the assistance, direction, or understanding they need to complete it” (edglossary.org).

Here is a chronological explanation of the scaffolding technique:

1.    The leader specifies a certain task to be mastered.

2.    The leader and or support staff helps the associate master a task or concept that the employee is initially unable to grasp independently.

3.    The leader and or support staff aids with only those skills that are beyond the employee’s capability.

4.    The leader breaks the task into smaller and more manageable segments for easier assimilation.

5.    The leader provides immediate and honest feedback on the associate's progress with the task.

6.    Allow the employee to view the execution and completion of the chosen task from an experienced instructor.

7.    Facilitate a dry run with a smaller intimate team before the major performance of the task, to work out any remaining deficiencies.

8.    Schedule the main performance/project and allow full autonomy to be displayed by the associate/leader.

9.    Provide encouraging remarks and ensure an environment of positivity ensues.

     To provide some previous examples of how I utilized the Scaffolding technique, I will portray my time with The Home Depot as a store manager. The Home Depot is a very large building, typically between 110,000-180,000 square feet. This can create a huge wave of anxiety for employees “expected by customers” to fully understand the 36,000+ SKUs throughout the store.

     Let’s use the ever-popular toilet installation knowledge that every employee should understand, due to the fact every home is going to have at least one toilet. I would never thrust an inexperienced employee/manager into leading the product knowledge class to instruct customers with a hands-on demonstration with a real toilet that is conducted on a platform in the front of the store at 11:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Instead, I would slowly increase the individual’s relatable knowledge (through e-learning modules, studying product brochures, and shadowing experienced employees) to build their confidence. Then, I would empower specific employees/managers to ascertain the individual’s knowledge level to gauge their understanding of the information and provide immediate positive feedback.

     We would then afford the associate/leader the opportunity to tackle a hands-on demonstration of a toilet installation within a more intimate group (plumbing department associates only). Thereupon, we would assess the experience level of the person while soliciting feedback from the group through a question and answer segment. At this point, we would establish the individual’s comfortability level, then decide if they are ready to move to the big leagues and teach the Saturday morning class for the customers. This safe zone learning environment was extremely successful at acquiring knowledge while developing strong implementation skills that were transferable to the customers.

     My Home Depot store was a salaried training store for the entire state of Wisconsin. It was a privilege and honor that I took seriously. When an employee is PROMOTED to a higher level with increased responsibility, the process for some individuals is overwhelming and unexpected in nature. This is usually because they over-simplify the higher level or were not mentally prepared for the deluge of responsibilities they are NOW accountable for within their job duties. I would execute the scaffolding technique with the newly promoted salaried leaders which created a successful platform for them to champion back in their store.

     As with any newly promoted individual at The Home Depot, there was a training program that everyone was required to complete. Nonetheless, this program was meant as an introduction and provided the main parameters with a strong overview of responsibilities. Reality sets in with real-life scenarios that the newly promoted leader is not yet fully equipped to handle, while they rely heavily on other experienced managers within the store to provide feedback and direction. Another example of utilizing the Scaffolding Technique was the newly promoted employee who is green and starving for the broad range of leadership techniques to allow for continued advancement while bolstering their confidence level.

     I was a GIGANTIC BELIEVER in the “Buddy System.” This system will have the newly promoted employee shadow for 100% of their shift (mirror lunches, break times, schedules, etc.) an experienced leader for the allocated time frame, which would adjust accordingly depending on the position. This process ensured the inexperienced manager would be afforded the time to learn and grow within an inclusive and productive cocoon which would provide the launching pad for a strong and prosperous future as a leader for the Home Depot.

     After the allocated training period, many store managers, unfortunately, believe the training is over. Henceforth, they would disengage from the individual’s progression while expecting the new manager to excel and succeed right away. Their mentality was to sink or swim and only the strongest will survive. I adamantly disagreed with this incongruous mentality; therefore, I would continue to provide the necessary culture and inclusive environment for the leader to slowly advance their leadership skill set. This would be established through a plethora of unique employee/customer issues that would arise for which I would seek their feedback and provide valuable lessons to complement their knowledge base.

     Too many retailers today underestimate the power and necessity of providing a structured and all-encompassing manager training program. Many will easily DEVIATE OR ADJUST due to scheduling conflicts, unexpected corporate visits, and personal beliefs or agendas that run contrary to the training program. When this short-change happens to the newly promoted leader, the ramifications can be devastating with reverberating consequences that permeate throughout the entire organization. I firmly believe in investing in our future leaders and would never undercut their training program to fulfill my objectives or weaken their learning to cater to my own store concerns.

     I approached this philosophy of never shortchanging the management training program candidates with a sense of austerity that was cemented within the bedrock of my integrity. Throughout my tenure within the retail sector, I personally experienced a diluted version of the training programs numerous times because of repetitive store issues that arose during my training. I never felt it was appropriate to involve the newly promoted or newly hired managers with BEING FORCED to sacrifice their training because of improper scheduling, inadequate efficiencies of other leaders in the building, and antiquated management beliefs. There are always going to be unexpected issues that will arise in retail stores. At the same time, there is an extremely limited amount of time for the new leader to acquire the necessary information to ensure their future success.