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Is your staff up to par in these challenging times?
By Suzanne DeVries
July 01, 2009
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| Suzanne DeVries is president and founder of Diamond Staffing Solutions Inc., one of the jewelry industry's leading placement firms and an official American Gem Society sustaining member. |
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This is the most difficult economic period that most Americans have seen in their lifetimes--and it's been particularly hard for our industry.
Yet as challenging as it is out there right now, there is a silver lining: This is a great opportunity for jewelers to review how staff members are performing and replace any underperformers on the team with some of the best talent in the industry.
And while some jewelers have embraced this concept, many others seem reluctant to make the necessary staffing changes that can help set their businesses apart from the competition.
We, at Diamond Staffing Solutions, are continually puzzled by the behavior of some jewelry storeowners and managers who remain loyal to employees who are not meeting basic expectations, let alone rising to the occasion and doing whatever it takes to succeed in this economy.
Typically, these underperformers have become a little too comfortable in their positions and consider themselves irreplaceable. This kind of arrogance can make employees so lazy and complacent that they no longer practice the daily disciplines of the business.
Of course, we can understand and even applaud loyalty to employees under the right circumstances. However, retailers who are keeping certain employees just because they have been on the staff for a long time really need to do some soul searching and consider how much value these workers are adding to the organization.
Perhaps these staffers were hired when times were better and they represented the best options available, and now management is hesitant to let them go because of the time and resources that have been invested in them (especially in this uncertain economy).
In this horrible market for luxury retailers, however, every one of your employees needs to raise the bar on their performance if your business is to survive. You simply cannot afford to put off making tough staffing decisions.
Use this slowdown period to really look at every single member of your team and evaluate how much value they are adding to the business. If they are underperforming, consider whether it is worth the investment to get them to exceed expectations. Sometimes, it takes little more than just sitting down with employees and explaining how important it is for them to rise to the occasion, redefining their performance goals and objectives, and setting guidelines for when you expect to see them achieve these objectives.
Consider this: With all the layoffs, store closings, bankruptcies, restructurings, consolidations and other business shake-ups that are happening daily in the jewelry market, some of the best workers the industry has to offer are out there looking for a fresh start.
You might never again have this kind of opportunity to hire from such a brimming pool of top performers.
Simply letting your employees know that you are considering bringing in some new blood might be the only incentive they need to step up their games. Knowing you are looking to make changes will sometimes motivate poor performers to improve. This should not dissuade you from looking for new staffers, however. In our experience, poor performers almost always go back to their bad habits.
It takes a good strategic plan to create a strong team, which is why many jewelers retain recruiting firms such as ours to assist them. If you prefer to do your own recruiting, we suggest putting the word out on the street that your company is looking to hire some top people. Often, great salespeople are stuck at companies with limited opportunities--or companies that are in trouble--and they fear they will become the victim of cutbacks. Many of these people might not have been actively looking for a new position, yet you might have a great chance to snag them once they know you are hiring.
Do not miss this golden opportunity to bring aboard some of the best people in the industry. Do not let someone's lengthy tenure dictate what is best for your business. And, lastly, have a sound strategic plan in place to find and hire the top talent out there. When the market does finally turn around, you will find yourself well-staffed with some of the best people in the industry.
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