Similar to the question, ‘If a tree falls in the woods but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?’ retailers need to ask themselves, ‘If consumers are ready to spend this holiday season but employees aren’t there to serve them, will we have a successful year?
Stuart Itkin, CMO, Kronos

A new Harris Interactive survey of over 1,000 hourly retail employees, “Black Friday: Inside the Retail Employee Psyche”, found that 46 percent said they could walk off the job this holiday season.

“During the holiday season, and especially on Black Friday, competition is cut-throat among retailers,” said Jerry Sheldon, vice president of technology at IHL Consulting Group, a global research and advisory firm specializing in technologies for the retail and hospitality industries. “Retailers need to realize that if they neglect to accommodate the needs of their workforce, their customers will not receive the level of service they expect and will simply take their business elsewhere.”

Retaining employees and driving sales through workforce management

The “Black Friday” survey suggests a relationship between ineffective scheduling and employee dissatisfaction. Of the respondents that said they may walk off the job this holiday season, the top three reasons were: I am not treated with respect by my boss; I am too busy at work because there are not enough employees; and my time-off requests are ignored. In addition, the survey found that 43 percent of retail employees said that if they ask for a day off but are scheduled anyway, it has a negative effect on their job performance. The top three ways it affects them are: they are likely to be less motivated at work; they may call in sick; and they may arrive late or leave early — all of which would have a grave effect on customer service.

The results of this survey further validate what industry experts are saying in regards to employees being every retailer’s most valuable asset, as they are the driving force behind consumer spending. According to the AMR Research report “Workforce Management Landscape: The Right People in the Right Place at the Right Time”, authored by Christa Degnan Manning, Rob Garf, and Judy Sweeney in October 2006, “The risks today of not using workforce management can directly affect key business goals.”

Proactively planning to meet holiday sales with talent management

Retailers also can ensure a more profitable holiday season by hiring the best people. One of the secrets to attracting the best people is to allow them to apply in the way they prefer. According to the “Black Friday: Inside the Retail Employee Psyche” survey, 61 percent of retail employees said that they are more likely to apply for a job with a company that offers online applications. The top three reasons employees prefer to apply online are: I can apply at a time that fits my schedule; it is faster; and it leads me to believe they are a more innovative company.

“Too often, especially during the holiday season, retailers are focused solely on the needs of shoppers,” said Stuart Itkin, chief marketing office at Kronos. “Similar to the question, ‘If a tree falls in the woods but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?’ retailers need to ask themselves, ‘If consumers are ready to spend this holiday season but employees aren’t there to serve them, will we have a successful year?’.”

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Kronos between October 4 and October 17, 2006 among 1,009 hourly retail employees (aged 18 and over).