If you’re a newly promoted retail manager, you may be asked to hire and train sales associates, clerks and part-time employees. Jobs like these are often filled with teenagers, especially today with retailers trying to hold down labor costs. Recruiting, training and supervising teens can pose a challenge. Here are seven things you need to know to help you with teen hiring, training and supervision.
Draw on Customers to Find Talent
Recruit from your frequent customers. Many teens who regularly visit a retail establishment like its merchandise and ambiance. By looking at these customers, you and your staff will have had the opportunity to interact with them. Ask for referrals from high school faculty, coaches, or current employees who may know them.
Look at Their Social Media
Facebook and other sites can give you insights into a teen’s attitudes and personality. Check their Facebook timeline. Are they wild party animals or do they have friends and activities that depict a well-adjusted young person?
Be Clear and Specific About the Job
If you don’t have a formal training program in place for new employees, sit them down and explain what’s expected of them. Be sure to define the job in its entirety. Be clear about punctuality, adhering to schedules, and how to interact with customers. Make sure they understand the do’s and don’t's of the job—no texting, no personal phone calls, no gabbing with friends who drop in.
Repeat and Reiterate
Teens have short attention spans, are easily distracted, and become bored quickly. So repeat and reinforce instructions. Many will not ask questions whey then should. So use subtle reminders about what the job entails. Supervise them closely until you see that they can be trusted to follow your guidelines. Sparrow Johnson, manager of New Leaf Community Markets’ Westside Santa Cruz, California store has been supervising teens for well over two decades. She notes both the positives and negatives of today’s teens. “They’re attracted to our community involvement as a business,” says Johnson. But they “haven’t grown up with the same culture of work ethic” as previous generations. “They don’t even know the rudiments of being a good employee.”
Train, Don’t Criticize
If they drop the ball and fail to live up to expectations, use positive reinforcement and avoid criticisms that tear them down. Make it about the job and not them personally. Reward good behavior publicly. Admonish bad behavior privately. Train the person, don’t strain the relationship. Never talk down to them. Many teens are just beginning to know who they are and how they fit into this world, so build their confidence with frequent “attaboys.”
Cross Train for Absences
The smart, outgoing teens you’ll want on your staff will undoubtedly be busy both socially and academically. So they may not always be available for work. All the more reason to cross-train them to fill in for each other. Cross training also builds teamwork and esprit de corps.
Motivate with Titles and Responsibilities
Teens can be motivated by titles like Supervisor or Assistant Manager. They also like being tested with increased responsibilities and challenging tasks. If you do this, be sure to supervise closely. Their reach sometimes exceeds their grasp.
Recruiting and training a teen workforce can certainly be a challenge and not everyone can do it. But, with a little bit of patience and a whole lot of communication, you can successfully hire the right teen for your establishment.
Image courtesy of photostock/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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