The convenience industry is facing “one of the most challenging labour markets on record”. That was the insight of the Co-op Group’s director of culture & colleague experience Nick Speight, speaking at The Convenience Conference last summer.
“Average employee turnover rates have increased by 9% since 2019, and are predicted to pass 40% in 2023,” he said. “On average, it takes over 40 days to find and hire a new employee. And the cost of replacing a member of a team is around 25% of their annual salary.”
How, then, can convenience stores attract and retain the right candidates? CoGoGo dishes out some tips.
Attracting candidates to your convenience store
Offer a competitive salary
At the Convenience Conference, Nick Speight noted that the rising cost of living was affecting worker loyalty, with many looking for higher-paying jobs just to stay afloat.
So, what can be done about this?
Consider offering the living wage (£12 or £13.15 in London) rather than the minimum wage (£11.44) for your customer service assistants and store colleagues. Remember that you’re competing with the likes of Aldi whose minimum hourly rate for store workers is £12.40 (as of June 2024).
Your store managers and supervisors (if you’re not planning to fulfil that role yourself) will also expect a competitive wage that (at the very least) matches the market rate. A quick peruse of job boards will tell you that these roles collect salaries of between £26,000 and £30,000 on average.
Offer attractive benefits
Today’s workers want more than just a paycheck; they’re also seeking a positive workplace culture. They value strong teammates and supportive leadership. According to New Possible’s January 2024 survey of UK workers, the top reasons employees consider leaving are poor work culture, weak leadership, and dissatisfaction with pay.
The survey also revealed that 32% of employees reported a decline in their wellbeing over the past year, with the biggest drops seen in healthcare, transport, public services, hospitality, and retail. To combat this, convenience stores might consider offering more generous holidays or “mental health days” to support their staff.
In today’s flexible working environment, shift flexibility is another key factor. It allows workers to adjust their schedules around personal responsibilities, like family, education, or hobbies. In fact, 50% of employees without flexible work options are thinking about switching jobs in the next year.
Go digital
These days, most job seekers are turning to the web to find the right roles. While not every business can splurge on ads, there are plenty of budget-friendly ways to connect with candidates online. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook and even TikTok are great for promoting job opportunities, and they’re free to join. Plus, they allow for two-way conversations with potential candidates.
Allan Lewis, the operations director at Cheshire Retail, which runs Thrifty’s, told Convenience Store that traditional recruitment websites just weren’t cutting it for them. So, they decided to switch things up and use their Facebook page instead: “We weren’t getting the people applying that we wanted to speak to. So we’ve now gone down the route of using Facebook – some of our stores have got 5,000 followers. So we’ll post messages up on the Facebook pages, put fliers up in stores and just kind of gone back to basics.”
Use all the recruitment tools at your disposal
Put up posters in stores, but make sure they’re bold, eye-catching, and straightforward. Don’t overlook local events either—many councils host recruitment fairs for local employers, and you can usually participate for free or at a low cost.
Also, remember the power of referrals; some of the best hires come from recommendations by your current team. Encourage everyone to think about anyone they know who might be interested in joining. Consider how you can incentivise them to help out, too—maybe offer vouchers, a nice bottle, or even an extra day off!
How to identify a great c-store candidate
Focus on competency-based questions
You’ll need someone who can easily build relationships with regular customers, quickly master your POS system, work well with colleagues, and handle rude or impatient customers with grace.
To assess your candidates’ suitability for a convenience store environment, consider asking competency-based questions such as:
- Tell me about a time when you dealt with a difficult customer or person. How did you handle the situation?
- Tell me about a time when you had to cover for someone or help a colleague out. How did you manage your own responsibilities while helping them?
- Can you describe a time when you had to learn something new quickly? How did you adapt and what was the result?
- Retail can be unpredictable. Tell me about a time when your routine was interrupted by an unexpected situation. How did you manage?
Focus on attitude over experience
“Hire for attitude, train for skill.” That, in our opinion, should be the motto of convenience stores looking to recruit.
A candidate may have racked up years of retail experience, but if they don’t show flexibility, quick thinking, and a positive can-do attitude, they could be tough to manage and might create tension with your team.
Even if your candidates don’t have any direct retail-related experience, you can evaluate their suitability with situational judgement-type questions, such as:
It’s a busy time of day, and while you’re restocking shelves, the line at the register grows, the phone rings, and a customer needs help finding a product. How would you prioritize and manage these tasks effectively?
The POS system suddenly stops working, and there is a line of customers waiting to check out. How would you handle the situation to minimise frustration and keep the store running smoothly until the issue is resolved?
A regular customer comes in, complaining about a product they purchased the previous day. How would you handle the situation to de-escalate their frustration and resolve the issue?
Also, pay attention to how candidates communicate, their body language, and their overall vibe—not just their answers. These factors can tell you a lot about whether they’ll mesh well with your team and have the right attitude to help your business succeed.
