How to solve hiring challenges in the retail industry

Author Hope Weatherford Date Oct 25 2023

In the fast-moving retail industry, hiring the right talent is crucial for success.With an expected compounded annual growth rate of 7.69% through 2030, there is no sign of the industry slowing down, so companies need to be on top of their hiring game to prepare for the growing demand. 

In this post, we’ll explore some of the challenges retail companies face today, and offer ways to overcome them and achieve hiring success.

High turnover rates

One of the biggest challenges in the retail industry is high turnover. A study found that retail turnover rates reached 75.8% in 2022, compared to 68% in 2021. 

Retail jobs often place high demands on workers and can be physically and mentally demanding. This can lead to frequent worker turnover, which can disrupt operations and impact customer service. 

Read now: How to reduce retail employee turnover 

Seasonal fluctuations

Another challenge in the retail industry revolves around the ups and downs of seasonal hiring. During busy seasons like holidays and sales events, retailers need additional staff to meet customer demand. However, finding and hiring temporary workers can be time-consuming and difficult, and traditional hiring processes often can’t handle the influx of applications during these peak times. 

Wide-ranging job duties

Retail positions require a diverse skill set, ranging from customer service and sales to inventory management and visual merchandising. Finding candidates who possess the right combination of skills and competencies can be a major chore for hiring teams, one that can be remedied with the right tools and systems. 

How to solve these challenges with a high volume ATS

To overcome these hiring challenges, many retail businesses are turning to high volume applicant tracking systems (ATS) like Fountain Hire.

See how Stitch Fix decreased their time-to-hire from three weeks to just nine days.

With Fountain Hire, retail employers can automate job postings to reach a wider pool of applicants. Mobile-first technology and a variety of tech stack integrations allow applicants to do everything from their phone—from applying to onboarding—simplifying the hiring process and getting candidates to their first day of work faster.

With a high volume ATS like Fountain Hire, retail businesses can save time, improve efficiency, and hire the right talent f when they need them. A streamlined hiring process allows retailers to focus on providing exceptional customer experiences and driving business growth.

To learn more about how to solve today’s retail hiring challenges, click here to read our Modern Hiring Guide for Retail.

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About the Author

Global Head of People

Hope Weatherford

Hope Weatherford has more than 15 years of experience in the People space, and currently leads the People Team at Fountain. She has worked at different levels for all types of companies, from Fortune 100 to early-stage startups. She also serves as an advisor to multiple HR tech startups.