The role of HR in the retail industry
Just like any other sector, HR policies in the retail industry are ultimately a way for retail businesses to manage their workforce and make sure they are compliant with any relevant employment and industry legislation or guidelines. HR issues in retailing, when compared to many other industries, can include that this sector has a high proportion of temporary or seasonal staff at certain points, which makes managing workers more complicated and this must not distract from the business being fully compliant with employment law and focusing on business success at the same time.
There are some legacy HR practices in the retail industry that haven’t always had the best press, but more employers in this sector are seeing the benefits of using best practice HR policies for retail stores and also in the online and fulfilment parts of the business, to help retain good staff and keep the workforce motivated and engaged.
Some of the specific HR challenges in the retail industry include.
- A very high turnover of staff, making training and development difficult
- A diverse workforce to manage and develop effective teams within
- Comparatively low pay in retail can lead to employee motivation issues
- Seasonal demand means the workforce can fluctuate widely throughout the year
- Current events can cause additional workforce challenges, such as Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic
Effective HR in retail will takes factors like this into account and design solutions that enable retail business to make policies and procedures that help to mitigate some of these potential problems, as well as ensuring compliance with employment law in every area.
Why choose our services to assist with your retail HR needs?
We can offer specialist HR advice for retail businesses on a fixed-fee basis, so you always have access to the specialist knowledge that you need when any issues crop up and you also know that all of your documentation, policies, procedures and other requirements are up to best practice standards.
Our service also includes employment protection insurance to cover the cost of defending employment tribunal claims in the event that this is required.
Get in touch to find out more about our fixed cost HR systems for businesses in the retail industry by calling 0161 696 6170.