US retailers change hiring requirement
THIS United States holiday shopping season, wearing the brand is more likely to help get you a job in a store than experience, as retailers look for enthusiasm that will persuade customers to spend and help numb the impact of online rivals like Amazon.com Inc.
Hiring managers said they were looking for “brand evangelism” — candidates who regularly wear company products or have knowledge of them — while job portals showed employers emphasising interpersonal skills, a keen fashion sense and concise yet creative resumes.
“To create a shopping experience that will make the customer feel welcome and comfortable,” read the job overview for part-time staff at Macy’s on one portal. “Previous retail experience preferred, but not required.”
Retailers are eager to bring customers into stores rather than see them shop online from home because it is easier to encourage purchases of other items face-to-face.
“In the past we would be focused on that (retail experience), but now we are willing to look at people who have good customer service and understand what customer service is, over somebody who has previous retail experience,” said Denise Domian, senior vice-president of human resources at Bon-Ton Stores Inc, a department store chain.
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The holiday season — which encompasses November and December — can account for up to 40 per cent of annual sales for retailers.
Many take on extra staff to cope — department store Macy’s Inc said it would hire 83,000 people, and Target Corp and Kohl’s Corp added some 70,000 each.
Amazon will hire 120,000 temporary workers — up 20 per cent from last year. Reuters The Amazon Go store lets shoppers grab groceries
for them.
‘BRAND EVANGELISM’: More are now saying ‘experience preferred, but not required’