| Ask a top bike shop owner what’s the key driver of his or her success, and more often than not they’ll tell you it’s “our people”. The smartest business owners know that no matter how good they are at what they do, ultimately it’s their staff that can make or break them. Yet, if you ask bike shop owners what’s their toughest challenge, you’re likely to hear “finding good people”. Having a great team is so important, but finding the right people is so darn difficult. Quite the conundrum, isn’t it?
As owners start looking to ramp up their staff numbers for the season, many believe that a great mechanic, club rider or customer who knows everything there is to know about bicycles will make a great sales associate. There are always exceptions, but based on our conversations with retailers, relying on this approach rarely pays off.
Here are some best practices that we’ve received from our member retailers that have helped them improve their hiring and employee retention:
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| 1. Write job descriptions for each and every position in your store, and keep them current. Current job descriptions are essential to completely understanding what you are recruiting for – and for applicants understanding what they are applying for.
2. Make sure you have an “Employment Opportunities” section on your website, with current, detailed descriptions of the positions available and an online application.
3. Let your social media followers know that you’re hiring / looking for good people.
4. Make recruiting an integral part of each key manager’s job description.
5. Constantly recruit - all the time, and not just when you have a staff vacancy to fill. You and your managers should have a back-log of job applications from candidates that you have constantly been recruiting.
6. Always have business cards with you so that when you meet a strong employee at another business you can invite them to give you a call to learn more about your store. Typical places would be other retail environments, restaurants, fitness facilities, etc.
7. Is your store a pleasant environment to work in? If not, time for some spring cleaning. A shop that’s a little “rough around the edges” in appearance may be fine for a gear head, but probably not ideal for that female salesperson you might be looking to hire.
8. If you offer a referral bonus to your employees, make it clear that the employee must be in good standing with the company for a pre-determined period of time before the full bonus is issued.
9. Designate an internal mentor to ensure new hires feel welcome and needed and contribute to the success of the business.
10. Regularly evaluate all employees to ensure top performers are rewarded and low performers are weeded out.
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Become A Member Today!
If you want to be more profitable, grow your business, and gain more control of your business' future, we invite you to learn more about The Bike Cooperative.
Call: 1-800-450-7595 Ask For TBC Member Services
Happy Trails.
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WELCOME OUR NEWEST MEMBERS!
Aviation Velo Linthicum,MD Belmont Wheelworks Belmont, MA Somerville, MA
Blue Steel Cyclery Manchester, NH
Bobzilla's Bicycle Werks Oskaloosa, IA Irwin Cycles Las Vegas, NV JRA Cycles Medford, MA Newington Bicycle Newington, CT
Piney Flats Bicycles & Fitness Piney Flats, TN Reser Bicycle Outfitters Newport, KY Riverside Cycle Newburyport,MA Haverhill, MA Village CycleSport Elk Grove, IL Arlington Heights, IL Barrington, IL
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