The Teen Scene

Carol L. Schroeder -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 10/1/2000

In your last column, you talked about the special needs of senior workers. However, the labor market here in Maryland is so tight that it seems like the only applicants we're getting are 16- and 17-year-olds. I've heard horror stories about how undependable and dishonest teens can be, but I don't seem to have any other options for sales staff. Any tips for working with youngsters?

A: I should preface my remarks by mentioning that I am the mother of two teens, both of whom work in my shop, so I don't believe that all teens are undependable and dishonest. But I do agree that there are special challenges involved in attracting, hiring, motivating, and working with young employees.

The first concern is strictly legal. Teenagers who are still in school are subject to special regulations-both state and federal-that govern the hours they can work when school is in session. The fines for ignoring these regulations can be quite severe, so you should check to see what the guidelines are in your state. Teens under a certain age (usually 16) will need a work permit. Don't assume, as we did, that hiring family members exempts you from this regulation. In Wisconsin, the exemption only covers farm work.

Your next concern should be creating a job that teens will want. I did an informal survey of my kids' friends and found that they value a pleasant work environment, flexible scheduling, a fair wage, and the feeling that their work is appreciated. If possible, hire more than one teen, so that everyone on the staff has at least one peer. Social contact is important to teens. They will also appreciate being allowed to receive brief visits or phone calls from friends (perhaps during breaks).

Once you have hired teenage workers, you will want to help them succeed. Look to McDonald's, whose business thrives on a workforce composed largely of young workers, for some training ideas. Everything at McDonald's is structured: what the employees wear, what they say to customers, how they give change, how they fill orders. Little is left to the employee's creativity; workers just entering the workforce don't have enough experience to draw on when it comes to improvisation. Let your young workers know exactly how you would like different sales and return transactions handled.

Have a teen take over sales work gradually, and have another employee on hand to answer questions. Once teen employees start to help customers, you should occasionally "catch them doing it right" and reward their behavior with compliments or even small bonuses such as coupons or tickets. Most of teens' lives are spent in school, where everything is graded, so it's especially important to give them recognition and let them know how they are doing.

If a young employee has mastered the rudiments of sales work, consider adding some diverse responsibilities to the job: creating window displays, unpacking new merchandise, or helping to select gifts aimed at teens. Additional responsibility makes staff members feel appreciated, and increases productivity as well.

You also mentioned the terms "dishonest" and "undependable." You must make it clear to your employees that internal theft hurts the business and will not be tolerated, and that giving unauthorized discounts to friends is against the rules. Stores that carry a lot of items coveted by teens, such as Spencer Gifts, check all employees' backpacks and purses for stolen goods when they leave at the end of each shift. However, if you do this with your teen employees, you must do it with all of your employees.

Unreliable workers can be a grave problem when you are trying to maintain a high level of customer service. Start by creating a flexible schedule that a teen is likely to be able to live with, and then make it clear that you expect all staff members to arrive on time and for all shifts. You may have to use a "three strikes, you're out" policy to eliminate those who are chronically tardy or absent. It also helps if you encourage employees to substitute for one another; this will allow teens to take time off for an important date or school event without jeopardizing their job standing.

Teens and young adults (16- to 24-year-olds) fill 7.6 million jobs in the retail trade today-a sizable portion of the workforce available to staff our stores. So all retailers need to think about how they can make the best use of these young employees.

So Long, Farewell.

Q: Our shop has always put on little goodbye gatherings, with cake and balloons, whenever an employee left. However, with the increase in turnover in our staff, it seems like these are becoming almost weekly events. I'm worried sick about losing any more of my employees, so making a fuss when someone quits just doesn't seem right. Any advice?

A: Turnover is a much greater problem today than it has ever been. The cost of replacing an employee is much greater than the cost of keeping those you have, so it makes sense to celebrate those who stay instead of throwing a party for those who leave.

You might consider having a special brunch for staff members on the anniversary of their first day with your shop. Those reaching a milestone anniversary, such as five or ten years, deserve special recognition. At Orange Tree Imports, we give staff members silver or gold pins shaped like our logo to show how long they have been with us.

When an employee does leave, there is one tradition that you should hold onto (even if the cake and balloons fall by the wayside): the exit interview. No one likes to give these, but they can be a valuable source of information and a good way to bring closure to someone's employment in your store.

At the very least, an exit interview should include a form listing the mailing address for the last paycheck and tax forms and detailing the information the employee would like released to people who call for a reference. If the staff member had a store key, note that it was returned. Write down any details regarding health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits, and then have the employee sign and date the form.

The exit interview can also provide you with an opportunity to learn things about your shop that current employees might not tell you. The day before the exit interview, give the person who is leaving a brief questionnaire. These are some of the questions you should ask:

• Was your job training adequate?

• How well did we communicate with you?

• Is there anything that we could have changed in order to make your job easier, or more fulfilling?

You can discuss the employee's answers to these questions during the exit interview, or just accept them in written form if that is more comfortable for you both.

If the departing staff member has been with you for a long time, it would certainly still be appropriate to find a nice way for everyone to say goodbye, and for you to say thank you. After all, you want both the employee who is leaving and those who are staying to know that their work is appreciated.

Carol L. Schroeder is the owner of Orange Tree Imports in Madison, Wisconsin. She is also the author of Specialty Shop Retailing: How To Run Your Own Store (John Wiley & Sons, 352 pages), which can be obtained for $34.95 plus shipping by calling (888) 245-1860.