Write It Down
By Staff -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 7/1/2007
Retail executives all too often rely on word-of-mouth and on-the-job training to teach associates how to present a consistent message to customers and perform day-to-day operations, according to Jim Bunn, partner and managing director of Clear Thinking Group, Hillsborough, NJ. “With the high level of turnover in the retail industry, teaching new associates how to correctly perform their tasks is a never-ending process,” says Bunn. “Documented policies and procedures simplify employee education. […] Associates always have a place to go to find answers to their questions if they are unsure about how to perform a task.”
Best Practices:
Appoint one individual to document procedures for all tasks, from store opening to closing. This person should serve as the contact for any questions, and play an integral role in all discussions regarding changes to processes and systems.
Review, update and revise documentation on a continuous basis.
Communicate to associates how and where these procedures can be accessed. Links from a home page to documentation stored on a master server makes it easy for store associates to find the information and allows retailers to alter the information without printing and distributing hard copies of new documents.
Earmark time for newly hired associates to read through the manual.
Develop a tracking process to monitor which associates have reviewed all policies and procedures.
