Footwear Insight

By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry B rick-and-mortar indepen- dents know service — and by extension, they know people. With so much of the channel's strength resting on the customer service it provides, getting the right employees on the front lines is essential. But over the past few years, getting — and keeping — great people has become substantially more challeng- ing, store owners say. Jim Sajdak, owner of the Stan's Fit for Your Feet stores in Milwaukee, WI, says his stores' turnover is rela- tively low, but finding people to fill the positions that do come open is still difficult. "It's a challenge today to even have people show up for interviews," he says. "It's definitely a workers' market," John Luck, president of the Lucky Shoes chain based in Fairlawn, OH, agrees. "The people who are going to work really hard and produce results and give it their best every day, they can write their own ticket in today's economy." And whether the problem is bring- ing people in or convincing them to stay, owners say it's one of their big- gest struggles. "It's unquestionable that it's criti- cal," says Maurice Breton, president of Comfort Management Corp., the parent company of the Manassas, VA-based Comfort One chain. "The longer someone is with us, the better they get." So is there a secret to attracting and retaining the kind of store associates who can make a difference to your business? Owners say yes — and this is their playbook. Compensation … No surprise here: Stores with low turnover say competitive pay is a big part of the draw. Breton says Comfort One rarely loses employees — it's more likely to be hiring them from competitors like Nordstrom — and he says the commission-based pay is a big attrac- tion. "We call it earnings. It's not that their base salary is so high, but it's the [potential] earnings per hour," he says. "We look at the numbers every week for every individual, and one of the [associates] in the last two weeks earned $74 an hour." Kyle Brady has been with Naperville Running Co. for 12 years, and he says the store's emphasis on competitive salaries (part-time employees start at $15) that allow employees to live in the city they work helps keep people around. "Our percentage of payroll is more than most stores: 24 percent based on sales instead of 15 to 18 percent," he says, adding that the store also offers benefits including health insurance, 401k contributions and paid time off. … And Other Overlooked Benefits But pay isn't the whole story. Ryan Richards, owner of The Foot Spot, says sure, competitive pay is a draw for his employees — but so is the flexible scheduling he offers. "We're not open on Sundays and evenings and major holidays," he says. "And I think that's one of the reasons employees like to work for us." It's not a path without downsides, he said: "I've looked at changing that over the years, since we're probably missing some sales, and we've tried it. But if anything, it was a morale killer. In one of the most competitive labor markets in years, how can stores attract and keep the best employees? A Staffing Playbook RETAIL CROWD SOURCE 22 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2019 footwearinsight.com Hands-on service is key. So how to find and keep the people who do it best?

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