Tired of seeing your retail employees slog through their shifts with minimal enthusiasm?
The secret sauce to turning things around lies in boosting engagement. Engaged employees aren’t just happier — they’re also more productive, more loyal, and more likely to go above and beyond.
Highly engaged employees contribute to 21% higher profitability.
The teams who score in the top 20% in engagement have 41% less absenteeism and 59% less attrition.
So, how do you jumpstart your retail workforce’s engagement?
Strategies like flexible schedules, peer recognition, or tech-enhanced communication will make your retail team feel valued, energized, and motivated about their work. Try a few of the 9 strategies below to pump up engagement.
- #1 Develop a Positive Work Culture
- #2 Prioritize Well-Being
- #3 Involve Employees By Asking for Feedback
- #4 Offer Growth & Development Opportunities
- #5 Offer Flex Work Options
- #6 Implement Peer-to-Peer Recognition
- #7 Use Staff Scheduling to Impact Engagement
- #8 Boost Communication & Collaboration
- #9 Kudos Go Further Than You’d Think
#1 Develop a Positive Work Culture
Changes in your work culture don’t have to be an entire upheaval. Slight shifts in your workplace attitude can make a big difference.
The goal of a positive work culture in your retail organization is putting out a people-first vibe. That looks like more empathy, inclusion, autonomy, and respect.
Your workplace culture directly impacts your employee engagement.
26% of employees would forego a snazzy title, and 65% would take less pay over dealing with a poor workplace environment.
How to get the positive vibes flowing
If you want a more engaged retail staff, treat them how you’d want to be treated. Here are a few ideas:
- Practice gratitude toward your employees and encourage them to do the same toward their coworkers.
- Even when offering constructive criticism, put a positive spin on it. Also, point out what they’re doing well.
- Schedule employees to work in areas where they shine. Someone who’s great with people should be on the floor, while an organizational genius would probably rather work their magic on the inventory.
#2 Prioritize Well-Being
Retail jobs can be mentally and physically draining. Retail workers are on their feet A LOT. They deal with a wide range of customer personalities on the daily — from whiners to irate shoppers and everything in between.
Not to mention, the retail industry has a rep for unpredictable work schedules.
These factors can tank employee engagement and take a toll on your staff’s well-being.
No big surprise — Retail scored in the bottom 10% for workplace mental health.
Focus on balance to support well-being
Balance means having the right amount of something. Not too much or too little — which leads to harmony. Prioritize balance in your retail operation by:
- Encourage hobbies — remind managers to lead by example. During break times, bring up hobbies. Life is about more than your retail operation.
- Check-in regularly with employees
- Make sure your managers can spot the signs of retail employee burnout
- Applaud taking time off to rest and recharge
- Use HR solutions that enhance employee engagement
- Use AI to spot and prevent employee well-being risks
- Offer flexible scheduling
#3 Involve Employees By Asking for Feedback
Your retail staff are the boots on the ground — they’re in the thick of it. They hear every customer complaint, praise, and worry. Plus, they know what does and doesn’t work in the store.
Your retail staff have all the details when it comes to customers' likes and dislikes.
So ask them.
Pick your employees’ brains
If you want to increase employee engagement in your operation, let your staff know you value what they have to say by asking them for their thoughts and ideas.
- Ask your employees regularly for feedback on customer experience, sales ideas, and their own employee experience.
- Listen to the feedback.
- If they report back with problems, address them quickly.
#4 Offer Growth & Development Opportunities
Retail can feel like a dead-end job if employees don't see opportunities for growth.
Career growth doesn't only mean promotions. It can also be skill development or internal training that preps employees for future roles.
Not only can offering development opportunities help fill skill gaps, but it's 1 of the 5 main drivers of employee engagement.
Create pathways for growth
Make sure your retail staff knows there’s a future for them. Giving employees something to strive for keeps them motivated and engaged. You can increase employee engagement by:
- Offering on-the-job training for new skills like merchandising, customer service, or leadership
- Providing clear paths to promotion, whether to a shift lead or store manager
- Encouraging professional development courses or certifications
- Celebrating employees who reach new milestones, both big & small
#5 Offer Flex Work Options
Flexibility is key to employee satisfaction, with many employees preferring non-traditional shift patterns that suit their lifestyles.
In the past, flexible work options seemed out of reach for retail employees. But with today’s AI advancements, ecommerce and online tools for customer interaction, and automated workforce scheduling, offering more flexibility for retail employees is attainable.
80% of retail workers say having flexibility at work influences their decision to stay or leave their organization.
Customization promotes flexibility
Scheduling software makes it easier than ever to offer flexible work arrangements.
You can offer flexibility by:
- Allowing for different shift lengths, like 3 ten-hour shifts, giving employees more consecutive days off
- Implementing self-scheduling so employees can choose shifts that fit their personal lives
- Scheduling based on employee preferences and availability as well as retail shift needs
#6 Implement Peer-to-Peer Recognition
Peer recognition fosters a strong sense of teamwork and encourages employees to notice and appreciate each other's contributions. It helps build a positive team culture and boosts overall morale.
Encourage staff to recognize their peers who exhibit stand-out character and values.
Embrace the power of peer appreciation
Companies with peer recognition programs experience a 22% productivity and employee engagement boost. Try these ideas to get started:
- Small gifts that employees can award to each other like gift cards or extra vacation time.
- Simple shout-outs during team meetings or through internal communication channels.
#7 Use Staff Scheduling to Impact Engagement
Effective scheduling goes beyond filling shifts — it directly affects employee engagement and well-being. Tools like MakeShift provide a user-friendly platform that puts more control into employees' hands while simplifying schedule management for leaders.
Staff scheduling software offers an employee-centric solution to help combat many retail workers' scheduling complaints like these. 👇
- 69% are required by their employer to keep their schedules “open and available” to work whenever needed.
- 75% of retail workers want a more stable and predictable work schedule.
Maximize engagement through smart scheduling
MakeShift uses AI-powered scheduling to ensure better workforce forecasting, preventing over or under-staffing and leading to a more engaged retail workforce.
Our scheduling solution impacts engagement in a number of ways:
- Employees can set availability, swap shifts, request time off, and easily view their schedules.
- Team members can adjust schedules anytime, anywhere, preventing confusion and last-minute issues.
- Retail managers can ensure employees don’t exceed safe working hours, staying within budget and avoiding burnout.
- Automating compliance with labor laws and union rules ensures employees get proper rest, promoting both well-being and fairness.
#8 Boost Communication & Collaboration
Strong communication and collaboration are the backbones of a well-functioning team.
Encouraging creative thinking and using the right tech can help retail employees feel more connected and engaged.
Promote collaboration through tech & team-building
Employees feel more connected to their team and the organization when they have better communication and collaboration. To strengthen team communication and collaboration, try these strategies:
- Use tech tools that streamline internal communication, ensuring no detail is overlooked
- Send videos for internal communication, adding a personal touch, and making messages more engaging
- Organize team bonding activities, like quarterly retreats or casual team outings (bowling night, karaoke, bbq, etc.)
#9 Kudos Go Further Than You’d Think
Recognition makes employees feel seen and appreciated, which is a key ingredient of high engagement. Structured and creative recognition programs help ensure your team receives the kudos they deserve.
Recognition from managers boosts engagement by 43%, making employees 4 times more likely to stay engaged at work.
Make recognition a regular part of your culture
Everyone wants to know they’re doing good job. Here are a few ways to keep recognition front and center:
- Structured methods like "Employee of the Month" awards, years of service recognition, and annual review shout-outs
- Creative ideas like points-based reward systems, performance incentives, and celebrating personal milestones
- Sending a regular employee spotlight newsletter or creating dedicated communication channels for shout-outs
Hone In on Employee Engagement for Your Retail Team
The more engaged your retail staff is, the better job they’ll do and the better your overall business will perform.
Pay attention to what YOUR team responds to when it comes to improving employee engagement. Remember, they want to feel seen, heard, and valued.
Ready to see how a people-first approach to scheduling can impact that engagement? Schedule a FREE MakeShift demo today.
Ready to Make the Shift?
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