Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2020 52 T he Rent-to-Own industry presents the same overarching challenges today to business owners as traditional retail: How do I increase sales, drive customer foot traffic, increase web conversions and manage inventory levels — just to name a few. But one challenge that typically comes up in my conversations with RTO dealers involves recruiting, and more important, how to fill the talent pipeline. Recruitment can mean different things to different people, but in general terms it's the process of attracting, identifying and selecting suitable candidates for jobs in your organization. Here's a simple question: Does your website have a career section? I believe it should include a simple, click-to-apply process with short, easy-to-complete forms. This will help you continuously engage with fresh candidates. You could also incorporate chat and chat bots to improve engagement, make sure candidates don't drop off, and ultimately improve the rate of conversion to employees. A website career section is a great start. But there are other steps you can take that can ease the process and encourage a steady flow of the best applicants. Here are some thoughts on how to improve your overall results. • Develop a process for your team — If you have a multistore operation it can be difficult for one trusted person to recruit and hire for all locations. Creating a process or roadmap for your local store management team can be very helpful. Once you have a process in place, don't assume your team will know how to execute the process successfully. In-store training on the recruiting process is critical. • Build a strong employer brand — Building a strong employer brand not only reduces employee turnover by 28%, it also attracts those passive candidates to your company over others. A Glassdoor survey found that 69% of respondents are likely to apply for a job if the employer actively manages its brand by responding to reviews, updating the company's profile and sharing updates on the company's culture and work environment. Top candidates may not even apply in the first place if they don't like what they see: 69% of job seekers said they would not take a job with a company that had a bad reputation, even if they were currently unemployed. If you have a lot of negative reviews from former employees or customers it may be time to work on your company culture before you try to fill any open positions. • Move as quickly and efficiently as possible — Office Vibe reported that the best candidates are off the market in 10 days. It's important to act quickly, especially when you know you're interested in a specific applicant. Even if you haven't made a hiring decision, you should follow up with the candidate often, discussing details of the position to ensure you're staying on their radar. • Create better job descriptions — Many companies write job descriptions with lists of responsibilities and requirements. But a study found that this can alienate qualified employees. Job descriptions that include the Needs-Supplies approach, which focuses on what the company can do for the candidate, will generate the most quality candidates in today's environment. Although the right skillset may seem like the most important factor in whether a candidate is a good fit, the truth is that skills for Rent-to-Own can be acquired, but great customer-centric personalities and qualities like coachability, emotional intelligence, temperament and motivation are often overlooked. If you focus on what your company can do for potential employees, you'll attract candidates who better fit your needs. Finally, consider the length of your company's hiring process after top candidates have been identified. Is it longer than two weeks? Have you lost A-level candidates in the past, either because they dropped out of the process, accepted other offers, or both? If your hiring process takes too long or is just generally incon- venient, it doesn't matter what your sourcing efforts or benefit programs look like. The best candidates are more than happy to take another position or even stay in their current job. RENT-TO-OWN RECRUITING CHALLENGES IN TODAY'S COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT RO Keven Dalke Rent-to-Own Trends Keven Dalke, Director of RentDirect Nationwide Marketing Group

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