Hiring Leadership Strategies

How Ulta Beauty is Driving Equity and Inclusivity Across its Business
April 5, 2021 at 7:17 pm

In episode 292 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kecia Steelman, chief store operations officer at Ulta Beauty, the largest U.S. beauty retailer for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. Steelman discusses her recently announced transition to the chief operating officer position at Ulta Beauty and the company's…

Starbucks Reaches Deal With EEOC Over Alleged Racial Bias in Promoting Employees
April 1, 2021 at 8:50 pm

Starbucks said Wednesday it has resolved allegations from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) about alleged racial bias in its employee promotions, based on data from 2007 through 2011. In a letter to employees, CEO Kevin Johnson said that Starbucks does not know what prompted the EEOC allegations and that the company’s analysis of its…

Out of Fashion: Why Turnover in Retail is So High, and What to Do About it
February 14, 2021 at 2:55 pm

While the average employee turnover for all U.S. industries is around 19 percent, the average turnover rate in the retail industry is just above 60 percent, according to the National Retail Federation. This equates to a continual cycle of rehiring and retraining, with negative impact to retailers’ bottom lines. There are numerous possible reasons why…

Holiday Hiring is Well Underway. How Are Retailers Shifting?
November 2, 2020 at 3:42 pm

The holiday shopping season will look a lot different in the age of COVID-19. For one, U.S. e-commerce sales are expected to grow 18 percent to $709.8 billion this year, according to a June report from eMarketer. However, despite the fact that shopping will largely take place online this year, seasonal hiring isn't slowing down.…

Target Pledges to Increase Number of Black Employees by 20% Over 3 Years
September 14, 2020 at 9:21 pm

In conjunction with the release of a racial and gender breakdown of its team across all levels of the company, Target last week announced plans to increase representation of Black team members by 20 percent over the next three years by sharpening its focus on advancement, retention and hiring. Target said it has had diversity and inclusion…

COVID-19 Resources: Leadership, Data, Employment Info., and Fun Stuff
May 3, 2020 at 7:36 pm

Welcome to this week's Retail Resources blog post, a curated list of the best content and resources I've seen over the past week that I hope will help you navigate through the coronavirus pandemic. This week I offer information about leadership, interesting data, employment information, and fun stuff that will hopefully help improve your spirits!…

Culture Fit or Culture ‘Adds’? Embrace the Chaos
September 6, 2019 at 10:30 am

How many times have we been advised to find the “right cultural fit” when involved in a hiring process, regardless of industry? Historically this is usually the place a hiring manager begins when embarking upon a hiring process. Often organizations default to evaluating talent in terms of similarities in background, experience, interests, etc. However, research…

An Inside Look at the State of Retail Talent
May 17, 2019 at 11:11 am

According to the latest sales forecast from the National Retail Federation, retail sales are expected to increase between 3.8 percent and 4.4 percent this year. For retailers looking to snag a piece of the $3.8 trillion pie, hiring qualified retail talent who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the business will be key. In fact, according…

Curiosity and Being Current: Why it's More Important Now and Should Increase With Age and Experience
November 13, 2018 at 1:19 pm

When we asked friends and colleagues what's the most important skill for consistent and continued success in business, they gave a multiplicity of answers including leadership and management skills, brains, and creativity. However the leading response from this group was curiosity. Many defined curiosity as the impulse to seek new information and experiences, the desire…