Personnel

Amazon.com will boost its maximum base pay to $350,000 for corporate and tech employees, from $160,000 previously, as part of an overall increase in total compensation intended to help recruit top talent and retain existing employees. The move promises to bring Amazon’s base pay more in line with other big tech companies, including Google, Facebook,…

For the retail industry, improving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts should be top of mind as just 26 percent of board positions in retail organizations are held by women. Furthermore, only 13 percent of ethnically diverse employees hold executive roles in retail companies. Not only does fostering an inclusive environment create a fair and…

A recent Clickatell survey showed that the typical customer spends 13 hours a year on hold — hours they would rather be relaxing (58 percent), doing chores (46 percent) or spending with family (36 percent). Additionally, one-third of those respondents said spending even five minutes to nine minutes on hold can lead to negative feelings towards a brand. Even with…

Around half of customers would switch to a competitor after just one bad customer service experience. Just one. That’s not a lot of room for error. To compete in today’s e-commerce world, retailers must invest in robust and talented customer service teams. Unfortunately, a rapid increase in online shopping plus a decrease in the labor…

In an effort to get more of its workers vaccinated against COVID-19, Kroger will eliminate paid pandemic-related leave and charge $50 per month to employees that haven't gotten shots. Kroger stopped short of mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for workers, but said it's "modifying policies to encourage safe behaviors including vaccination." Company officials added the grocer will also…

Retail workers are leaving their jobs at a record pace, with 721,000 workers quitting in August alone, maintaining an industry high for employee turnover since April. What’s more, employers in the retail space that were already facing massive labor shortages are now also preparing for increased seasonal hiring — making employee engagement more critical than…

The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of frontline workers in many industries — especially retail. These employees currently account for 80 percent of the global workforce. Yet, 60 percent of them are unsatisfied with the technology they've been provided with to do their work. Digital transformation is essential as businesses strategize for a strong "return…

The tide is turning in retail. Despite staff and supply shortages that may burden shoppers and encumber stores during the holiday season, signs of growing optimism for the future abound. While last year the industry underwent a scourge of bankruptcies and closures, mid-year predictions suggest store openings could surpass store closings for the first time…

Americans quit their jobs at record rates in September, and the retail industry was no exception. The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed 685,000 people quit a retail job in September, at a rate of 4.4 percent. While this number is down from the 730,000 people who quit a retail job in…

The Biden administration said on Thursday that large companies (those with 100 or more employees) have until Jan. 4 to ensure that their workforces are fully vaccinated under a sweeping new coronavirus health measure that will cover 84 million private sector workers, including an estimated 31 million workers who are currently unvaccinated. The plan was…