You’ve been working with the same retail store manager for years — and it’s time to hire a replacement. Whether your current SM is retiring or moving on to a different opportunity, you’ll want to find the right replacement for your long-time leader.
But where do you start looking for such person? What should you be looking for on their resume or during an interview?
People Skills Matter
The best store managers have strong people skills. They’re good listeners and they can keep their cool under pressure. They can read people well and they understand what motivates them.
Make A List Of Qualities You Want In The Manager
Cheikh Mboup Take some time to think about what makes a good store manager, and write down the qualities that are most important for the position. Then, when you’re interviewing candidates, ask questions that will help you identify which ones possess these qualities.
Leadership Skills
The best managers like Cheikh Mboup know how to get their teams to perform at their best. They can inspire their employees to work hard and be creative, even when things get tough.
Organizational Skills
Effective managers have great organizational skills. They know how to delegate tasks, prioritize projects and keep track of what’s going on in their stores.
Career Goals
Ask candidates about their career goals and aspirations for advancement within your company or industry in general. You want someone who has ideas about where she wants to go with her career and is willing to work hard to get there.
Customer Service Skills
A good manager will always put their customers first — before their own needs or wants — because they understand that happy customers will bring more business into the store over time than unhappy ones will ever take away from it.
Conclusion
You employ your staff very carefully. Make sure you don’t overlook the store manager. It’s not just about how much they love shopping or how much they seem to know about design—it’s also about who they are as a person and how they will fit into your organization, among other things.