It’s clear that across the global economy, labor shortages are presenting a significant challenge for business. This is particularly true in sectors that were most affected by the pandemic and therefore need to make the most significant recovery. Retailers were one of the hardest hit, and the result has been employers struggling to find candidates within limited timeframes.
Employers are being advised to change their hiring processes to stay on their front foot. Currently, many experienced employees are being lost to the Great Resignation and Great Retirement, and they’re demanding more flexible working practices. Employees haven’t progressed as expected because they’ve missed out on in-person development opportunities. The result of all this is a labor market that’s tighter and more challenging than ever.
Reactive approaches increase time pressure on hiring, and it can be hard for retailers to quickly find workers with the right skills, particularly in digital and e-commerce. The dominance of e-commerce is here to stay — that’s the trend highlighted by successive lockdowns and the closure of High Street giant Debenhams — and this has changed recruitment needs in the retail sector.
Now, retailers want candidates for board-level and C-suite positions who have digital and e-commerce skillsets, along with an understanding of social media and younger Gen-Z audiences. The desirability of these skills and the recruitment challenges facing the sector mean proactive hiring practices are essential.
