Hobby Lobby’s Post

My very first job was as a sales associate at The Limited making $4.25 an hour. I learned to fold shirts and sweaters into pristine stacks using a clipboard (a trick I still use today!). I was only in high school, but my managers were not that much older than me. They worked a ton of hours each week—doing their own work but also covering for flaky high school students who missed their shift (never me!).   Retail managers are the type of employees that could be impacted by the upcoming increase to the salary level for exempt employees. Their salaries are relatively low (the BLS pegged the median salary at about $45,000 in May 2022) but they work long, irregular hours. With the upcoming salary increases, many retailers will need to decide whether to significantly increase salaries or pay overtime to remain compliant.     Companies need to understand the complexities and unintended consequences when considering their compliance options. This is the work I do now—a bit more complicated than folding sweaters, but I still like to line up the relevant possibilities so clients can more easily peruse their options.     🛍 What was your first job? Did you learn any formative skills like clipboard folding? 🛍

Do you know why sales managers need to lead with justice? Sales managers often find themselves treading overly carefully, like walking on eggshells, as they strive to shape the right team behavior. When I was new to leading a sales team, I felt that I had to keep everyone happy. I struggled to discuss about bad conduct with the sales rep assertively. Overtime, I learned that my high performing reps expect me to deal with this tactfully. Because we are a team and one’s conduct can reflect badly of the team. Here’s the truth: creating a strong team culture requires immense courage. From my experience, sales leaders earn genuine respect from their teams when they prioritize honesty and fairness. It’s essential to recognize outstanding performers equitably and address misconduct with both respect and assertiveness. Great night with this Chicken Parmigiana.

#drypromotion #newjobdescrption #nosalaryhike In dry promotion, companies give promotion and additional responsibilities to their employees but the salary remains the same. According to a new report by compensation consultant Pearl Meyer, there has been a surge in such cases with around 13 percent of the employees getting promotions without any increase in salary.#drypromotion #industrytrend #salary #hike #job #newtrendingsearchingoogle #hiring #promtions #workfromhome #hybrid #jobsearch

At 13 years old I worked through the night in my family's NY warehouse. Because my dad believed in keeping his word at all costs. The story: Merry-Go-Round ordered 10,000 of those mini backpacks that were all the rage in 1993. They were a nation-wide retailer with more than 800 stores at their peak — And the ability to make or break a new family manufacturing business. I remember my dad’s stress. The shipment arrived to us late. It was due in Maryland the next morning. And it was missing the tissue paper stuffing. His choices were: - Send off the product as-is with an apology - Stuff them the next day and deliver them late - Call a few of my school friends and work through the night Keeping his word was the only acceptable answer—so I called my friends: - We stuffed 10,000 mini backpacks - And loaded them into a rented box truck - So my dad could make the delivery just in time We kept Merry-Go-Round as a client until the chain eventually shut down. I was too young to understand at the time, but the repeat business we locked down was probably crucial to our growing company’s survival. Still—it was my crash course in customer service and relationship building. Now that I’m the boss, I realize it’s easy to keep your word when everything goes right. But here’s what keeping your word looks like in the real world: - Writing a check to cover a loss - Spending extra for expedited shipping - Paying overtime to get an order out as promised How you react when things go wrong is the real test. Prove that you’ll keep your word at all costs— And you’ll create long-term customer relationships.

Plugging you and pass it forward

I played the part of the buyer recently. Being on the other side as the seller most days, it was a refreshing take on what the customer experience looks like. In my case, I was seeking round trip transportation from the Atlanta area to Athens, GA for my alma mater's big game this weekend. #hottytoddy I made a list of different companies in the Atlanta area and here's how things ended up: 20 companies 15 voicemails -> 3 call backs (only 1 had availability for the weekend but price was near double what others charged) 12 web messages to those other 13 who didn't reply to voicemail -> 2 reply! 5 companies answered on first call: -3 did not have availability -1 did not have availability BUT did offer an alternative solution with a friend who did have a shuttle available (ended up being too large for our party) -1 broke down detail-for-detail what my experience would look like. From pick up, having 2 coolers on board stocked with ice, being open to pit-stops along the way, how he would wait in the Athens area during the game, where he could pick me up after the game, along with a reasonable expectation on timeline and a guarantee of no upcharges for overtime. To top it off, his service was far and away the most reasonably priced option out there! (not that this would be the sole reason for choosing him but certainly a welcome surprise) I'm sure it isn't tough to understand which one I went with. Although I did save the contact info of the one who brought another solution to the table. Guys, it isn't tough. If you are a business that is in business to take on business from people seeking your services, ANSWER THE PHONE or CALL THEM BACK!!! The best way to get across to your clients that you are a professional of your industry is by having a conversation with them. Before I started this journey, I had ZERO shuttle contacts in the local Atlanta area. Now there are at least 2 I will go to for future service and recommend to others. #branding #customerexperience #customerservice #sales #atlanta #answerthecall

How does Buc-ee's, Ltd. pay employees so competitively? Houston Chronicle asks this question. When I first read the article, I joked it’s because Arch “Beaver” Aplin is a Texas A&M University Aggie. In all seriousness, finding a company that values their employees, and pays them in a matter reflective of that valuation, feels increasingly rare. Buc-ee’s is a leader in retail wages because doing so is a smart business practice. I don’t have the data, but I bet if I did, it would tell a story of low turnover rates and high employee engagement. That’s not by accident. What a superb example of paying competitive wages in an industry that historically clings to a minimum wage that no longer provides an income sufficient to support an individual, let alone a family. Every adult deserves a living wage job, and the dignity of meaningful work. Somewhere along the way we lost that central component of the American Dream in the United States. 🇺🇸 https://lnkd.in/erHEu3jq #bucees #retail #wages #workplaceculture #culture #aggies #livingwage #meaningfulwork

The holiday shopping season is here and with the National Retail Federation projecting retailers will hire between 345,000-450,000 seasonal employees and that holiday sales will reach a historical high, it’s a busy season for the staffing industry. Leveraging staffing firms to fill seasonal positions comes with a myriad of benefits for employers looking to maximize quality talent while keeping a conservative approach when it comes to operating costs. Not only can staffing firms help retailers fill job openings, but firms also reduce payroll expenses, turnover costs, and overtime. Read more about what’s projected for the holiday retail labor market at the link in the comments. #HolidayShopping #Staffing #StaffingIndustry

I hear this all the time with retailers that I connect with about Reflex. Reflex is valuable even when fully staffed, why? 61% of retail managers in the US say that they are short staffed more than 25% of the time due to last minute call outs. 13% of work hours are being wasted and not worked. Reflex is not just for emergencies or call outs, things shift in retail all the time. You’re fully staffed one minute and the next you have 2 managers leaving you in the same week. Think about having instant coverage with the top vetted retail associates that get brand specific training. They can flex quickly into your business when there are permanent open roles vs. overworking the team and creating overtime while you begin your hiring process. Also even if “you’re fully staffed” sometimes you need extra coverage for events, sales, inventory, shipments, etc. due to availability issues and you can’t hire another person. When turnover, call outs, and unexpected events in retail happens, having Reflex ready to go for all of your labor needs is a no brainer. #reflex #retail #smart #coverage #retailers #retailmanager #staffingsolutions #flexiblework #thinksmart #thinkdifferent