While it is important to know what does work when recruiting, it is perhaps more important to avoid the recruiting pitfalls.
Avoiding what doesn’t work will save you considerable time, money, and grief.
In this day and age you think that those of us in the jewelry trade would embrace technology, especially in the area of recruiting.
Sadly that is not the case for most of us.
These are the four biggest mistakes that owners/managers are doing even to this day.
Recruiting Pitfalls
Number One. Hiring clients who have purchased from the store.
Granted on the surface it would seem like a good source because the client loves jewelry, already trusts us, and we know them.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
When you hire them, you lose them as a client.
Remember all the great purchases they made?
They won’t think they got such a “special deal” once they begin to understand the markup schedule.
Number Two. The local newspaper.
Over recent years I have heard managers lamenting saying, “If we only advertised in the newspaper for sales professionals”.
Studies have shown that the local newspaper typically is the most expensive, least effective, and most time-consuming area because you get responses from chronically unemployed salespeople as well as a whole host of others that you don’t want to see.
Trust me on this one, it is called a “cattle call” for a reason.
Number Three. Sign in the window.
Have you ever walked by a store that has a “Help Wanted” sign in the window?
My first reaction, “Wow, business must be bad, and they are desperate!”.
We are in the relationship business, that is what luxury jewelry represents.
We should be able to network and form business relationships better than anyone.
As a side note, have you ever seen a “Help Wanted” sign in the window at Tiffany?
There is a reason.
Number Four. Your friends, and your associate’s friends.
Here again, it sounds good at first, but it really can be a total nightmare.
Yes, you do know and probably trust your friends, however business relationships do not mix with personal relationships. there is just a different dynamic involved.
In most cases, you will eventually lose both your friendship and your professional ties.
Added to this mix would be relatives.
I will not even go into how much damage that can cause.
If you thought family reunions were tough before. . . just wait.
These are the top four areas to avoid when recruiting, no matter how desperate the situation may seem at the time.
Making a “desperation hire” or hiring the wrong person can lead to disrupting the entire store and may take months to resolve.
Plan ahead, recruit on a weekly basis, hire wisely, and remember the recruiting pitfalls.
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The host of “Inside the Jewelry Trade” Radio Show – Jewelry Business Strategist – President of Four Grainer LLC. Author of the business books “A Reason To Chant,” and “A Reason to Chant – Jewelry Trade Edition.” Rod lives in Atlanta with his wife and two almost-human cats.