Creating better retail job descriptions
Drawing up a job description can seem like a chore to both hiring managers and HR teams, and it can be the job that no one wants to tackle. By Emma Gamble.
Whether you are updating an existing one or creating one from scratch it is often the task that is put to one side.
Job descriptions are selling documents as much as fact sheets and this should not be forgotten. In our role as headhunters we offer welcomed support with building JD’s and I would urge hiring managers to consider the following points.
Job titles – what’s in a name? Job titles mean more to the UK workforce than to our European neighbours. Why, I can’t be sure but it may be related to our obsession with getting on the property ladders and always wanting to move on and upwards. If this is a new role make the title accurate but appealing – for example no one wants to be called ‘ Head of Markdown’.
Mention the team, where does this role sit within the company structure? What are the job titles of the direct reports – it surprises me how often this is omitted.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Start your JD by telling your audience about your company – don’t assume that the reader will know that your company started 100 years ago in an old Yorkshire factory etc. Even if you don’t have years of heritage and it was ‘kitchen table’ business that has zoomed into success over the last 3 years – I’ve never met a client who didn’t have a story to tell.
List core responsibilities but below these also list core competencies, these are much more interesting and often more individual to your business. Use positive and high achieving words and include upholding the company’s values of ‘X, Y & Z’.
The final thought I will leave with you is ‘branding’. Millions of pounds are spent on developing brands each year. I have seen so many JD’s missing the company logo! Add your logo and some colour, remember retail can be truly colourful…
Emma Gamble is Director, Gamble & Yeates Executive Search
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