The Results-Oriented Retail Workplace

Retail jobs, whether buying, merchandising or selling, are involved in a lot of detail. When retail people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Retail Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this retail affairs job accomplish for the organization?

Retail Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Retail Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Retail Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and retailly sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Retail Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, retail affairs jobs--

SELL RETAIL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES by

analyzing customer needs; buying products to specifications; creating service package; merchandising and explaining products and services; establishing security systems; studying advertising, sales promotion, and display plans.

Types of Retail Jobs

Some retail jobs study customer needs and wishes, and make comparisons with competitor products. Other jobs develop service packages that will attract customers, while other jobs go into the market to purchase items from manufacturers.

Still other jobs create attractive and enticing displays in the store, while others make sure no items are stolen. Somebody needs to answer questions for customers, and to ring-up and package purchases. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the retail people and processes.

Retail Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how retail affairs job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Retail Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS RETAIL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Retail Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the retail affairs results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Retail situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Retail recommendations are ready when needed.

Retail Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future retail affairs issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver retail affairs recommendations by 10% by (date).

Retail Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each retail affairs job description are more helpful (and retail) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Retail Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS RETAIL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Retail Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Retail Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS RETAIL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present retail affairs recommendations."

The Retail Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS RETAIL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Retail Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS RETAIL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Retail Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her retail affairs work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the retail affairs job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Retail Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Retail Job Description and Retail Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the retail affairs job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS RETAIL ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the retail affairs job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving retail affairs processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new retail affairs system controls.

Retail Career Links

Northern Illinois University, Marketing Careers

Information on jobs in retailing.

About.com, Careers in the Retail Industry

Information about retail jobs, and how to find; associations; software; magazines; non-profit organizations; schools; online learning.

National Retail Federation, Retail Careers and Advancement

Variety of careers in retail.

CareerOverview.com, Retail Marketing

Non-commercial website dedicated to providing aspiring career professionals and students with relevant, reliable and up-to-date career and job information whereby helping them to make better, more informed career choices.

About.com, Retail Buyer Profile

Key responsibilities, summary of experience, education required, compensation.

About.com, Retail Salesperson

Job summary, employment facts, education, other requirements, earnings, a day in a retail salesperson’s life, related resources, articles.

Vault.com, Career Information, Retail Careers

Articles.