You want your new employees to add immediate value to your organisation. That starts with teaching them the right skills from day one. Find out how to choose the most important skills and why focusing on five makes all the difference.
The right skills vary from organisation to organisation, but with a few clever steps you can find out which ones are most important to you. In a fashion shop, for example, these could be the five most important skills: product knowledge, customer focus, upselling, collaboration and flexibility.
What makes your organisation unique? If your core values focus on excellent customer service, skills such as empathy and problem-solving will be very important.
Focus on the skills that make the biggest difference to your business results and customer satisfaction. Think communication, time management or teamwork, for example.
You might think: the more skills, the better. But less is often more. Here are three reasons why a focus on five skills is preferable:
During onboarding, a lot of information comes at new employees. By focusing on five core skills, you prevent them from becoming overwhelmed and ensure better focus.
By focusing on a handful of skills, you can provide in-depth and impactful training. Employees get the chance to really master these skills.
The right five skills can have a huge impact on customer experience, turnover and team dynamics. You thus build a strong foundation that makes employees immediately valuable.
An employee who learns how to close a customer conversation professionally during onboarding builds confidence. But it also sets the tone for a successful career in retail.
Onboarding is therefore the moment when you prepare employees for success. If you integrate essential skills right away, you will get off to a flying start. Here's why:
When all employees master the same skills, you ensure a consistent experience for your customers. Whether they are helped by a new employee or an experienced employee, the quality remains high.
Employees who know what is expected of them from the start and are well trained in it feel more confident and motivated.
Onboarding is the foundation for further growth. If the core skills have been taught firmly, you can easily build on them later with in-depth training.
Retail is a sector where speed, customer focus and teamwork are key. By identifying which five skills your employees need and including them directly in the onboarding process, you will ensure a reliable foundation.
Extra tip from us: Start small, but think big. Focus on the skills that make the most impact and build on them. With a good onboarding programme, you give your employees a strong start and increase customer satisfaction and revenue.
👉 Want to know how to put this into practice? Discover our onboarding programme that makes your team fly from day one! Contact us for more information.