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A Brighter Outlook for Staff Hiring and Retention

Our Most Compelling Data:

52%

of retailers said hiring has become easier in the past year.

Retail leaders said

They’re running an average of four different retention initiatives to retain staff and grow their skills.

Retail hiring has improved. But will better retention strategies come next?

Retail leaders told us hiring has finally become a little easier. And while that’s great news for an industry that can be tough on employee morale, the feedback they shared about their retention initiatives shows significant room for growth.

Most notably, of the 12 retention initiatives we asked about, none were used by more than 38% of retail leaders who responded to our survey. While retail can be a seasonal or short-term job for many at the assistant level, ignoring staff development will only lead to churn and longer-term headaches.

One area especially ripe for a reboot is establishing career paths. It’s something only 27% of retail leaders said their businesses do, even though it could pay significant dividends for their core employees at the store level by keeping local and institutional knowledge on hand longer, which helps to develop deeper relationships with their customer base.

Key takeaway:

As the retail employment picture continues to stabilise, leaders should take a moment to think about how they want their staff to grow and serve customers in 2025 and beyond. Talk to your employees about what they want out of their jobs. For example, 38% of retail leaders said they offer flexible schedules to help. Understand the worst parts of their day-to-day routine, and research how technology upgrades or process changes might make things better. And look for ways to empower them – not just by establishing career paths but also by giving them more in-the-moment decision-making authority where appropriate – something just 25% of retail leaders say they’re doing now.

Pro tip:

If in doubt, start by making sure you’re getting the core employer responsibilities right. Tools like Square Shifts help managers track hours and accurately pay employees, reducing a significant friction point so everyone can focus more on productivity and customer service.

Papillote & Cie, a chain of gourmet grocery stores located in Quebec City, Canada, figured out the secret to growing its local customer base while earning fans as far away as Japan: streamlining operations through a universal POS.

The cafe opened in the 1990s, making it one of the first to market in the ready-to-eat meal space. They added a European-style butcher’s shop in the 2010s and set up a boutique in 2015, with offerings like 100-year-old vinegars and spices. Through it all, they haven’t lost sight of their customers, who now benefit from faster services because of the business’s centralised data and inventory tracking.

Square is easy to use for both my employees and my customers. Having everything on a single online platform is fantastic. No files saved on a computer. Everything is accessible in two and a half seconds with Square."

Dimitri Chapuis, President and Business Administrator of Papillote & Cie, Quebec, Canada