STEP 1
Build the Ideal Candidate Profile
To find the best person for the role, you need to understand what the role involves. You can complete this with the hiring manager to define the role, its contribution, and the skills needed.
Retail Associate
Customer ServiceComplete with job descriptions, skill profiles, and interview templates. Use this Retail Associate hiring guide to help you make the right decisions, fast.
HOW TO HIRE A RETAIL ASSOCIATE
What does a Retail Associate do?
A Retail Associate is the first contact point for a customer in a retail store. They are tasked with helping customers make buying decisions and will process the transaction. Retail Associates will also carry out visual merchandising tasks and inventory management and assist in the day-to-day running of the store.
Day to day tasks of a Retail Associate
- Assist with picking and packing online orders as required
- Customer engagement & service
- Opening and closing store
- Recommending products and/or services
- Cash handling
- Cleaning of the store
- Stock room/stock take duties
RETAIL ASSOCIATE DEFINITION
A Retail Associate helps customers find products in a store and recommend appropriate products for customer’s needs. Their duties include ensuring the store is appropriately stocked, assisting customers as needed and performing transactions like sales and returns. They will also maintain the shop floor and perform administrative tasks as requested. These are purely entry-level positions.
HIRING PROCESS
Retail Associate Hiring Process
STEP 2
Write A Job Description Based On Skills
Once you understand the requirements for the role, you’ll need to understand the skills for success. You can then write an effective job description to promote your role.
STEP 3
Selecting The Ideal Candidate
See which applicants have the right skills for the role. Send all your applicants a Vervoe skills assessment from the expert library, or customize one for your organization.
STEP 4
Interview Top Performers
Your skills assessment results will identify top performers. Focus your time on interviewing those that have met or exceeded your requirements. Assessment results will also help guide which skill areas to focus on in the interview.
STEP 5
Making An Offer
Once you assess your candidates against these skills, you’re ready to offer the top performer(s). You should base your offer on the value that the candidate would bring to your team and your business as a whole. It is also important to ensure your compensation and benefits packages are competitive in the industry and help you attract and retain the top talent.
BUILD THE IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
Skills needed for a Retail Associate
A retail associate must be customer-focused and willing to learn. Because each customer is different, a retail associate needs to have exceptional verbal communication skills and listening skills.
- Attention to Detail
- Active Listening
- Communication
WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION BASED ON SKILLS
How to write a Retail Associate job description
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position. Here’s what to include in your Retail Associate job description:
- Job Title
- What position are you hiring for?
- Summary
- What makes your company unique? What would it be like to work for you?
- Responsibilities
- An overview of the role’s day-to-day activities, and how the position contributes to the organization
- Requirements
- Skills a candidate must have to perform the job successfully
- Benefits
- Details of compensation, benefits, and any perks on offer
SELECTING THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sample skill tests for a Retail Associate
Create a free account today to access the full assessment and more from our library
Question 1
Attention to DetailQuestion Type: Multiple Choice
Find the two identical codes and select the corresponding letter below.
Question 2
Active ListeningQuestion Type: Audio
What two follow up questions could you ask Barbara to help find what the customer is looking for?
Question 3
CommunicationQuestion Type: Video
What is your idea of quality customer service? Define in a 1 minute video.
INTERVIEW TOP PERFORMERS
How to interview a Retail Associate
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The interview should focus on any skills that require development that were highlighted from the skills assessment.
Now you know that candidates can do the job, the interview becomes more of a relationship building exercise where you can get to know the candidate on a more personal level, understand their motivations, and how they would fit in with the team.
MAKING AN OFFER
How much does it cost to hire a Retail Associate?
The US average for a Retail Associate is $22,535 according to Comparably.com while the reported average salary on Talent.com amounts to $27,300. Entry level positions start at $23,400 per year while most experienced workers make up to $39,021 per year.
United States
Retail Associate salaries in the United States range from $24,300 - $39,021 (USD). Retail Associate salaries in the U.S vary a lot depending on the industry, location and any commission incentives.
Source: Source: Talent.com
United Kingdom
Retail Associate salaries in the United Kingdom range from £13,000 - £26,000 (GBP). Retail Associate salaries in the UK vary a lot depending on the industry, location and any commission incentives.
Source: Source: Glassdoor
Australia
Retail Associate salaries in Australia range from $46,000 - $65,000 (AUD). Retail Associate salaries in Australia vary a lot depending on the industry, location and any commission incentives.
Source: Source: Talent.com