Mel Kleiman
Sugar Land
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Businessman, speaker, writer, & consultant. Helping companies hire STAR employees and their managers.
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Articles by Mel Kleiman
Retailers Uncertain About Economic Outlook
Retailers are feeling uncertain about the economy in 2023, as seen in responses below, based on the 15th annual CStore Decisions/Humetrics HR Benchmarking Survey. Retailers were asked, “How was business overall in 2022 and how do you think 2023 will compare in each of the three categories listed below?” Some 47% felt the economy stayed the same in 2022, with 49% saying the same for the c-store industry, while the majority of retailers (42%) felt their company fared better in 2022.
Becoming a Five-Star Employer
Becoming a five-star employer is essential for attracting top talent, retaining employees, boosting productivity and building a positive reputation for your company. It will take some adjustments internally, but once those changes have been made, you can have a transformational impact on your organization. Attracting top talent: In a competitive job market, being a five-star employer can help attract the best and brightest candidates.
Bettering Employee Retention
After the hiring process comes the necessary effort of employee retention. In the 15th annual CStore Decisions/Humetrics HR Benchmarking survey, retailers were asked, “What actions did you take in 2022 to tackle the problem of employee retention?” The No. 1 answer was pay raises at 86%. This was followed by more flexible scheduling at 72% and enhanced employee recognition programs at 41% in third place.
How to Improve Employee Recruiting
The CStore Decisions/Humetrics 15th annual HR Benchmarking Survey found that employee referrals have reclaimed the No. 1 position as the most effective recruiting tool. Referrals have long been a valuable source of high-quality, cost-effective candidates, leading to faster hiring and better retention rates. Employee referrals tend to be high-quality candidates because they have been recommended by someone who knows the company and the job requirements well and believes the candidate is a good fit.
2023 Labor Management Concerns
The CStore Decisions/Humetrics 15th annual HR Benchmarking Survey began by asking participants: “How was your overall business in 2022?” More than half (59%) of retailers surveyed shared that business for them in 2022 was better than expected. Industry Challenges But it was no surprise that survey participants still rank staffing as one of the industry’s most exhaustive and repetitive challenges. Attracting and keeping workers remains a struggle for store owners and managers.
Overcoming Challenges in Hiring and Retention
The COVID-19 pandemic may no longer be a primary concern in 2023, but its impact on the economy and the workforce lingers. In fact, staffing ranks as the top concern for c-store retailers in 2023, followed by inflation. CStore Decisions and Humetrics, for the 15th consecutive year, have collaborated on the Human Resources (HR) Benchmarking Survey, which polled c-store retailers between Jan. 4, 2023, and March 1, 2023, about HR practices, labor challenges, economic outlook and more.
The Secret to Winning Today’s War for Workers
How ‘The Great Resignation’ has affected the c-store industry was pointedly brought home in the results of this year’s 14th annual CSD/Humetrics’ HR Benchmarking Survey. When asked: “What are the three most significant challenges your organization will face in 2022,” more than 83% of respondents singled out “staffing” as their paramount concern — far ahead of inventory management/supply chain issues (61%) and the pandemic (42%).
Navigating Staffing Challenges in Today’s Labor Market
After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply challenges and labor shortages, c-store retailers are evaluating labor management practices in 2022 as they look to better attract, train and retain quality workers in today’s increasingly competitive landscape. CStore Decisions and Humetrics, for the 14th consecutive year, have collaborated on the annual Human Resources (HR) Benchmarking Survey, which polled c-store retailers between Jan.
C-Stores Conquer New HR Challenges
CStore Decisions’ and Humetrics’ 12th annual Human Resources (HR) Benchmarking Survey polled c-store retailers — between Jan. 5 and March 2, 2020 — on top HR challenges and evolving practices. Already, some c-store retailers saw COVID-19 as a possible headwind. Asked about challenges ahead, one respondent pointed to “disruption due to the coronavirus; not just from a customer or employee perspective, but we have concerns about our various supply chain partners — food, ingredients, etc.
Retail Experts Caution Brands About Over-Messaging During Crisis
“If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance. Play inside, play for the world.” That advertising campaign embracing the importance of social distancing came out last Saturday from Nike and promotes that brand’s workout app, Nike Training Club, that is now accessible free of charge amid the crisis. The campaign appeared to strike the right tone and received wide positive coverage across the media. Many recent efforts, however, have been suspended or scrapped.
Questions You Need to Ask Every Valued Employee
Questions You Need to Ask Every Valued Employee By Mel Kleiman, CSP, President of Humetrics on 2/27/2020 3:14 PM Employee retention and profitability are inseparably linked. To be the best, you need to have the best employees. With unemployment at record-setting lows, your most highly valued people have more options than ever before, should they become dissatisfied and decide to find another employer. Your best employees are the ones your competition wants to hire.
Experience is overrated, hire talent
Employee Motivation Hiring/Discrimination Human Resources Training Jun 03, 2019 Through a special arrangement, what follows is an article from the blog of Humetrics. Skim through any online job ads and you’ll find about 95 percent of them have one word in common: “Starting wages based on experience …” “Looking for experienced, energetic retail associate …” “We are currently seeking an experienced cashier …” Why is it that experience is so often our number one criteria?
C-Stores Rally in Tight Labor Market
By Mel Kleiman, President, Humetrics and Erin Del Conte, Executive Editor Convenience Store Decisions and Humetrics recently collaborated on our 11th annual Human Resources Benchmarking Survey.
4 interview questions you must ask
Be prepared: Don’t be one of those hiring managers who wings interviews. Life is all about choices. In every moment, we make choices. Do this or do that. Go here or go there. It’s endless. And every choice produces a logical outcome, a result. The most important choice we make in business is who gets hired. When you hire the right people, you create a win/win/win situation. You win, your employees win and your customers win. The question is: Why can’t we do it right more often?
HR 101: This is the Perfect Time to Recognize Your Employees
The following are selections from the Humetrics blog. Five keys to effective recognition Praise and recognition are essential to successful management. People want to be respected and valued by others for their contributions. Everyone feels the need to be recognized as an individual or member of a group and to feel a sense of achievement for work well done — or even for a valiant effort.
HR 101: Hire Great Talent, Train Them, Then Get Out of Their Way
10 secrets to hiring talent Make a list of not only what a great employee will do, but how they will do it. Make a list of the reasons a great employee would want to come to work for your firm. Don’t go after people who are looking for a job; go after those looking for a better job/career. Don’t limit your recruiting to job boards and social media. Use every possible method to reach your targeted recruits (off-line and online).
How to hire winning hourly employees
Few people understand the daily pressures faced by landscape management business owners and managers. And fewer still realize that it’s people—both clients and employees—who are usually the source of these stresses. A mower may malfunction, but you can fix it and count on it to be there every day and on time, too. The handheld trimmer or brushcutter may be kaput, but they won’t ever be rude to a customer.
Post and Pray Doesn’t Work Anymore
In today’s competitive workforce, knowing how to poach quality employees and poach-proof your own employees are key strategies to success. Remember about 10 years ago when you could post a “Now Hiring” sign in your front window on a Monday morning and have your choice of several quality applicants by the afternoon? Or you post a recruitment ad to a job board only to be inundated, in a matter of hours, with more applicants than you could possibly ever screen?
10 commandments of hiring & retention
Thou shalt commit thyself to hiring and retaining only the best. Great companies are great employers, in turn, who are able to hire great people. Mediocre employees breed mediocrity, so make sure you recruit and select only the best. If a position goes unfilled for a while, you’re better off than if you settle for a new employee who doesn’t measure up to your highest standards. Thou shalt not be influenced by dazzling answers and false appearances.
How to be a 'magnetic' employer
Pull them in Magnetic companies put policies in place to attract and retain the best workers and repel the rest. (Illustration: iStock.com/alphaspirit) Unemployment is at record lows, and there are more jobs available than there are people to fill them. Given this scenario, it’s no surprise that the most pressing concern for business owners and managers nationwide right now is how to find the new hires they need and keep the good people they have.
How to be a ‘magnetic’ employer
Pull them in Magnetic companies put policies in place to attract and retain the best workers and repel the rest. (Illustration: iStock.com/alphaspirit) Unemployment is at record lows, and there are more jobs available than there are people to fill them. Given this scenario, it’s no surprise that the most pressing concern for business owners and managers nationwide right now is how to find the new hires they need and keep the good people they have.
An Interview Question to Jump Start Engagement
I recently read an online article with this advice to all job-seekers preparing for an interview: “If the prospective employer doesn’t give you a chance to ask questions, at the end of the interview, ask if you may ask one question. That question is: ‘Imagine you hire me and it is six months down the road and you have already promoted me. What have I done to deserve the promotion?’ This gets them seeing you as being already successful in the position.” Here’s my spin on it for employers.
How to engage employees
Other than a paycheck, do you give your employees any good reasons to come to work each day? If your answer is “not really,” here are a few ideas to help you pump up employee engagement, which has a direct correlation to retention and makes recruiting new hires easier, too. 1. Differentiate yourself. What do you offer that other employers don’t? Are your policies more family-friendly? Maybe you’re more flexible or you promote from within more often? Whatever it is, talk it up and publicize it.
The power of stay conversations
Although departing employees often will tell you they’re leaving for “more money,” research studies repeatedly confirm the No. 1 reason great employees leave is because of their managers. In HR circles, there’s even a saying for it: “People join companies and leave managers.” This does not mean, however, that managers who lose good people are hopelessly inept. On the contrary, the majority are competent professionals with good relationship skills.
The power of stay conversations
Communicate Ongoing stay conversations can be used as effective retention tools. Although departing employees often will tell you they’re leaving for “more money,” research studies repeatedly confirm the No. 1 reason great employees leave is because of their managers. In HR circles, there’s even a saying for it: “People join companies and leave managers.” This does not mean, however, that managers who lose good people are hopelessly inept.
Hiring Whys You Need to Be Able to Answer
Hiring Whys You Need to Be Able to Answer Note: As you begin your week, here are some tips from the Humetrics blog to help you recruit and hire more effectively, and some questions to ask yourself so when you hear them from a strong prospect you’ll be ready with solid answers. If your website careers page isn’t delivering quality applicants, perhaps it’s time to revisit the message there.
Hiring Wisdom: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Work Here
Note: The following are selections from the Humetrics blog. Regular readers here will know I’m always touting employee stay conversations because they create high levels of employee eng agement and are a powerful retention tool.
Hiring Wisdom: Hard Questions Make For Better Hires
Although impolite, rude, and bullying social media behavior grab the headlines, ours is still a basically polite society. That’s why most of us rely on our pre-employment paperwork to ask job applicants the tough questions about drugs and honesty. Then we compound that mistake by thinking we’ll find out about dependability and safety when we do our reference checks. (If we, in fact, take the time to do them at all.) However, it’s by far harder to lie or deceive in person than on paper.
Half of All Workers Got No Raise This Year
Hiring tips, management help and the role that compensation plays in recruiting, from the Humetrics blog. A new survey finds just over half of the respondents have not gotten a bump in salary over the past 12 months, despite a tight labor market that’s making it harder for employers to find workers. On the other hand, employees with more education and higher incomes are more likely to have received a raise, the Bankrate.com survey shows.
10 commandments of preshift huddles
Go team! Don’t treat preshift huddles like just another company meeting. Photo: ©istock.com/Cecilie_Arcurs It’s been relatively recently that the huddle has made its way from the playing field to the business workplace, but it has proven to be just as effective in settings as diverse as the military, healthcare and restaurants as it always has been in sports.
Maybe You Should Interview Everyone
Note: With unemployment at a 17 year low, and the number of people in the labor force hovering around a 40 year low, there’s no reason to think hiring is going to get any easier in the coming months. So what’s an employer to do? Mel Kleiman, the founder and leader of the recruiting and hiring consultancy Humetrics, has some suggestions. Do not go into the hiring process looking for what you think you need ─ someone to fill a shift or do a particular job.
How can retail stores open doors to higher quality applicants?
Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of an article from Convenience Store Decisions magazine. Convenience stores have long struggled with high turnover, but a few simple tips can help hiring. First, stores should always be taking applications, even when they have a full staff. Secondly, even if fully staffed, every manager each week should interview at least two of these applicants.
Recruiting and Retaining Quality Applicants
Savvy retailers know how to find, attract, onboard and retain high quality employees. However, with some due diligence and persistence, you can do the same. Convenience stores have long struggled with high turnover, but a few simple tips can help you hire well and improve your retention numbers. First, c-stores should always be taking applications, even when they have a full staff.
Up Your Job Seeker Empathy by Applying for a Job Yourself
When was the last time you interviewed for a job and why is this important? If you are responsible for applicant interviews and employee selection and have not been on the applicant’s side of the desk in the last few years, it is time for a refresher course in how it feels. It’s the one way you can authentically project the empathy, consideration, and respect that will attract the best and brightest applicants to your organization.
Dr. Seuss, Retention and the Mission
Short takes on onboarding, retention and mission statements from the Humetrics blog: Here are six questions you can ask your best people to help keep them engaged and on board: When you help your employees get what they want, they will unfailingly help you get what you want. I usually don’t do book reviews. Especially about books that are over 20 years old. But, if you have not read this book, it is a must. If you are a fast reader, it will take about five minutes.
Would This Phone Screen Make You Excited?
Take a look below at the telephone pre-screen one of my clients uses for frontline, hourly employees. Now, if you were the applicant and someone called you, asked you all those questions, and then invited you to come in for a personal interview, how would you figure out if it would be worth your time and effort to go? The main reason most applicants make the appointment, but end up being no shows, is because they were leaving the door open in case they didn’t find anything better in the meantime.
Why They Don’t Show Up for the Interview
Don’t forget your sales pitch when you plan your pre-screening interview questions. Below is the telephone pre-screen list one of my clients uses for frontline, hourly employees. Now, if you were the applicant and someone called you, asked you all those questions, and then invited you to come in for a personal interview, how would you figure out if it would be worth your time and effort to go? Let’s take a look at the list.
The power of the five firsts
The power of the five firsts First impressions are lasting; hourly employees are not. Before they’ve been on the job six months, more than half of them are gone. Some were probably not a good fit for the job in the first place, but some productive, dependable, hard-to-replace employees bolt, too. And contrary to what they may tell you, they didn’t really leave for more money.
3 Tips on Job Ad Timing, Referrals and Recognition
Short takes on referrals, job ad timing and recognition from the Humetrics blog: In addition to past employer referrals, ask all job applicants for the phone numbers of three people they have worked who can provide references on the candidate’s work ethic.
Hiring Wisdom: Open Doors and Interview Rewards
With unemployment at record lows, making your jobs easy to apply for has never been more important. And that’s especially so for hourly workers. Here are some tips for hiring the best. When jobseekers have their choice of employers, most will take the path of least resistance. If you don’t have all of the “doors” that could gain entrance to your hiring system open, you’re sure to lose applicants to the competition.
Employee Recruiting: Are All Your Doors Open?
With unemployment at record lows, making your jobs easy to apply for has never been more important. When jobseekers have their choice of employers, most will take the path of least resistance. If you don’t have all of the “doors” that could gain entrance to your hiring system open, you’re sure to lose applicants to the competition. Here are some questions to consider to ensure you have all doors open to potential employees.
Hiring Wisdom: It Pays to Hire Ex-Cons
Yet another sign of the robust demand for workers is that more US employers are hiring applicants with criminal records. At 4.3%, the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in 16 years, triggering major labor shortages in some industries, such as construction. In response, employers are taking a serious look at the 23 million Americans who’ve served prison time or carry a felony conviction.
10 commandments of employee engagement | Articles | Main
With the holidays and a new year upon us, it's a good time to pause, look at the big picture, and resolve to do even better in 2015. In that light, here's something to ponder: Other than a paycheck, do you give your employees good reasons to come to work each day? Here are a few ideas to help you pump up employee engagement and make recruiting easier, too: 1. Thou shalt differentiate yourself. What do you offer that other employers don't? Are your policies more family-friendly?
What’s Your Recruiting Strategy?
Most everyone who wants to work is now working and recruiting is tough. Lots of folks are talking about paying more and, yes, that is the easiest way to attract more applicants, but there’s a real downside to this strategy. While paying more will get you more applicants, will it get you the people you really want to hire and will it get the people you hire to stay?
Your ‘Open Door’ Policy May be Sending the Wrong Message
While probably well-meaning, the phrase “My door is always open” tells your people: You expect them to take the initiative and meet you on your territory, You assume they will figure out what information you want to them to bring you, Although it’s seldom the case, you’ll be available to hear them out at any time.
Employment Trends: Teens in Retail
Today’s working teenager may be a retail company’s future store leader, product designer, data analyst, or even CEO. Unfortunately, in the years ahead, it may become increasingly more difficult to find these young, entry-level employees. Teenagers are an important part of the retail workforce, but Bureau of Labor Statistics data show a downward trend in teen participation across all industries.
Are You Making a Decision Or Justifying One?
Your brain is a powerful instrument. Ask it for reasons why you should hire someone and it will respond with answers like: Ask your brain why you shouldn’t hire the person and, again, it will give what you asked for: Knowing your brain can justify almost any action you consider, you must ask it instead, “What is the right thing to do?” And, after that, it is often still worthwhile to ask a co-worker (who doesn’t have the same vested interests as you) for his or her opinion.
How Are You Using Your Brain Power?
Your brain is a powerful instrument. Ask it for reasons why you should hire someone and it will respond with answers like: He seems to really want the job. She’s got all the right experience. Ask your brain why you shouldn’t hire the person and, again, it will give what you asked for: He’s been out of a job for five months. He doesn’t seem like a team player.
Are You Meeting Expectations Yourself?
You only need a simple, three point scale to evaluate job applicants as well as the performance of your present employees: Before you can do this though, you need a clear understanding of exactly what the expectations are. During the hiring process, how are you going to discover if the applicant can meet those expectations? What questions will you ask? Can you test for skills, knowledge, attitudes? How will you know that your findings are correct?
Convenience Store Decisions
You only need a simple, three point scale to evaluate job applicants as well as the performance of your present employees: “Will not meet expectations” or “Is not meeting expectations” Before you can do this though, you need a clear understanding of exactly what the expectations are. During the hiring process, how are you going to discover if the applicant can meet those expectations? What questions will you ask? Can you test for skills, knowledge, attitudes?
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