The whole head. How to correctly approach the issue of selecting an employee for the position of manager of a retail store.

A store manager, store manager or director is the most important link in a trading company’s activities. How can one facilitate the search for a talented manager so as not to make a mistake in choosing, and what qualities should one be guided by so that the candidate ensures the commercial success of the company? Anya Pabst, the head of the Russian branch of BEITRAINING, answers questions about the competencies of the head and shares the secrets of successfully hiring an employee for a leading position.

Having decided on the search for a manager, first of all, it is necessary to decide which functions he will perform. For example, to solve administrative and technical issues related to the debugged supply of goods, their storage, distribution - and also engage in a comparative analysis of quantitative and qualitative indicators. In this case, you will need a person who is extremely attentive to details and conscientious, ready to draw the right conclusions, make decisions and foresee their consequences.

If the most important task of the manager will be training and leadership of sellers, improving their communication skills, honing the sales process and customer focus of the service to create a competitive enterprise, different from those occupying the same niche, you need another candidate. The “positive” manager, who knows how to discern a chance in every situation, does not give up in difficult times and likes to work with people and accompany them in the process of professional growth. Such a person is able to teach others to take the initiative and not be afraid of risks, to emphasize a joint analysis of mistakes with subordinates instead of unproductive and degrading criticism.

In search of the ideal

The above qualities are rarely fully combined in one person. Try to avoid a common mistake when the candidate is expected to have all competencies at once, turning him into a multifunctional “egg-bearing pig-cow”.

Therefore, it is important to decide what you want from the manager: what powers will be delegated, what skills he should possess, what professional experience to have. Only knowing what values ​​he will have to assimilate and pass on to subordinates, and what standards of the enterprise to meet, is it worth starting the search.

It is no secret that the leader does not fall from the sky in finished form. As a rule, this is a manager who knows firsthand the whole process of production and distribution, has already passed many steps of the career ladder. But sometimes the “appointed” specialist becomes the manager, who first arrives at the company’s department, which they will manage. In this case, he also begins work with a thorough, thoughtful acquaintance with all the nuances of the company.

Decide whether you will look for a manager among the team or prefer a person from the outside. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

The stranger among his

If this is one of the employees, perhaps a sales consultant who worked on the trading platform that he is to lead, there is a high probability of various conflicts with his colleagues, with whom he was on an equal footing yesterday, one of them. The most common reason for this is the envy of other colleagues.

“A man from the people”, that is, from the collective, in 99% of cases will encounter difficulties and confrontation, trying on a new role as a leader. Already built and relations with colleagues, who have now become subordinates, will be reviewed, and inevitable problems with the implementation of orders and a serious attitude to the newly-minted bosses. For all members of the team, such an experience carries many negative points. In this regard, when choosing “your” manager, it is recommended to find a person who worked on the neighboring trading floor, in a parallel team or in a branch in another district of the city.

Who's on the newcomer?

The involvement of a specialist from the outside also has its drawbacks. First of all, a person in a leadership position needs to be trusted, and this is not easy for a "newbie" to achieve. Both the business owner and immediate subordinates are not sure and do not know how the person who joined the team will show themselves, do employees need to prepare for layoffs and innovations? He will not only join the team, but also prove to other employees that he is able to make decisions and manage others. In many respects, the success of adaptation depends on the traditions adopted at the enterprise. Sometimes, the formation of trust requires considerable time. But do not forget that a significant advantage of the candidate from the outside is the ability to look at the production process from the outside and to lay a new route where everything goes along the track. So habits and mistakes that have been formed over the years, under a fresh, new look, can suddenly become points of growth.

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Search and introduction of an employee to a leadership position is a multi-stage process. If a person was an excellent seller, this does not mean at all that a good leader will come out of him. The owner of the enterprise must decide what steps can lead him to the right decision. Often an outside view helps. So, training can be of help. The practice of attending open seminars for managers at the last stage of employee selection is a common occurrence in Western countries. So business owners may, if not find the perfect candidate, then decide on the search criteria.

As in many other aspects of the business, a prerequisite for the search for and the introduction of a manager is a dialogue with candidates, especially if the selection is carried out among the employees of the enterprise. Transparent communication will help to understand whether the candidate is overestimating himself and whether the requirements that the business owner makes are feasible. In this case, the candidate will be able to return to his previous position without loss or loss of self-esteem, if during the trial period it becomes clear that the new place is not suitable.

In addition, managerial communication skills are an important quality that should be paid attention to during selection. Among them are the ability to set clear goals, formulate the company's mission, and determine the strategy of the enterprise. The ability to organize the joint work of the people who make up the company’s team and to make work processes transparent is one of the main qualities of a leader.

Solving organizational problems and interacting with people often leads the manager to think that it is easier to do everything yourself - and then such an important skill as the competent distribution of responsibilities comes to the fore. These skills are closely related to the manager's constant task to create conditions for the manifestation of activity and initiative, the development of motivation and loyalty of employees.

Science of hiring a manager

What personal qualities of a candidate should you focus on when choosing a candidate from the company’s team or from the outside, using ads on the job search website or professional recruitment agency? It:

• practical orientation of the mind;
• energy and exactingness;
• criticality and organizational skills.

Identify the listed qualities will help not only the interview, but also a personality test.

When talking with a candidate, one should ask about specific aspects of the organizational experience that he has. Here are some questions to ask a candidate:

• How big was the team he led earlier?
• What teamwork methods does he prefer?
• What about individual meetings with subordinates?
• What is his attitude to staff errors?
• What are the most difficult challenges the manager’s skills and competencies had to face in his own opinion?

Fundamental and general questions should be diluted with particulars, and, at times, uncomfortable questions. For example, such:

• Did the candidate have to fire employees and for what offenses?
• What was the cross of the outlet he previously managed?
• What were the most successful promotions at your last job?

Attention to detail and the ability to make decisions in difficult situations are just what is required from an intelligent manager.

The career path is full of obstacles. If a specialist deserves the right to be at the helm, he must remember that the effectiveness of any company, including a retail store, begins with the right management policy. The first weeks at the workplace is a real test for stress tolerance and adaptability, which allows you to act effectively in situations of uncertainty and in force majeure circumstances.

Management, interaction, comprehension are the keywords that determine the management activity in any enterprise. The effective distribution of the time required to devote to each of the above areas of responsibility determines a competent leader. The key concept in delegation of authority is trust in the team and each employee, and it is this skill that determines the suitable candidate for the position of manager.