Jewelry-store employees fare a pretty loyal group overall, as we previously reported.
But people do move on for a variety of reasons. Understanding why employees choose to stay or go is important when you’re trying to build a stable, reliable staff.
For Big Survey 2016, we asked, “If you have full-time employees, did any quit in the last 12 months?” As it turns out, 63 percent said no, and 37 percent said yes.
We then asked the “yes” respondents what the reasons for the turnover were. Here’s what they said:
- To take another non-jewelry job – 43%
- Moving out of the area – 15%
- To return to school – 8%
- To have children or other family reason – 7%
- Conflict in the workplace – 6%
- Reached retirement age – 6%
- To take a jewelry job elsewhere – 5%
- Medical reason – 3%
- Don’t know – 3%
- Other – 3%
- To open own store – 1%
The last time we asked this question was 2008, with the country fast falling into recession. Not surprisingly, fewer people (33 percent) back then were leaving to take another job – presumably because there weren’t many around
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Conflict in the workplace, however, was off the charts, accounting for almost one in three employee departures in in 2008. Jewelry stores now seem a much less fraught environment, with workplace disharmony cited in only one in 20 cases this year.
Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success
After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone.
Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently.
The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.
