THE GOOD OLD days of team members staying loyal to a company for decades, studying at GIA and wanting to build a career in jewelry sales are almost gone.
If you post a job listing and receive 200 resumes, you’ll wonder who in the heck wrote 195 of them. Out of the remaining five, three won’t show up for their interview, and the other two aren’t from this planet. Where are all the “good people”?
The best way to hire team members takes time and “people shopping.” Too many of you post a position only when you need one. As a result, you’re short-staffed and scrambling to find someone. You have to be looking for awesome team members all the time. When you’re out and you receive awesome service, the person smiles and listens to you, they’re glad you came in, they ask questions specific to your needs and have solutions for your problem, find out if they’re happy where they’re working. Ask if they’d like an awesome career in the luxury industry. Give them your card and ask if you can give them a call.
If they decide to come in for an interview, make sure you have the right set of questions (I wrote a set that you can find at instoremag.com/shane-decker-how-to-hire-right) and make sure they’re legal (every state has different laws). Also, did they arrive early for their interview? How were they dressed: luxury or sloppy? Did they come in with an agenda and curious questions, or did they just want to talk about themselves?
In their interview, let them know that the learning curve is three years for selling diamonds, fine jewelry and timepieces. See how they react.
If you like them, have three of your top salespeople interview them as well. They’re the ones who will have to work with them on the floor all day every day. If they like them, interview them a second time and talk about money, responsibilities, being a representative of your company, GIA training, hours worked, building a business within a business and having a lifetime career.
Don’t let them tell you when they can work. You tell them. That does not compute in our industry.
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If, in their first interview, one of their initial questions is about the money and not the company, don’t hire them.
They’ll leave as soon as better money is offered.
Never hire someone because you just need a body. Stay ahead of the hiring curve. You’re always better off finding people than going to a hiring site. Look for a career-minded team member, not someone who just wants a job.
