Firms decry staff shortage

A lack of suitable candidates has been citeds as the greatest recruitment challenge by employers

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Retail bosses have cited a lack of suitable candidates as their greatest recruitment challenge, while almost half of retail employees are not offered the opportunity to progress within their organisations, according to a survey released this week.

The report, carried out by recruitment specialist Hays Retail and Barclays Commercial Bank, found that 47% of retail staff have to look elsewhere in order to move up the career ladder, stating that their current roles do not offer enough scope for progression.

But 80% of retail bosses believe that they give their staff enough room to progress. Two thirds said their staff had the skills required to carry out their jobs.

According to Clare Kemsley, managing director of Hays Retail, employers need to better communicate their companies' strengths to attract and keep the best employees.

"[Employers] must communicate and give more detailed information of what training and career development opportunities are available within their brand and set clear career paths from the outset, before their staff go looking elsewhere," she said.

The survey, called Hays Retail Salary and Benefits Guide, also showed that more than 50% of retail employees work more than their contracted hours on a regular basis due to a heavy workload.

Separately, the report also found that 93% of respondents believe ecommerce offers their business scope for growth over the coming years. They said it provided another route to market and a way to increase revenue.

"This new guide gives a deeper than ever insight into the retail profession and the challenges facing employers as they go about attracting talent," Kemsley added.