Retail staff buoyed by 3 per cent pay rise

Two-thirds (66 per cent) of retail employers will give their staff a pay rise of less than 3 per cent in their next review and 10 per cent will not increase salaries at all, according to the 2018-19 Hays Salary Guide.

A further 20 per cent of retailers will give their staff an increase of 3 to 6 per cent, while 4 per cent will increase by 6 per cent or more.

According to the guide, 47 per cent of employers surveyed plan to employ more permanent staff, while 22 per cent expect to increase use of contract and temporary staff.

The trend of employing temporary and contract staff on a regular, ongoing basis is set to continue, with 24 per cent of employers doing this, up 1 per cent year over year.

Skills in demand

Hotspots of skills in demand are emerging; driving the hiring tendencies of retail businesses moving forward.

Traditional retailers are beginning to demand retail professionals with digital development and marketing expertise to shore-up e-commerce expansion initiatives, as well as adding digital facets to traditional bricks and mortar roles.

Store managers with experience implementing changes within a store are, understandably, in high demand.

A large turnover of departing store managers, pursuing new challenges in response to lacking promotional pathways, has created an opportunity for new, skilled-up workers to move into these roles.

Sales assistants are also in demand, both due to high turnover and in preparation for the busy holiday period.

Merchandise planners with the skills to implement data-driven plans for optimal inventory management within Australian bricks and mortar retail are in high demand. While these positions have been traditionally sourced from abroad, visa changes has presented an opportunity for home-grown merchandise planners to fill these roles, subject to category experience, said Hays.

Retailers with an online presence also require merchandise planners with experience gained in both online and physical store environments.

Concession managers and merchandise allocators are in short supply; since most merchandise allocators move on within two years, a shortage of staff and an increased level of demand for suitable candidates has formed.

This story first appeared on Inside Retail, a sibling publication to Inside Franchise Business.