A version of this feature ran in the March issue of BRAIN.
BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — For our March magazine edition, we asked our State of Retail panel members: What are your top strategies and biggest obstacles when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff?
MONTCLAIR, N.J.: Dave Adornato, owner Montclair Bikery
Curating a staff to match the demands of a bike shop is unique for retail. High-traffic months coupled with extremely slow off-seasons in the Northeast make it difficult to retain highly skilled staff year-round. To meet this challenge, I forgo hiring marginally skilled part-timers and invest in a smaller staff that I can compensate competitively, and we are closed two days per week to optimize our service levels. I offer a 401(k) plan with 3% matching, three weeks vacation, dental and vision care, and bonuses. I don't provide health insurance because all of my employees have spouses that have health insurance. If they didn't, I'd have to address that, too.
Hiring staff new to industry is often difficult because the learning curve is steep. Minimum wage in New Jersey is $15, so unskilled teens (a historically natural fit for a bike shop) have become less attractive as part-time employees. I can't pay someone $15 to sweep floors, wash windows, and pump tires. There is a small pool of talented individuals in this area who want to and can afford to work in the bike industry. Many have worked at multiple shops in the region, going from shop to shop to find a place that fits them best. Competition for these individuals is fierce. I want my shop to be a place they want to stay at, so I start from a collaborative view point. I work alongside my employees, so I try to empower instead of dictating.
HARDWICK, Vt.: Jason Bahner, co-owner Riverside Cycles
It is difficult in this industry to hire staff who are able to turn a wrench and make a sale. Starting employees at competitive pay and being a flexible employer is our best practice for hiring and retaining staff. We are based in a small town where we know our staff in some capacity prior to an interview. We harness respect, opinion and voice and understanding with our staff. We make sure staff feels comfortable and competent with the products we sell to ensure they can sell the features and benefits of those products. Being a small shop, we encompass a family approach and have yet to experience staffing issues that require intervention, but if these issues were to come up, we would manage internally to ensure all parties are being heard and that a positive outcome happens.
WHEAT RIDGE, Colo.: Enric Die-Girbau, operations manager Rhythm Cycles
Recruiting and retaining staff for our seasonal, resort-based business is challenging. The short four-month bike park season is not conducive to providing staff with training before it opens, and the cost of employee housing in mountain towns is expensive. Finally, these employees often face “dead months” between bike park season and ski season and struggle to make ends meet. We try to soften the blow by extending end dates as long as possible and providing project work when able. Colorado has a new mandatory sick pay law, and although sick pay can initially seem like a daunting expense for a small business like ours, we’ve focused on the positive effect it had on our employees’ livelihoods and the improved retention as long-term employees.
We’ve been honing our retention strategies lately, specifically developing mechanics’ skills, providing a constant work environment (reducing seasonal hour swings and retaining employees in the off-season), and offering competitive pay and benefits (medical stipend, flexible schedules, yearly performance reviews with wage increases). The reality for Rhythm Cycles is we have fewer, better-supported, and longer-term employees who can meet their economic needs and stay in their preferred role in the bike shop.
COSTA MESA, Calif.: Lisa Fleischaker, owner The Unlikely Cyclist
I can train someone to fix a bike, but not to love cycling. We have always hired and trained mechanics that typically come to us unskilled in this arena but love the sport of cycling and believe in our cause for getting and keeping women on bikes. We have always paid above minimum wage. We’re a small shop with part-time employees, and it’s still challenging to pay a good living wage in this era of tough bike shop times and eroded margins. Often mechanics and sales employees can earn better wages doing less skilled positions than what bike shops are able to pay.
BOULDER, Colo.: Diana Freeman, owner/founder Cassiopeia
We lead our recruitment with our mission and values and find the right team based on that. We’re a small business, and our employees need to wear a lot of hats. That can make prioritizing and managing day-to-day work challenging. Our goal is to create space for everyone to grow while also delivering their key work. When there are conflicts or challenges with staff performance, our goal is to treat everyone fairly, which means being honest and direct and giving everyone the opportunity to course-correct.
GREENWICH, Conn.: Rob Koshar, owner Greenwich Bicycles
A minimum wage of $16.35 has made it difficult to hire kids or train unskilled labor. I would rather have well-paid experienced employees than minimum wage workers who are not as capable or reliable. When I’m hiring key employees, I look for people who have not been out of the industry for long or who are currently working in the industry. I’ve found Bicycle Retailer classifieds to be more targeted and less costly than posting jobs on Indeed, a tool I have also used in the past. One of my beliefs about recruitment is that ideally existing staff will recruit their former co-workers to work with us.
One of my pain points in hiring staff is miscommunication. Everyone is on their best behavior in the initial job interview. No matter how clearly you believe you have explained things or how clearly you heard them make a commitment, there can be miscommunication. I often kick myself for not putting things in writing.
BELLINGHAM, Wash.: Staci May, co-owner Earl’s Bike Shop
Word-of-mouth is our favored method for recruiting. It can be hard to find someone who has the skills required for the position. We have to be very careful that we get the people we need with the right qualifications. We are small, so we have to just talk with prospective employees. Finding what makes that person happy is our best practice for keeping them.
It does seem that in areas that are very outdoor friendly, the cost of living is higher. We have a higher minimum wage than other states, but that elevates the cost of living. So, in order to find and retain the right people, they have to show up with the right mindset. You can make a living wage in the bike industry, but it is still a lifestyle job and that means that you have to live within your means and enjoy what you do.
MIAMISBURG, Ohio: Sandy Whitman Talley, owner Whitman’s Bike Way Bike Shop
It can be somewhat difficult competing on wages and benefits alone. With us being a small business along with being seasonal, we mostly rely on part-time employees. We also sell ourselves on being a fun environment to work in, with money being somewhat secondary. We network on a regular basis with our customers, friends, sales representatives, and distributors for hiring. We keep our expectations pretty simple: be respectful and self-motivated, don’t steal, and treat our customers like gold. We have had success with hiring retirees that either enjoy cycling or have a mechanical mindset. We also welcome college students seeking to gain experience coinciding with their field of study. We have retained folks by making our shop a fun and friendly environment and giving everyone a role in contributing to the success of the business. Morale is key for customers to experience a great vibe.
SAN FRANCISCO: Brett Thurber & Karen Wiener, owners The New Wheel
For recruiting, we take a proactive approach by continuously seeking out talented individuals, especially technicians, so we’re always in conversation with potential candidates. We’ve also found that our customers often make great hires, so we promote sales openings directly to our customer base.
It is expensive to hire, so we are very focused on pricing properly and keeping a slim, highly effective team. Paying well is the biggest challenge in a place that is very expensive to run a business. We are lucky to have good margins from some of our key bike suppliers, but anything less than 35% margin just doesn't work to pay people well in the San Francisco Bay Area. Retention has been another big challenge, particularly through the ups and downs of COVID, but moving forward, our focus is on creating a workplace where people want to stay. That means doing great work, growing as a company, leading the industry in pay and benefits, and maintaining a clear, compelling mission that our team can rally behind.
