Hiring the young

Hiring the young

I read this in times ascent....

Believe it or not, a young workforce in the retail space seems to be the mantra for most retailers. The average age of staff at Cinemax India and Koutons is 25 and 30 at Levi Strauss. Several retail brands are relying on young honchos to steer their businesses in a market where getting skilled resources is a serious challenge.

Organised retail in India is still in the nascent stages. The retail industry really came into its full being post the IT revolution making it in essence the youngest industry. “Most retail companies cater to the age group of 15–45. It makes perfect sense to pick up young honchos who find it easier to customise services to this target audience,” notes Kishore Bhatija, CEO, Inorbit Malls.

Another major reason is the fact that there is no history of learning for organised retail in India. The obvious option in such a scenario is to handpick talent at a young age and groom them for the future, an option most new players are taking,” adds Bhatija.

Interestingly, the average age of employees in retail companies is a lot lower than in other sectors. “The average age is far lesser in retail owing to the lower levels of expertise and a comparatively vast boom. It is mandatory for retailers to go for youngsters as they are an enthusiastic lot, willing to learn and project positivity,” asserts Devang Sampat, the 27-year-old senior VP of Cinemax India.

“Organised retail in India has been around for 12 years but the visibility and opportunities have emerged over the last four years. Hence, the industry experience and talent is limited. The average age of employees appears lower also because lifestyle categories have been the oldest, visible organised retailers, and these draw younger workforce who are willing to take up newer/emerging opportunities,” opines Shobha Wilson Simon, director, human resources, Levi Strauss India.

It is believed that the demand for young blood due to their high levels of energy and enthusiasm are key requirements to be a part of this industry. “Young individuals are open to experiment and can add healthy competitiveness to the business. It is always advisable to recruit young blood and mould them rather than search for skilled staff with mindsets,” says Sampat.

Monica Oswal, in her early thirties, is the executive director of Monte Carlo. She says, “For a fast growing sector like retail, a major chunk of the population is below 25. Their out-of-the-box mindset, dynamism, energy and ability to adapt are surely the key factors, which brings them under the spotlight.”

But it’s not all hunky-dory and there are certain pre-requisites that one must possess to get in. “What is important is to have people with the right attitude and those who are ready to take on challenges, and are at the same time adaptable to work in a structured environment,” asserts Bhatija.

Growing at a rapid pace, the biggest challenge that lies ahead for this industry is meeting the obvious demand supply gap. Add to this the task of finding the quality of leaders. Unlike telecom, financial services and other large industries, retail has nurtured talent in pockets to overcome this hurdle. “Retail organisations will continue to and must invest in training. The larger players are encouraging certification/education/building equity for retail careers which must continue,” Simon points out.

Going forward, Industry experts recommend benchmarking the compensation levels and upgrading the reward structure from time to time.