inStorebuyer - July 2012 - (Page 8)

12 Tips to Hiring a Good Manager by Tom Ross, independent consultant Perishable department vice presidents and directors are ever vigilant for the next hot trend sweeping the industry. Many times, these new trends result from years of development in a specific marketing area and simply are not transferable to a different region. Other times, the new trend provides the silver bullet that causes the bakery or delicatessen to ramp up sales and drop profit dollars directly to the bottom line. Certainly, new products and trends must be a major tactic of every perishable department’s strategy to increase sales and profits while consistently giving the customer another reason to shop the store. However, this tactic alone isn’t guaranteed to attain budgeted sales, profit dollars, supply and salary expense. The hottest new trend, flawlessly designed and supported by ample ad dollars, is doomed to failure when an unwilling or incapable department manager is unable to excite and motivate his associates to fully realize the sales potential of the new trend. Many supermarkets have an in-depth management training program in place. Designed and administered by the human resources department, the training program is complete with detailed lesson plans and progress tracking logs. The perishable department receives credit for the candidates’ training hours only if the lesson plans and progress tracking sheets are documented with time-staking and time-consuming precision. When an associate is sought out, recruited, counseled and signed up for the program — and the training template is followed to the letter — the program is usually effective. Unfortunately, very few department directors, store directors and department managers are willing or able to invest the necessary time to usher associates through the training process. As a result, when a position for a bakery or delicatessen manager becomes available, the search for a replacement goes into frantic overdrive. This lack of planning results in the promotion of someone marginally qualified as a leader and almost certainly untrained as a businessperson. Is the only other alternative to hire outside the company, or does this send the wrong message to company associates while offering no guarantee of success? Or are there other, better options? The bakery or delicatessen manager determines the success or failure of the department, and he or she must possess certain qualities of leadership in order to succeed. Look for these qualities when promoting bakery and delicatessen managers: Don’t promote a person that you have to talk into taking the job. Promote the person who is excited about the challenge and who has the attitude of, “Give me the ball; I can make the play.” Promote the person who speaks plainly and clearly, communicating his or her thoughts concisely. A good leader must be able to talk to associates plainly without creating confusion. | 8 | inStorebuyer | July 2012 |

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of inStorebuyer - July 2012

inStorebuyer - July 2012
Editor's Note - The Future Looks Bright
Table of Contents
Front Line News - Eckrich Partners with Famed Petty 43 at Kentucky Speedway
Front Line News - Films Debut at Whole Foods Market’s Film Festival
Front Line News - Smart Balance Completes Purchase of Udi’s
Front Line News - Mollie Stone’s Named Outstanding Specialty Retailer
12 Tips to Hiring a Good Manager
Innovation Lights The Way
Cake Boss-inspired Cakes from Dawn
2012 IDDBA Speaker Recap
Sprouting Wings
Tasty, Healthy and Convenient
Product Trends
Easy, Innovative and Artisan
Ergonomic Equipment Steals the Show
Product Showcase
Marketplace Network
Ad Index

inStorebuyer - July 2012