OMNICHANNEL HR HUMAN RESOURCES: THE MISSING PIECE TO THE OMNICHANNEL PUZZLE Ensuring that the right people with the right skills are in the right positions is the first step to ensuring a seamless omnichannel experience for your customers. BY DAVID MCPHERSON SMASH the silos. Engage and empower your employees. Get your people ready for the next chapter in the omnichannel retail revolution, for it has only just begun. Retailers seeking growth and continued success over the coming years will involve all departments in their omnichannel strategies: from IT to marketing, merchandising and distribution to store operations and support. And, perhaps the most critical player to enter the conversation: human resources. To succeed in an omnichannel environment, where customers expect a seamless experience and interaction with brands, retailers need to go back to basics and invest in their people. Don't forget, retail is not about channels, it's about people. However, the challenge for many organizations today is ensuring the horsepower to meet these omnichannel demands. They've built their channels in silos. Now, they are dealing with the ramifications. 16 | canadian retailer | winter 2014 | www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailerhttp://www.retailcounciill.org/cdnretailer