In this blog, we’ll outline a few key steps to make the retail onboarding process smooth and easy for your new starters. 

We’ve all been that new employee, starting a job where every single other person except you seems to know exactly what to do and how to do it. Meanwhile, you’re frozen amongst the chaos like a spare part and you seem to have forgotten how human beings stand. 

Add to that the pressure of a fast-moving retail environment, where speed is a top priority and a waiting queue of customers is a common occurrence - and it’s easy to see why the retail onboarding process has the potential to be stressful. 

But it doesn’t have to be. 

So, how can you alleviate some of that pressure and make a new starter feel welcomed while effectively getting them up to speed on everything they need to know? We’ve rounded up ten ways to help you do just that. 
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1. Start by considering how real people learn

A core part of our philosophy at THRIVE is the understanding that every individual learns differently. Of course, it would be convenient if you could straightforwardly upload all the necessary information into someone’s brain like a computer - but human beings don’t work like that. Everybody learns at different paces, and takes in information in different ways. 

Research shows that the concept of “Multimodal Learning” (that is, learning in multiple different mediums or formats e.g. video, images, text, or audio) is integral to processing and retaining new information. 

Engage your new starters by offering a range of different learning materials, and encourage social learning. Not only will their onboarding be more effective, but they’ll feel connected to the goals of the business and the people who already work there. 

Why not take a page out of THRIVE customer DECIEM's book? They used THRIVE's user generated content capabilities to foster a culture of social and self-led learning. After launch, 53% of DECIEM's learning platform is user-generated content, compared to 23% from the L&D team. This has led to a 'learners as teachers' approach, empowering everyone  to learn from one another. 

2. Provide a thorough orientation

Following on from our point about aligning the new starter with the goals of the business, it’s important that their orientation is thorough. This should cover both the business’ wider values, but also more specifically, the expectations of their specific job role. 

By the end of their orientation, your new starter should be fully aware of the company’s mission and their place in it. 

3. Create an onboarding roadmap

For the benefit of both of you, it’s good practice to create a clear onboarding roadmap that details your new starter’s journey, outlining specific steps. Highlight any milestones and training modules, and remember to celebrate progress! This helps alleviate any uncertainty or anxiety they might be feeling going into the new role. 
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4. Provide role-specific training

Onboarding is not a one-size-fits all process, and there’s no point overloading a new starter with unnecessary information. Provide training that is specific to their role and responsibilities.
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5. Teach both soft and hard skills

Our CLO Helen Marshall has emphasised the importance of soft skills in this piece about how they are actually power skills. It’s important to acknowledge the place that both hard and soft skills have in the onboarding process. While the new starter learns all about the company’s systems, processes and procedures (if you’ve ever been a new starter in a retail job, you’ll remember the pain of trying to learn how to use the till while a customer stands in front of you), they should also be acquainted with the soft skills that are essential to the role. 

These are things like communication, customer interaction, and problem-solving. The likelihood is they already have a lot of these without necessarily recognising them as soft skills, but you can empower them to develop them further by designing specific training modules. 

Highlight the importance of these skills, and link them back to the ultimate outcome of customer satisfaction to drive home their relevance.
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6. Offer mentorship

As we’ve touched on several times already, starting somewhere new can be very daunting - especially when you’re trying your best not to set a foot wrong in front of your new coworkers and managers.

But if you assign a mentor or buddy, they can help smooth the process and allow the new starter to navigate their role with ease. The mentor should, of course, be knowledgeable about the business - but also provide a safe, judgement-free place for the new employee to ask questions and raise any concerns they might have. 
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7. Cultivate performance feedback that goes both ways

We don’t have to tell you twice about the importance of providing regular feedback to new starters. By regularly discussing the areas in which they’re excelling and those with room for improvement, you set them up for continued success.

But feedback goes both ways, and it’s essential that you also gather their thoughts on their onboarding and training process. What has worked for them? What hasn’t worked so well? This is invaluable data that you can collect and use for the next new starter, further refining the onboarding process every time. 
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8. Culture immersion

Onboarding goes beyond simply learning the basic tasks required of a new starter. 

Ingratiate new employees into the company culture through social events, team-building activities and meet-and-greet sessions. By getting to know their colleagues both inside and outside of work, they’ll feel welcomed and included. 
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9. Create a culture of continuous learning

Emphasise the importance of continuous learning, beyond the initial onboarding phase. Encourage employees to pursue skill development and provide opportunities for growth through workshops, courses and certifications. This benefits both you and the new starter; continuous learning means that employees are always up to speed, engaged and efficient - while feeling valued at work. 

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10. Utilise elearning platforms and digital resources

How do you keep track of all your learning materials when your workforce is deskless and possibly spread out across multiple shops?

Well, perhaps we’re biased - but we happen to think that an all-in-one learning platform is the perfect solution. 

Why not join the ranks of retail powerhouses like leading lingerie brand Ann Summers, who utilised THRIVE’s all-in-one learning platform for their deskless workforce of 10,000 learners? THRIVE’s easy and accessible mobile app was integral to their training process - meaning that any of their staff could access elearning anywhere, any time. 

Or what about high-end retailer Ted Baker, who ditched printed training materials in favour of a streamlined solution? They launched THRIVE as a part of their commitment to sustainability, going paperless with their training and generating 77% engagement for their workforce. 

Whether you’re looking to encourage social learning, keep track of your training materials, or simply get new starters up to speed as quickly as possible, THRIVE’s all-in-one learning platform makes it easy. Why not book a demo to see whether THRIVE could work for you?

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