‘For the retail jobs market, this is the calm before the storm’
Monday was meant to herald England’s so-called ‘Freedom Day’, initially planned for 21 June but now delayed until 19 July at the earliest.
It’s another blow for businesses operating in the consumer industries that rely on high levels of footfall to turn a profit. However, if the measures avoid a harsher lockdown later in the year then I suspect most business leaders will accept them as a necessity.
‘For the retail jobs market, this is the calm before the storm’
Monday was meant to herald England’s so-called ‘Freedom Day’, initially planned for 21 June but now delayed until 19 July at the earliest.
It’s another blow for businesses operating in the consumer industries that rely on high levels of footfall to turn a profit. However, if the measures avoid a harsher lockdown later in the year then I suspect most business leaders will accept them as a necessity.
Move of the Week: Waitrose recruits outside partnership for top retail role
Waitrose’s appointment of the Co-op’s Tina Mitchell as its new retail director is significant for a number of reasons. Firstly, it marks the first time Waitrose has recruited the important role from outside of the partnership having historically promoted from within. It’s also one of the grocery industry’s most coveted positions, setting the shop strategy for the retailer with arguably the most premium positioning among mainstream supermarket chains.
Move of the Week: John Lewis fills gaps at the top to face post-Covid balancing act
I’ve noted before how the leadership teams that took retailers into the pandemic will not be the same as those that lead their recovery. This is especially true of retailers most disrupted by Covid-19 – specifically those whose heritage is in stores and who sell discretionary items likes homewares and fashion.
Move of the Week: Marks & Spencer takes big leap forward in its leadership team
The promotions of Stuart Machin and Katie Bickerstaffe announced this week mark a significant step in the evolution of the M&S leadership team
The pair have been named as joint chief operating officers, reporting to chief executive Steve Rowe. In practice, this will see Machin and Bickerstaffe share responsibility for running the day-to-day business leaving Rowe free to concentrate on developing the strategy he hopes will lead the retailer to future growth.
‘As the jobs market reopens, be ready to seize opportunities’
For the four million people who work in British retail the past 12 months has, almost without exception, been extremely challenging. Whether you’ve been stretched to your limit working for an essential retailer or faced with the uncertainty of being furloughed, I would wager it’s not an experience many would wish to repeat.
What do psychometric tests measure?
There are many traits that make up the perfect candidate for an executive position in your company. Experience and expert knowledge are crucial, but there are other, less overt, traits which are a little more difficult to measure during the hiring process.
Corporate talent acquisition explained
Your business deserves the best. In a world where competition is constantly growing from every angle, sourcing and securing the finest talent in your industry is both more important and more challenging than ever. This is where corporate talent acquisition can make a real difference.
Move of the Week: Dixons’ sustainability hire is a sign of the changing times
Dixons Carphone’s recruitment of Moira Thomas to lead a new sustainability drive could hardly have been better timed. A matter of hours after Thomas’s appointment was announced, the UK government was committing to a world-leading target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.
‘As the way we work changes forever, let’s not forget the value of office life’
When John Lewis Partnership chairman Sharon White wrote in a recent letter to partners that “difficult decisions taken now will hopefully set the course for those next generations” she was referring to the rebalancing of the business’s operations from store-based to digital channels.
‘Retail leaders face the task of reuniting furloughed and non-furloughed staff’
The government’s furlough scheme has been a lifeline for many retailers forced to cease or limit trading during the coronavirus pandemic.
ONS data shows that the number of people on furlough peaked at just under 9 million last spring and of those whose wages were being subsidised by the state 1.85 million worked in the retail and wholesale sectors alone.