• Home
  • Blog
    • Resources
    • Business Partner Magazine Archive
  • About Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Website Use
  • Contacts

Business Partner Magazine

Tips and advice for entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs

  • Business Success
  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Employees
  • Technology
  • Start-up
  • Productivity
  • Communication

Is the Retail Industry Taking Steps to Reduce Unemployment?

May 29, 2019 by Contributed Post

Click here to get this post in PDF

Too long to read? Enter your email to download this post as a PDF. We will also send you our best business tips every 2 weeks in our newsletter. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Enter your NameEnter your Email Address
Shirts and suits in retail store

Everyone knows that unemployment is an issue here in the UK. Fewer people out of work means fewer people claiming job seekers allowance and a rise in overall disposable income, both advantages for the state of the economy. With the closure of high street stores set to continue in 2019, and retail workers facing the highest levels of unemployment, it’s important that successful retailers do what they can do reduce unemployment in the industry — but how?

Working with a disability

Last year, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work launched a campaign to encourage disabled people to enter the workforce. It is called the “Disability Confident” employer scheme which provides employers with the skills, examples and confidence to recruit and develop disabled employees.

Interestingly, the government has an objective to welcome one million more people with disabilities to the workplace in the next eight years. By looking at the Disability Confident list of employers that have signed up, we can see that branches of big names such as Asda, Barclays, and B&M Bargains are all committed.

Greater diversity

FTSE 100 retailers are doing well when it comes to improving gender diversity in the workplace. Retailers should focus on broadening their selection process when it comes to the recruitment process. This can ensure that those who’ve lost a job in a retail position face equal opportunity when it comes to finding a new role. 

If the workplace is more diverse, you grow as a business. Ultimately, when a workforce is representative of a customer base, it can lead to a better understanding of the target market and an improvement in business performance.

Working with local and national charities

To aid those who can’t find work, brands should be looking at working with charities when they can. Partnering with a disabled or mental health charity, for example, can help you reach those who are out of work because of a disability or health issue and encourage them to apply.

Navy suits retailer, Charles Tyrwhitt is doing this already. This company has a long-standing partnership with the Prince’s Trust which involves fundraising and a mutually beneficial relationship. This charity works closely with vulnerable young people who need a helping hand to get their lives back on track. Like many retailers that The Trust works with, CT Shirts took advantage of one of their “Get Hired” days — a day of greetings and interviews with young people who have been through The Prince’s Trust Programmes to get to know some potential employees.

The right kind of training

An important consideration to make is whether retail employees should be trained in other areas of the business too. Or at least should their knowledge of the company and its products or services be valued so that they are given the opportunity to progress in another area of the business after redundancy? There are advantages and disadvantages to this idea, but it’s certainly something for retailers to think about before making mass redundancies across the business. Cross-discipline training can also encourage more loyal employees and therefore those who are more invested in the performance of the retail business as a whole.

You may also like: Employing Someone With A Disability: What You Should Know

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/27/retail-workers-facing-high-unemployment-thinktank-finds

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/21/over-23000-shops-and-175000-high-street-jobs-predicted-to-go-in-2019

https://www.burton-sweet.co.uk/retailers-encouraged-to-employ-more-disabled-workers/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-confident-employers-that-have-signed-up https://www.ctshirts.com/uk/princes-trust-interview.html

Filed Under: Business Success, Employees Tagged With: business success, Disability, diversity, employees, Training

Trackbacks

  1. High Street Retailers Continue to Face Difficulties - Business Partner Magazine says:
    January 30, 2020 at 1:46 pm

    […] You may also: Is the Retail Industry Taking Steps to Reduce Unemployment? […]

  2. How to Deal with Unemployment Claims - Business Partner Magazine says:
    December 25, 2020 at 6:58 pm

    […] You may also like: Is the Retail Industry Taking Steps to Reduce Unemployment? […]

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Disclosure

We earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.

Recent Posts

  • Wealth-Arbitrage Review: Grow Your Trading Career In 2023
  • How to Perform an SEO Audit in 2023: Your Complete Guide
  • How Does One Become a Successful Accountant in the City of Manchester?
  • What Factors Do You Need to Pay Attention to When Using a Wix Promo Code?
  • What is Ripple XRP Cryptocurrency and What Troubles Does It Have with the SEC?

Categories

Archives

Digital Marketing Agency

ReachMore Banner

Tags

Accounting apps bitcoin brand business growth business skills business success communication cryptocurrency Customer Service Data design ecommerce Efficiency employees Featured Article finance finances Health and Safety infographic insurance Investing investment legal legal services legal tips Management Marketing marketing strategy Outsourcing productivity property Real estate sales security SEO Social Media software starting a business startup Technology Trading Training website workplace

Disclosure

We earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.

Digital Marketing Agency

ReachMore Banner

Business Partner Magazine

Business Partner Magazine provides business tips for small business owners (SME). We are your business partner helping you on your road to business success.

Have a look around the site to discover a wealth of business-focused content.

Here’s to your business success!

Copyright © 2023 - Business Partner Magazine·