Social Media Screening in Retail

Retail accounts for a huge share in the US job market: roughly 12% of all jobs fall somewhere in the retail sector. As the bulk of these are often fairly low-risk, minimum-wage jobs, not much attention is paid to retaining employees in the long run, resulting in a separation rate of 58% in 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Companies looking to cut down on massive turnover costs may benefit from taking a closer look at how they’re investing in the vetting and onboarding process. Here’s what we mean:

Bad Hiring = Bad Management = High Turnover

The sources of such high turnover may be hiding in plain sight. According to a 2019 SHRM survey, the old adage, “people don’t quit a job, they quit a manager,” still rings true. Six out of ten people say that managers are the reason they quit their jobs, contributing to a national cost of $223 billion in turnover costs. That’s 60% of potential turnover that may be mitigated in part by more carefully vetting and training managers. By investing more in a smaller percentage of workers like middle and lower management tiers, retail companies may be able to create a ripple effect that benefits employees at the ground level. After all, a manager’s training is only as good as their character. Rounding out internal recruitment programs with a better, streamlined vetting process is a simple fix to a very widespread problem.

How can social media screening help?

Social media background checks can reveal behavior that contributes to a toxic work environment or is not in line with an organization’s values. With a candidate’s consent, social media hiring reports take a closer look at their online presence. Although they will likely put their best foot forward in an interview, an applicant’s social media can shed light on other aspects of their true character.

It is vital for any retail employee to set an example for their coworkers as well as their customers, especially managers who are responsible for upholding and implementing company policies and values. Social media hiring reports can help ensure that bad hires are properly weeded out, whether that’s at the door or upon evaluation for promotion. Our reports identify individuals who exhibit behaviors that may lead to workplace safety issues such as violence, sexual harassment, and substance abuse. For a high-turnover sector like the retail industry that values efficient onboarding processes, this can be an effective way to invest in employees with upward potential by giving hiring managers the tools they need to make the most informed decisions possible. Social media screening can add a simple, effective layer of review that can potentially catch more everyday issues (like those that lead to toxic workplace behavior) without bogging down the hiring or promotion process.