The selection of a new employee consists of steps for HR managers involved in the hiring process. Managers of a particular department will ultimately have the final say in who is hired for their opening “but the role of human resource management is to define and guide managers in this process.”^[1] After the initial issuance of a job vacancy posting and recruitment process, retail managers will begin the process of selecting an employee or employees for the vacant positions within their retail store to which they wish to interview. “Proper selection of personnel constitutes a frequent challenge for the management of many enterprises.”^[2] Selection and training techniques used to develop qualified candidates will assist HR management with this process.

Assessment

Once HR has accumulated enough resumes they will review them and assess who the best candidates are for selection. Interviewing and test administering are preliminary steps in the assessment process. Prior to the face-to-face interview, an assessment of screening questions can be conducted via phone or email. Having a list of basic screening questions to ask gives HR the ability to make determining factors about a candidate’s skills prior to spending the valuable time which is required to interview them. This can potentially reduce the list of candidates who meet the minimal requirements which makes the scope of the interviewing process less complicated.

Testing potential new-hires might be one of the evaluations HR could require. Numerous types of testing can be conducted when determining a candidate’s qualifications. Some of the types of tests used in a retail environment for assessment are universal tests that all applicants must take such as drug tests. Other types of tests conducted can be exclusive to the particular job position a candidate is applying for.

GMetrix is one type of software used by HR management when testing potential administrative applicants.  For jobs such as warehouse personnel there may be a physical requirement to which HR management may perform testing. Depending on the sensitive nature and responsibilities of the position, background and credit checks are also a means of measuring if a potential individual is a fit for a particular retail position.

Onboarding

Once a prospective employee has been recruited and HR has made the decision to hire them, the process of onboarding begins. Onboarding is the transition new employees make into an organization. For HR management this may consist of an array of exercises from extending an offer of employment and defining compensation and benefits, to an initial welcoming and new employee orientation. “The content of onboarding should align with the interests and learning objectives of the participants. Consider not only whether the activities associated with the new hire acclimation process adequately prepare new employees to be productive and engaged, but also whether the delivery method complements the learning mode of the people hired.”^[3] Providing a positive onboarding experience that properly prepares new talent and outlines job expectations can prevent retail companies from having high turnover rates. When employees are left to figure out procedures and goals on their own productivity takes more time which costs the retail store more money.