Increasingly intense and sustained competition in our market is shifting the landscape in which co-ops operate, putting a premium on certain key competencies and skills in management. At the same time, other factors are making the GM job more complex and demanding, including: pressure on prices and margin, increasing costs of real estate and development, and calls for a living wage at a time [...]
Natural foods purveyors often have an ethos to maintain as fair a workplace as possible--but it's important to make a distinction between what's fair and what's equitable. Look at any report on what kills employee motivation and engagement, and you are sure to see something about managers treating employees unfairly. Natural foods purveyors often have an ethos to maintain as fair a workplace as [...]
By Sarah Dahl, Melanie Reid 180 Sept-Oct 2015 The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, or FLSA, is a federal statute that provides certain protections to workers. These protections include the 40-hour work week, a national minimum wage, and non-oppressive employment of minors. Additionally, the FLSA guarantees time-and-a-half pay for overtime in certain jobs. The FLSA allows employers to classify certain employees as [...]
GM Retirement Planning Best Practices, or How to Retire Gracefully When a general manager (GM) is planning to retire, (as opposed to leaving the co-op for another job), the specific date of departure is flexible and known well in advance. The outgoing GM's legacy will be affected by how s/he handles the transition. Timing Once you decide to take the leap, let your management [...]
By Sarah Dahl 180 Sept-Oct 2015 There are two commonly seen staffing problems in co-ops that may at first seem unrelated: At Co-op A, sales had been declining for the last few years. Personnel costs, unfortunately, had not been declining, leaving the co-op in a tough position. The finance manager, who had been with the co-op for the last 15 years, decided it was [...]
Extensive research on job interviews shows that structured interviews are more accurate than unstructured ones in predicting which applicants will make good employees. By “structured,” researchers mean that the interviewer uses a consistent format with all candidates, asking the same questions in the same order. Extensive research on job interviews shows that structured interviews are more accurate than unstructured ones in predicting which applicants [...]
Your new store will have a bigger deli, more parking and a better floor plan. But will it have the staffing to support bigger and better operations? You will have a strong staffing plan to match your expansion plan if you remember a few key guidelines: First and most importantly, everyone has to be clear on where the organization is going and why, in [...]
Look anywhere on the internet and you’ll find all kinds statistics on the high cost of turnover. However, not all turnover is unwanted. Despite your best efforts, sometimes bad hires are made, or performance drops off. But what about those staff you don’t want to see leave for greener pastures? While there is lots of general advice around for how to keep employees happy, [...]
Every employer should be thinking about strategies to stay connected to your workforce. By taking opportunities to engage your employees, you help to ensure they will stay with your business for the long-term. What if you asked your employees how to make your workplace better? What if you knew what they hoped to accomplish in their work with your company? Imagine the possibilities! Group [...]
