Lesson 3: Staffing

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Lesson 3 Staffing
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Objectives

• Explain how staffing decisions are affected by
  customer satisfaction and wait time
• List common problems associated with under- and
  over-staffing
• Describe the qualities of a good employee
• Calculate employee wages and take home pay
• Explain ways a store can be staffed for maximum
  profit

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1. How Many Employees Do I Need?

• Goal Establish a staffing level that is not too
  light, nor too heavy to maximize efficiency
• Depends on
• Size of store
• Customer traffic patterns
• Hours of operation
• Staffing the assignment of workers to jobs
  within the business
• Staffing Level - of workers assigned to jobs at
  a particular time

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2. Understaffing

• When there is not enough staff to handle the
  customers
• Results in
• Long lines at the cash register
• Not enough sales associates to help customers
• Loss of inventory (people stealing)
• Poor stock maintenance
• Likely outcome
• People leave without making a purchase
• People dont return to the store

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3. Overstaffing

• Too many staff members in the store for the
  customer traffic
• EXPENSIVE!
• The business is paying for unneeded staff
• UNPRODUCTIVE
• Can lead to lack of motivation in employees
• Part-time workers often hired for peak customer
  traffic

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4. Finding Employees

• Classifieds (want ads) in newspaper, online
• In-store advertising sign in the store
• Referral word of mouth
• Job fair
• Your business website
• Employment agencies

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5. What Makes a Good Employee?

• Reliability performing assigned tasks
• Punctuality showing up on time
• Attitude displaying a positive outlook,
  willingness to work with others, accept direction
• Honesty integrity
• Manners being polite
• Appearance good hygiene, neat appearance
• Communication skills speaking and listening
  well
• Work ethic hard working and diligent

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6. The Hiring Process

• 1. Screening candidates - Reviewing and verifying
  job applications
• 2. Interviewing best candidates
• 3. Making a job offer

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7. Evaluating Potential Employees

• TWO major forms of evaluation
• Job application
• Education, previous work experience, references
• Look for neatness and completeness of the app.
• MUST BE COMPLETED IN PEN!
• Job interview
• Communication skills, appearance, punctuality,
  manners, attitude
• ALWAYS contact references

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8. Tips for the Job Interview

• Dress appropriately
• Arrive 15 minutes prior to your interview
• Arrive alone
• When the interview is over, GO HOME
• Do not take your cell phone into the interview
• No chewing gum!
• Omit um and like from your responses
• Prepare 2-3 questions to ask the company to show
  that you are genuinely interested in the position
• Send a thank-you note after the interview

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9. Hiring Employees

• Be certain the candidate fully understands
• Job description
• Required job tasks
• Job responsibilities
• Wages
• Number of hours to be worked
• Mutually agreed upon start date

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10. Worker Protection Laws

• Fair Labor Standards Act
• Determines child labor laws, minimum wage,
  establishes 40-hour work week and overtime pay
• OSHA Occupational Safety and Health
  Administration
• Make sure all employees are entitled to have a
  safe place to work and that working conditions
  will not negatively impact their health

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• American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
• Requires business with 15 employees to
  moderately accommodate the needs of employees
  with disabilities, even if the firm does not
  currently have disabled employees
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• May not discriminate against protected classes in
  hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, benefits,
  training, etc.
• Protected classes race/color, national origin,
  age, disability, gender, pregnancy, or religion
• EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• Gov. agency established to enforce the Civil
  Rights Act
• Drug additions / homosexuality are not considered
  disability

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Duties Owed to Employer by the Employee

• 1. Duty of obedience
• -Must obey reasonable orders
• 2. Duty of honesty and integrity
• -Must act in an ethical manner and look out for
  the employers best interest
• 3. Duty of reasonable skill
• -Must possess minimum requirements to perform
  job
• 4. Duty of reasonable performance
• - Must be able to perform tasks in a set time
  and manner

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Duties Owed to the Employee by the Employer

• 1. Duty of reasonable treatment
• 2. Payroll Deductions
• 3. Duty of safe working conditions (dictated by
  OSHA)

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Breach of Duties

• If an employee habitually does not provide the 4
  specific duties, he/she may be terminated for
  cause
• If an employer does not provide the duties
  specified, the employee may quit without further
  contractual obligations

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Employment Length

• Can be hired until a specified date
• Ie seasonal hiring, Dorney Park, etc.
• Can be hired at will
• Employee can be fired or quit without any notice
• Most employment
• If an employee decides to quit, the professional
  courtesy is providing the employer with at least
  2 weeks notice

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15. Key Math Concepts

• Wages per Week
• Hourly wage X Hours worked
• Average Customer Wait Time (in line while
  checking out)
• 90 seconds X Customers in Line