As seasonal hiring starts to ramp up, we wondered: what does it take to find the successful Sales Advisors and Brand Ambassadors who drive our business? We sat down with Interactions’ Senior Recruiter Fred Castro to find out.
RNI: What’s the process for hiring front-line associates, particularly during the holiday ramp up?
Castro: At some locations, we could need to add up to 10 or 15 additional associates to help cover extra events during the holidays. So we post on various job boards, then funnel the responses from those ads back to the managers to conduct interviews. We’re also always happy to get referrals from current associates. In the first six months of this year, 37% of our new hires came from referrals.
RNI: What are you looking for when you hire a new Sales Advisor or Brand Ambassador?
Castro: We’re looking for someone who, when you first talk to them during a phone interview, they’re upbeat and interactive. They answer questions without much hesitation and genuinely like talking to people. The person we want out there on the sales floor—they’re making eye contact, they’re interacting with shoppers and answering questions. Of course, there are also the practical things. We’re looking for someone who can be on their feet for 6 hours a day. We run events 7 days a week, so we also need people available both during the week and on the weekends.
RNI: Recruiting is a two-way street. Why should people want to work for Interactions?
Castro: The part-time world is very competitive right now. We know people have choices, so we offer competitive pay and a flexible schedule. There’s also opportunity for growth, if that’s what someone is looking for. If an associate is interested in moving up the chain to become a shift supervisor or a manager, they should talk to their manager about working toward that. We want to promote from within and foster the talent we have. It’s better for us—and for our clients.