Is training strategic or operational?
Many people don’t consider charity retail training as strategic; it tends to be grouped within the category of legal compliance or operational necessity. However, developing people within charity retail can be highly strategic because if done correctly it brings considerable long-term benefits.
Unlike shop managers within mainstream retailers, charity shop managers need a broader range of skills, and these skills need development. It is recognised that the biggest single difference in any charity shop performance is the shop manager. This is because of the broad range of capabilities and skills a charity shop manager requires especially the commercial autonomy charity shop managers have. With that in mind it is strange then that developing shop managers commercial skills is not a priority for most charities. In fact, far greater investments are made in EPOS, expensive shop fits, and in shop technology than strategically developing the capabilities of the shop managers.
While compulsory training for charity retail shop managers is completed to a good level because of legal compliance or operational necessity it is not strategic. It is when training is a integrated part of a retail strategy, with a plan to make their shop managers their competitive advantage over the competition.
The supporting evidence that suggests that most charities do not invest enough in the training and development of their retail teams is the research carried out in 2019 by Charity Finance. It stated that 9% of charities (from their sample of 71) spend less than £20 per staff member per year on training. Whilst this data is old, not much has changed.
Those charities that embed commercial training and development of the shop managers as part for their charity retail strategy will be most likely to be successful in the future.
How do you make training strategic?
- Plan high quality off the job commercial training for the whole retail team that is measurable in its financial outcomes.
- Give the most skilled Shop Manager additional off the job commercial and carryout ‘train the trainer’ training so they can take responsibility for inducting all new recruits.
- Plan for all new recruits to have high quality off the job commercial training that is measurable in its outcomes as part of their induction.
- Plan yearly upskilling refresher commercial training for the whole retail team.
About Skyline
Skyline offer a full range of commercial training designed for shop management, field management and retail leaders that is proven to deliver results.
We have been awarded the prestigious GLOBAL EXCELLENCE AWARD for the best Specialist Charity Retail Training Business 2022 and 2023. This award is not a ‘mates award’ it is only awarded after extensive research by interdependent researchers. It is little surprise therefore that our clients over the past 8 years rate our training as exceptional.
