Share:

If you are entering the new year hoping to find a new job, you are not alone. While there may be a plethora of reasons that employees leave their jobs, there seems to be an overall trend of workers resigning and looking for new jobs all over the country. Dubbed the “Great Resignation,” there are a record number of workers leaving their employers with no end in sight. 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November 2021 alone, a record high, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number is expected to continue to rise, and at the same time, the number of hires has also increased over the past year, leaving workers confident that they can leave their positions in pursuit of something better. An environment that allows job seekers to be in the driver’s seat has been created, allowing more room to negotiate salaries and benefits and to be more selective with what companies they choose to work for. It is a job seeker’s market and it is expected to continue well into 2022. Couple this shift in the job market with the booming retail and e-commerce industry, and you get a huge opportunity for retail workers.

With so much new talent entering the workforce, companies are forced to examine what they can offer candidates that other companies cannot. Businesses must make sure that they are doing enough to attract and retain employees, whether that means expanding benefits, adding new perks, allowing more flexibility, or increasing salaries. This means that job seekers can and should seek out the opportunities that will work best for them based on their own unique needs. Retail positions can be traditionally pretty inflexible, with many workers having to work weekends and holidays without much say in the matter. If certain holidays are important to you or you need weekends off, there is more room than ever before to negotiate with employers so that you can be and stay happy in your role. Whatever it takes to set you up for success, you should ask for! If a company can’t offer it to you, chances are another one will.

As companies try to provide any benefits or perks that they can to give them an edge over their competitors, it is important for job seekers to pay close attention to what a prospective employer is offering. Many companies will put a strong emphasis on the perks that the company offers, such as company happy hours, pool tables in the break room, or free lunch. While these perks can be a great incentive for employees, they don’t always reflect how positive the work environment and culture will truly be. Look past some of the surface-level perks and seek to understand what the company’s culture is like, how they proactively address work-life balance and employee burnout, and any other important issues that haven’t been addressed. It’s crucial to pay close attention to benefits over perks and to understand the difference. In a time where we are facing a global pandemic, benefits such as health care, childcare, and paid time off are higher priorities than they were before covid, and sometimes even more important than salary for job seekers.

The retail industry is booming and the rise of e-commerce is not expected to slow down any time soon, and companies must keep up with the demand, which means bringing on more front-of-house staff, warehouse workers, management level employees, and more. In order to do so, they must offer attractive pay and benefits packages. Many employees who started remote work in the beginning of the pandemic have realized that they are happier doing so, causing employers to reevaluate which employees are actually needed in person and which ones aren’t. Remote work is a trend that will continue into 2022 and is a benefit that many job seekers will search for. Even offering employees one or two remote work days a week can be an attractive benefit to make a candidate consider one company over another. Not only does remote work provide more flexibility for workers, but it can also eliminate the obstacle of relocating for a job for positions that are fully remote.

Although we are still very much in the middle of a pandemic, it is very encouraging that the job market has improved significantly over the last year. Unemployment rates have gone down, more jobs have been created and employees are feeling overall more optimistic about their job prospects. Job seekers are definitely in the driver’s seat now, and it is a great time to be searching for a new position. Whether you are just entering the workforce, looking to switch career paths or simply want to find a position where you can make more money and have more comprehensive benefits, there has never been a better time. Workers have more room than ever to negotiate with employers in order to prioritize the things that really matter to them and will keep them satisfied in their roles. Employers everywhere are being forced to take a magnifying glass to their organizations and the way that they attract and retain talent. It is very competitive for major retailers looking to hire all different sorts of staff, so they have no choice but to offer the benefits, perks, and salaries that job seekers are looking for. If you are in the market for a new job, start your search today on AllRetailJobs.com, where new positions are posted daily by top employers!