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Anjali Prayag

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Bangalore Feb. 23 Motivating frontline sales staff and restraining exits are two of the biggest challenges facing the retail sector today.

"People in the frontline are key to the brand's success," says Mr Sandeep Kulhalli, Business Head, Retailing Services Group, Titan Industries. The company is in the fourth year of its `Face of Titan' initiative for sales staff, covering customer relationship officers, store managers and service receptionists. The programme assesses and recognises the performance of over 1,200 frontline staff employed in 213 stores across 113 cities.

Curbing attrition is a pressing need in the retail sector that's witnessing 80-85 per cent frontline employee turnover. "The programme has helped us here. In fact, last year, among our regional finalists, numbering about 150, we saw attrition dive down to about 12 per cent," according to Mr Kulhalli. Normally, Titan witnesses a frontline staff attrition rate of 40 per cent in the metros and about 35 per cent in non-metros. This apart, the contest has also yielded direct benefits such as increase in average ticket size in the stores by about 35 per cent. The programme runs on customised software to ensure speed, accuracy, fairness and transparency in the evaluation process. Titan has real time access to database, training need analysis, talent pool, store and staff performance card. "The assessment also helps us weed out poor performers, perhaps place them in other roles and in capability building," says Mr Kulhalli. The current programme, kicked off in January, is expected to conclude in June.

More Stories on : Human Resources | Retailing | Watches & Accessories

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