Hiring and training new employees can take away precious time from those poised with the task of finding help.
Especially if your establishment has high employee turnover, managers could be spending more time trying to hire and train new help rather than on their other day-to-day tasks.
Implementing smart and effective human resources (HR) practices can help keep your employees happy and discourage them from going elsewhere. Retailers such as PUMA and GIANT Foods have recently made headlines for excellence in their HR practices.
Top Employers Institute released their 2025 Top Employers and these retailers are among those who are leading the way in setting the standard for excellent HR practices across the globe in 2025.
Exemplary HR Initiatives
According to Jake Canull, regional director, Top Employers Institute, PUMA and GIANT Foods have shown exemplary initiatives across six best practices categories, including:
- Business strategy and leadership
- Work environment and talent acquisition
- Career development and learning
- Engagement and recognition
- Purpose/values and inclusion
“Top Employer Institute surveyed over 2,400 organizations’ HR processes globally and certified both PUMA and GIANT Foods as Top Employers for 2025 in the USA based on their results across the above best practices,” Canull says.
To keep employees happy, Canull suggests that retailers implement the following HR practices:
Onboarding Programs
Implementing onboarding processes helps new employees integrate. This is especially important in the retail industry where there are often many different locations and regulations across states in addition to having a very diverse workforce. Having a set onboarding process will aid in a better understanding of the company culture and roles.
Career Development/Training and Development
Offering ongoing training opportunities ensures that employees remain competent in their roles and feel valued. This also allows for a process/plan where employees can see how their performance is going, and how they can add to their skill set to reach new opportunities for promotions or other positions.
HR Practices No-No’s
While Canull offers some advice for the types of practices retailers should implement, he also warns against some HR no-no’s for businesses to stay away from, including:
- Lacking Employee Feedback. Organizations that don’t take employee feedback into consideration can lead to disengagement and high turnover.
- Lack of Training. Insufficient training can result in underperformance and frustration from executives and employees alike. This is especially true in retail where there are many different types of employees who will need to have a standard training program set up.
- Lack of Recognition. Not instituting some sort of reward or appreciation program can diminish motivation and loyalty. This doesn’t need to be massive bonuses, but even simple “employee of the month” types of recognition or other small gestures are highly appreciated.
