The average person will spend a third of their life working. With that much of our lives wrapped up in serving others, creating or selling, we need to see the purpose in what we do. Students employees aren’t different. Splitting their time between school, work, friends and sports, they want to see or understand the ways they make a difference.
Topics: student employees, spotlight
Finding excellent seasonal employees is one of the greatest challenges college stores face. Bookstore jobs require intelligence, commitment and solid customer service skills. What’s the best way to attract good workers?
Each year MBS hires more than 500 temporary employees for rush. We sat down with MBS Vice President of Human Resources Jerome Rader to discuss recruiting tips and tricks — as well as potential red flags in the hiring process. With 27 years of MBS HR experience, Rader offers a wealth of expertise for college retailers.
College stores face an increasingly competitive market where student loyalty is hard to win. As students choose among competitors, it is vital to communicate what you offer that they cannot get outside vendors. That’s why we sat down with MBS Marketing Coordinator Abraham Dyer to discuss how college stores can identify and use their differentiators to drive more traffic into the store and ensure it remains a vital part of the campus ecosystem.
Topics: student employees, training
Gas stations and big-box stores aren’t the first things that come to mind when you think of employee satisfaction. Yet, that’s something QuickTrip, Costco and Trader Joe’s have in common.
Topics: student employees, Rush
Hiring for rush can be a trial. What you need and what you get can easily be two different things. You need competent, smart people with customer service skills that can manage the confused, impatient and frustrated students that throng the store in search of required titles. For many, though, the criteria you normally use to evaluate an employee goes by the wayside during rush. The sheer need for bodies to man the floor outweighs all other priorities. Still, the semester’s start is the best time to make the sort of impression on students that prompts return business. How can you ensure you have employees that will offer customers a positive experience?
Topics: retail management, student employees, management
It’s the time of year where goals start creeping into consciousness. We are evaluating the goals we fell short on this past year and establishing new benchmarks for next year. It is also around this time that the onslaught of articles come out about whether or not goal setting is even worthwhile. On one hand, goals can inspire employees to reach higher, but on the other, they can also become a hinderance and waste precious time.
As the spring rush season begins, we wanted to share a survival guide and checklist, setting you up for success this season. Good luck and welcome to spring 2017!
Topics: retail management, student employees, training
Preparedness is an essential trait of running a successful bookstore. The best way to make sure you’ll be ready from day one is to find a comprehensive training program that will enable your staff to provide a smoother customer experience, maximize your store’s organization and turn your employees from novices into experts. A direct correlation can be drawn between well-instructed training and store success.
Topics: college store stories, student employees
How many student workers do you employ in your store? At UC Davis Stores, they comprise a large part of the staff overall, with about 200 student workers to 40 full-time employees. Every department has students in supervisory or lead roles, and according to Director Jason Lorgan, they’re even the ones in charge on weekends.
One of the best things about this close-knit industry is the willingness of college stores to band together; to share ideas in the interest of helping others succeed. In fact, that’s the very concept that Foreword Online was founded upon.
Contact our editorial team to set up an interview or to contribute a guest post.
Customer Service
800-325-0530
cserv@mbsbooks.com
Order Processing
800-325-0577
As MBS’ signature publication, Foreword Online is dedicated to offering daily industry insight and cutting-edge news that keep college retailers ahead of the curve. Follow us on social media. Contact us with ideas and feedback. Subscribe for regular updates.
© MBS. All rights reserved.
