How to manage Generation Y

1. Set Clear Expectations. Let them know the rules about dress code, work hours, and use of technology.
2. Offer Flexibility. If Generation Y's don't feel like they can balance their work and personal lives, they will leave quickly.
3. Leverage their Strengths. Generation Y's enter the workforce excited, passionate and with lots of great ideas. If you can find a way to utilize their skills and channel their energy, you will experience productive results.
4. Show them Respect. Resist the urge to brush them off because of their age and show them the respect everyone deserves.
5. Communicate. Be proactive and establish communication guidelines early in the relationship. This will help to avoid mis-communications down the road.

Top ten ways to get promoted

1. Do your job well. You need to excell in your current role and do much more to climb the corporate ladderr.

2. Get noticed. Find ways to get in front of senior people in ways that display your good qualities and makes your memorable.

3. Volunteer. Take on additional responsibilities both inside and outside your department. This shows your willing to get involved and gets you noticed.

4. Discuss your ambitions with your manager. Make sure your boss and your boss's boss know you want to get promoted. You can do this in a quite and professional way. Do not threaten or demand. Have a discussion where you ask the question, "What do I have to do to get promoted?" Develop a plan.

5. Work well with people. Find ways to work effectively with other people and your more likely to be seen as management material.

6. Contribute ideas. Make positive, constructive suggestions for how things could be done better. It will single that you are someone that can think about bigger issues. It show that you welcome rather than fear change.

7 If your cannot move up, move across. Move across to different area of the business at the same level so you can learn new skills and make new contacts.

8. Have a plan. Sets goals for yourself and measure progress against them. If you need to acquire skills or more education, in order to advance, then make plans to do so. If your turned down for a promotion, ask why. If you cannot meet your goals at your current organization then look elsewhere.

9. Get a mentor. Mentors can be great sources for information and career guidance as well as spread the good word about you.

10. Create a career opportunity. After studying the needs and challenges of an organization, if you see an area that has been neglected write a proposal for the position.

How to Prevent Shrink

Shrink accounts for millions of dollars of loss to company profits every year. Shrink or the amount of product or "missing deposits" is mostly caused by employees and is also caused by customers who steal from you. Below is are ways to control both.

Internal theft

• Recovered Store ( Helps increase sales and deters theft because the thief knows you're walking the store and are not an easy target.


• Keep an eye on refunds ( Best Practice call customer and check if they actually did a refund)


• Watch Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Daily (ex: openings/closings/refunds/aborted transactions/ are employees taking bags out a night are they letting merchandise out the door for their best friends and family.)


• Keep an eye on your inventory to see if it is building ( causes of inventory build are employee's not scanning merchandise, letting merchandise out the door)


• Always do your pick-ups on a timely manner in order to keep your till levels low so a potential robber doesn't get much if he does decide to rob you.


• Are employee's average basket size below the store's average (Best practice highlight employee's who are below store average, highlight and box if 50 cents or more below store average and and have at least 50 customers


• Are employee's price checking within a transaction again this could be sliding merchandise.


• Train employee's on Bob, Lisa, and Sal ( Bottom of basket, Look inside Aways, and Scan and Look) This will prevent customers from trying to sneak merchandise out the store
• Best Practice- Perform night watches and look for employees taking merchandise out of the store after closing. Do they have a receipt?

External

• Appearance- clothes that are out of season ex: layered and baggy clothes during summer might be usede to conceal merchandise
• Behavior- odd behavior ie looking over shoulder, staying in one section of the store for long periods of time, catching them tucking in shirt

Tips

• Always have at least two people in store at all times preferably 3 or 4 if you can afford it.
• Take two deposits a day in order to keep cash low
• If your finding empty hangers or cartons you are getting ripped off
• Hire the right people (more on this in a future article)