Introduction
Store Managers Are Running on Empty!
A recent survey conducted among store managers and directors revealed an alarming statistic: 82% of managers say they don’t have enough time to fully carry out their role. Trapped in a daily routine dominated by operational tasks they rarely delegate, they are forced to sacrifice essential activities such as team training, fostering group cohesion, and performance analysis.
The result? Endless working hours, constant stress, and a glaring lack of recognition from upper management. This unbalanced workload doesn’t just exhaust managers—it also impacts their teams, leading to reduced productivity, lower customer satisfaction, and declining store performance.
For many employees, a management position is more of a burden than an aspiration. Requests for demotions are increasing, and some employees flat-out refuse to step into managerial roles. A paradox in a sector where career progression should be a key motivator.
So, how can we make management appealing again?
How can we ensure that managers reclaim their role as “conductors” rather than being “human sandwiches,” squeezed between hierarchical pressure and team expectations?
This is where solutions like TimeSkipper and SKIILL come into play, offering the tools needed to turn this challenge into an opportunity.
I) The Current Challenges of Managers
The role of a manager in the retail sector has never been so complex. In a sector that is constantly changing, managers have to rise to the daily challenges while meeting expectations that are sometimes contradictory.
Staff turnover is one of the most pressing issues, and with a rate of up to 40% in some chains, retaining talent or keeping a permanent team is a major concern. Young professionals, in particular, often shun management positions, which are considered too demanding in terms of working hours, physical exertion and contact with customers. Blame it on the tertiarisation of the economy, you might say. Young people trained at school no longer necessarily want to do a potentially arduous job with little recognition. But it’s not just a question of youth. The retail sector is no longer necessarily the stuff of dreams. The thirty glorious years are long gone, and with them the hopes raised by this new consumer model.
This disaffection with the job of manager is also accompanied by a feeling of loneliness. Many managers are caught between the expectations of top management and those of their teams, without always having the necessary support. For example, a manager may find himself responsible for achieving a sales figure and have difficulty finding additional staff to help him achieve it.
Another major obstacle is the lack of time they have to carry out their real tasks. Many of them find themselves ‘pitching in’ to make up for absences or staff shortages, whether permanent or occasional. This additional workload prevents them from concentrating on their managerial tasks, such as organising work, leading and training their teams or analysing the performance of their department. This was confirmed in our survey, in which 80% of managers felt that they did not spend enough time on their managerial duties.
To make matters more challenging, the need for training and recruitment is growing all the time. While the retail sector demands a high degree of adaptability, training opportunities for managers are all too often inadequate. Better preparation could reduce common mistakes and strengthen their ability to manage team organisation and conflict situations effectively, because yes, you managing a team should be learned!
II) Solutions to make managers want to be managers again
Faced with these many challenges, there are several possible solutions.
Rethinking managers’ workloads is a priority. By refocusing their missions on their managerial tasks and deploying appropriate workload planning tools, it is possible to reduce their mental and operational overload. Tools such as TimeSkipper stand out from the crowd by offering solutions for planning, optimising and monitoring team workloads.
TimeSkipper helps managers plan the next day’s workload. At a glance, they know who will have to do what at what time for how long, taking into account the shop’s priorities and specific features, as well as the skills of their staff. So planning for the next day is no longer a headache. What’s more, they can quickly see the room for manoeuvre at their disposal by identifying hours that have been poorly used. In this way, regularly postponed tasks that are often linked to customer irritants have time to be completed. Finally, the manager no longer has to worry about the day-to-day hazards of absences or logistical problems. The workload schedule regenerates automatically, making it easy to cope with last-minute changes.
In addition, TimeSkipper provides performance indicators that can be tracked, enabling managers to make reorganisation decisions quickly, and time is no longer wasted. Finally, by adjusting the workload fairly and providing a transparent view of the workload, TimeSkipper encourages employees to take responsibility, so that they better understand what is expected of them and their contribution to the team.
Better organisation, delegation and empowerment of teams also give managers more time to devote to coaching and training. However, delegation and empowerment do not mean no control. Trust and control are the winning combination for the manager! Because yes, trust does not exclude keeping a watchful eye. Controlling is much more than a simple check: it’s a key component of the manager’s role. It enables them to ensure that each member of staff is moving in the right direction, by assessing not only what has been done, but also the time and resources deployed to achieve it.
In short, the manager assesses the appropriate allocation of resources to achieve the desired results, which is his or her main function.
But let’s be careful. It’s true that you have to control, but you mustn’t do it in the cold, distant way of overly prescriptive management. You need to exchange ideas and work together to understand how your teams work!
Taking the time to understand how everyone does things, sharing best practice, identifying areas for improvement and, why not, adjusting your own strategy – this is what nurtures sustainable performance and a strong, stimulating managerial dynamic. Indeed, it is by giving employees a sense of responsibility, by involving them directly in the decisions and results of their work, that we strengthen their commitment and their feeling of belonging to the group. This collaborative approach is not just about managing, but about creating a genuine partnership, in which each member of the team becomes a stakeholder in the shared success.
Valuing the role of manager is also an important lever. Offering regular recognition, whether financial or symbolic, helps to restore meaning to the role. For example, top management can show that it trusts its managers to take decisions, because it is they who are closest to the ground and best placed to act. The principle of subsidiarity, which promotes decision-making at the level that is most relevant and closest to the action, must regain its place, somewhat lost today. This principle strengthens the legitimacy of managers and their autonomy, while consolidating the overall coherence of actions.
Introducing a feedback culture also strengthens the commitment and attractiveness of management positions. This is because feedback can be used to give recognition to employees (congratulatory feedback) or to point out areas for improvement (improvement feedback). So, as you will have realised, feedback is always positive!
Subsidiarity must be accompanied by a concerted approach. The opinions of teams must be sought before decisions are taken, to ensure a global vision and a rich understanding of the different points of view. However, it is crucial that the manager fully assumes his role as decision-maker. They must make decisions, even if this means not following everyone’s opinion. In these cases, to avoid frustration and misunderstanding, the manager must explain his choices to those whose ideas have not been accepted. This transparency builds trust and avoids unnecessary tension, while affirming the manager’s central role in the decision-making process.
Training remains an essential lever for breathing new life into management. Offering targeted programmes on interpersonal and organisational skills, coupled with mentoring schemes, enables managers to become more confident and effective in their role. These initiatives not only respond to current challenges: they also prepare managers to anticipate the constant changes in the sector. This is precisely the approach adopted by SKIILL, which supports retail chains with tailor-made programmes. Focusing on key themes such as team management, communication and conflict resolution, these courses offer practical tools for preventing staff turnover and strengthening team cohesion.
For example, modules dedicated to adapting communication to different people, using tried and tested methods such as DISC, enable managers to develop more harmonious and productive relationships. Others, focusing on detecting signs of disengagement or burnout, give them the means to intervene proactively, before these situations deteriorate. By working with partners like SKIILL, retailers are investing not only in the skills of their managers, but also in the peace of mind and long-term viability of their organisation.
Finally, creating forums for exchange between peers helps to reduce feelings of isolation. These opportunities for sharing, in the form of regular meetings, collaborative workshops or internal forums, enable managers to pool their experiences and explore solutions to problems together. These interactions are not limited to the simple transmission of ideas: they foster a genuine community spirit, whereeveryone feels heard and supported. By instilling a culture of open exchange, retailers are also strengthening creativity and innovation, by enabling managers to draw inspiration from the best practices developed by their peers. These spaces are also an opportunity for managers to learn indirectly, by comparing their methods with those of others, and to strengthen their confidence in their ability to manage day-to-day challenges.
Conclusion
In short, the role of manager in the retail sector requires a thorough rethink of the way it is organised. It’s not just a question of adding resources, but of rethinking organisational models to enable managers to fulfil their essential missions. As one manager interviewed* put it: ‘The real challenge is not to work faster, but to give everyone the time to do their job properly’
*Testimonies gathered during a webinar entitled ‘Manager autrement’, organised by ‘Je Bosse en Grande Distribution’, April 2023.
