SourcingOct 23, 2024
De Beers, Signet Lean Into Finding ‘The One’ in New Natural Diamond Campaign Aimed at a generation that emphasizes self-care and mental health, “Worth the Wait” breaks new ground in the world of diamond advertising.
EditorsMar 10, 2017
How to Find and Keep Good People: The Day’s Method
The president of Day’s Jewelers dishes on the Maine chain’s hiring practices, social media efforts and why they let dogs in their stores.
Day Jeweler’s President David Harris speaking Sunday at the Atlanta Jewelry Show. (Photo courtesy of Edward Zeltser Photography)
After Day’s was selected as Maine’s Retailer of the Year for 2016, the lovely Cindy Chandler, who organized the education at the Atlanta Jewelry Show this year, came up with the idea of recruiting a member of the store’s management team to come to the show and talk about what the retailer is doing right.
President David Harris was the member of the Day’s team who was tapped for the job. He fled Maine’s -16 degree wind chill and headed south to be interviewed by me in a one-on-one session this past Sunday afternoon.
Here’s are a few highlights from our conversation, staring with the part that I, and hopefully you, will find the most interesting: How does Day’s get and keep good people?
Harris said that too often, retailers start the hiring process without a clear idea of what they are looking for in a new employee; they have a job title, yes, but not really a good idea of what type of person they really need to fill the position.
They also tend to pass on good people--associates who are enthusiastic and can be developed--in search of the elusive “perfect candidate.”
Harris also mentioned that as part of the evaluation process, Day’s Jewelers uses psychological testing specific to the position for which the candidate applied, tests like:
--The Reid Report, which evaluates ethics, responsibility and work habits;
--DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness), which groups people into one of these four personality types, each of which has its own specific set of behaviors; and
--EQ, which evaluates emotional intelligence.
These are certainly not the only tests out there, and it is also worth noting that there is a debate about the use of personality tests in hiring.
But at Day’s, it’s what they do. Harris said they think it is better to test than to go off “gut feeling” when hiring people.
(Side note: I would be remiss, and in the Smith crosshairs, if I did not mention that Harris’ comments were about hiring for any position, from sales to store management to social media. There is a book for picking salespeople specifically. It’s called “Hiring Squirrels.”)
When it comes to keeping good people, Harris said the main mistake retailers make is they ignore (though not purposefully) or take their best associates for granted. It’s not hard to see how this happens, since difficult employees tend to take up more of their boss’s time.
He
said at Day’s, they invest in their best people, furthering employees’ education so they see their job in a jewelry as a career, not as just a retail sales job.
They pay for employees to take courses offered by the Diamond Council of America and the Gemological Institute of America as well as the certification exams offered by Jewelers of America.
Here are some other interesting points from my talk with Harris.
--I asked David what service his customers appreciate most and he said on-site goldsmiths, which the retailer has in every store. He said people in Maine do not like hearing that their jewelry is being sent elsewhere to be fixed.
--Day’s Jewelers allows dogs in their store and after they let this fact be known, “It was like we were the finest people anywhere,” Harris wrote in the notes he prepared for our session. The Day’s marketing team very astutely created a Day’s blue tennis ball with company logo in white for the pooches to play with, a Day’s mat with paw prints and a Day’s water bowl. There are also dog treats on the snack counters in each store.
Do you know who loves dogs even more than Day’s customers? Social media. People snap photos of their dogs inside Day’s stores and share them.
--Day’s Jewelers is active on all the main social media platforms, Facebook (where it pays for advertising and is targeting baby boomer customers specifically), Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter. They staff them by assigning each marketing associate a specific account and making them responsible for the content there.
--The retailer also allows people to bring in cats but Harris could only recall one time when someone actually did that, as cats are not known for their traveling temperament. The cat was fine.
--Harris has a very endearing Texas accent. He was born and raised in Irving.
They pay for employees to take courses offered by the Diamond Council of America and the Gemological Institute of America as well as the certification exams offered by Jewelers of America.
Here are some other interesting points from my talk with Harris.
--I asked David what service his customers appreciate most and he said on-site goldsmiths, which the retailer has in every store. He said people in Maine do not like hearing that their jewelry is being sent elsewhere to be fixed.
--Day’s Jewelers allows dogs in their store and after they let this fact be known, “It was like we were the finest people anywhere,” Harris wrote in the notes he prepared for our session. The Day’s marketing team very astutely created a Day’s blue tennis ball with company logo in white for the pooches to play with, a Day’s mat with paw prints and a Day’s water bowl. There are also dog treats on the snack counters in each store.
Do you know who loves dogs even more than Day’s customers? Social media. People snap photos of their dogs inside Day’s stores and share them.
--Day’s Jewelers is active on all the main social media platforms, Facebook (where it pays for advertising and is targeting baby boomer customers specifically), Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter. They staff them by assigning each marketing associate a specific account and making them responsible for the content there.
--The retailer also allows people to bring in cats but Harris could only recall one time when someone actually did that, as cats are not known for their traveling temperament. The cat was fine.
--Harris has a very endearing Texas accent. He was born and raised in Irving.
More on Editors
The Latest
Lab-GrownOct 23, 2024
Q&A: Constance Polamalu on Selling Natural and Lab-Grown DiamondsThe jeweler shared her change of heart on lab-grown diamonds and why she keeps them separate from natural diamonds in her business ventures.
IndependentsOct 23, 2024
Jade Trau Sails OverseasThe New York-based brand is expanding outside of the U.S., with a pop-up shop in London and plans to distribute internationally.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
CollectionsOct 23, 2024
See Scott West Jewelry’s ‘Kryptonite’ and ‘Joker’ RingsThey’re available through a retailer that sells luxury products inspired by the lifestyle of Batman’s billionaire civilian persona.
Weekly QuizOct 18, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
WatchesOct 23, 2024
How to Get a Timex Watch for $1The watchmaker is selling 1,000 “Waterbury” watches for $1 each in celebration of its 170th anniversary.
SourcingOct 23, 2024
GemFair Buys 10,000th DiamondLaunched by De Beers in 2018, the program aims to develop a responsible sourcing model for the artisanal/small-scale diamond mining sector.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
CollectionsOct 23, 2024
Robinson Pelham Releases New Jewels Just in Time for the Holidays The new “Ouche” collection brings sculptural designs to the brand, while the expanded “Daystar” collection brings a rainbow of colors.
AuctionsOct 22, 2024
Phillips to Auction Rare 18-Carat Burmese Ruby The auction house said the gemstone could fetch up to $5.5 million at next month’s sale.
ColumnistsOct 22, 2024
The Smart Lab: Tips for Preparing for Your Best Q4 YetFrom prioritizing the customer experience to optimizing inventory, columnist Emmanuel Raheb shares the keys to a successful holiday season.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2024
WJA Foundation Names First Winner of Hedda Schupak Scholarship Journalist Priya Raj plans to use the scholarship funds to further her media qualifications and amplify marginalized communities.
MajorsOct 22, 2024
WNBA Champions New York Liberty Take Home Tiffany & Co. TrophyIt marks the first championship win in the team’s 28-year history.
IndependentsOct 22, 2024
Sissy’s Log Cabin To Open Seventh StoreThe Arkansas-based jeweler’s first store in the state’s northwest region is set to open next year.
SourcingOct 21, 2024
De Beers to List Single Country of Origin for Some of Its Diamonds It will start with rough diamonds that are larger than 1.25 carats and later expand to rough diamonds that are above 1 carat.
CollectionsOct 21, 2024
Pandora Turns Things Upside Down in New ‘Stranger Things’ CollectionThe capsule collection is inspired by friendship and connection, with a nod to ‘80s fashion.
AuctionsOct 18, 2024
Piece of the Week: Babe Paley’s Clip-Brooch NecklaceThe New York socialite’s elegant, transformable piece from the 1960s is headed to auction later this month.
Recorded WebinarsOct 18, 2024
Watch: 2 Experts on the Challenges of Appraising Lab-Grown DiamondsTexas jeweler Susan Eisen and NAJA’s Gail Brett Levine discuss how lab-grown diamonds have altered the landscape for jewelry appraisers.
CrimeOct 18, 2024
The End of an Era: John Kennedy Reflects On 32 Years at JSA On the verge of retirement, Kennedy recounts the most stressful stretch of his time at JSA and reveals what he’ll miss about the industry.
MajorsOct 17, 2024
Retailer Hall of Fame 2024: Gina DrososSignet Jewelers CEO Gina Drosos’ secrets to success are listening to her team and leaning on data to make decisions.
AuctionsOct 17, 2024
Shirley Bassey’s ‘Baignoire’ Breaks Auction Record Part of the Welsh singer’s extensive jewelry collection, the bathtub-shaped Cartier watch went for nearly $72,000 at Sotheby’s Paris.
GradingOct 17, 2024
Renowned Gemologist and Author Alan Hodgkinson Dies at 87 He dedicated his life to researching, writing, and speaking about gemstones in the hope he could inspire others to share his passion.
Policies & IssuesOct 17, 2024
Ethical Gem Fair Returns to BrooklynThe event is slated for Oct. 17-19.
SourcingOct 17, 2024
Gem Legacy Adventures Announces 2025 Trip 12 spots are available for travelers to visit Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya from July 25 to Aug. 4.
IndependentsOct 16, 2024
Retailer Hall of Fame 2024: Ronald Leitzel and Tonia Leitzel UlshThough they didn’t grow up together, siblings Ronald Leitzel and Tonia Leitzel Ulsh have grown together as co-owners of Mountz Jewelers.
CrimeOct 16, 2024
Two Arrested in Home Invasion Murder of 72-Year-Old Detroit JewelerThe men allegedly posed as employees of a local energy company to gain entry to Hussein Murray’s home and then killed him in the basement.
FinancialsOct 16, 2024
LVMH Jewelry, Watch Sales Down 5 Percent So Far This Year Sales slipped 4 percent in the third quarter in an environment the company described as economically and politically uncertain.
