Retales Episode 19 | People First: The Key to Retail Success

In this episode of Retales, the podcast where we explore the world of retail, we interview Sylwia Gorska, Head of People and Culture at IKEA Austria. Sylwia offers valuable insights into the dynamic retail landscape, emphasizing the crucial role of people while adapting to evolving customer behaviors and technological advancements.

“In retail, we work around the clock,” our guest points out. She discusses the challenges of managing a large workforce, particularly in retail, focusing on issues such as long hours, weekend work, and attracting and retaining young talent.

However, she also highlights the rewards, especially the people, who are “the heartbeat of our business,” the retail business that is. For instance, Sylwia emphasizes IKEA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on hiring people with disabilities and refugees. This initiative has a significant impact not only on the lives of these individuals but also on the company, which gains loyal employees.

The episode also delves into the importance of continuous learning and reskilling. She explains how now store employees “need to play the role of a consultant to those customers in the best possible way.” That’s why “continuously scaling ourselves in the field“ is necessary.

Sylwia also explores the impact of digitalization and automation on the workplace, emphasizing the need for a positive and adaptive approach. “You really need to surf on the wave. We need to see what we can simplify, standardize, and then automate and digitalize for the best customer, but also coworker experience,” she explains.

We also discuss her perspective on work-life balance, revealing that employees often prefer flexible work arrangements, such as flexible hours or remote work options, over a traditional workweek. “They really want to manage their own schedule, their own time,” she notes, highlighting the desire for control over personal schedules rather than rigid structures. This is where technologies like Orquest can help. Orquest‘s flexible store scheduling, powered by AI, takes into account employee availability and preferences when aligning shift coverage to demand, so both employees and customers benefit from optimized retail operations.

Speaking of AI and automation, Sylwia advocates for a curious and proactive mindset. She discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with digitization and automation in the workplace. She emphasizes the importance of embracing technological advancements and notes the need to streamline and improve work processes for better customer and employee experiences.

Once again, by automating store scheduling and placing the right employee with the right skills when and where needed by the customers, Orquest saves up to 90% of the time for managers in charge of creating shifts while boosting employee efficiency and mood, since they are placed in roles where they can bring more value while schedules are adapted to their own needs.

According to Sylwia, the way to go when adopting technology is to “digitalize and automate some of the processes which are very time-consuming” to avoid “wasting time sitting in front of Excel sheets” and to “have time to lead and support our coworkers on their journeys.” Regarding emerging technologies such as AI, she advocates for a shift in perspective from fear to curiosity and the pursuit of benefits.

Finally, the conversation concludes with a discussion of her personal business philosophy, underscoring the importance of passion, teamwork, and lifelong learning. She believes in finding joy in work, fostering a great team environment, and continuously seeking knowledge and solutions.