FlatIron managers build teams traditionally

BROOMFIELD — Poised to open their new stores at FlatIron Crossing Aug.11, the anchors’ store managers and smaller store owners have used different methods to hire qualified managers.

Dan Paul, store manager with Foley’s, believes the nurturing approach is the best way to make a budding staff into a powerful sales force. “If prospering means being mobile, then that’s another definition of career growth in this exploding (retail) industry,” Paul said.

Paul said Foley’s recruiters find qualified personnel from the traditional college marketing arena. “But we also give high marks to people with strong background experiences, as well as opening up our stores to enthusiastic individuals who would like to discover the pleasure of fashion and retailing,” he said.

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When hiring, Paul said Foley’s looks for people who show leadership and integrity. “There’s no stopping qualified, motivated employees who taste career advancement. And I like that.”

Paul said Foley’s 12-week classroom and on-the-job executive training program is based on intelligence and mobility. “I’m always looking for team players. Qualified, first-line managers and operations managers are always in demand.”

And that demand is growing. Paul said Foley’s is opening five new stores this year, and the Broomfield store will be one of the largest volume stores in all of Colorado. When Foley’s owner, May Department Stores, consolidated the retailer with Denver-based May D&F in 1993, the Foley’s name became May’s largest division. Sales at 49 stores in five states surpassed $1.5 billion that year, said Priscilla Thorne, Foley’s public relations director based in Houston.

Another anchor anticipating growth at FlatIron Crossing is Galyan’s. Pronounced like “stallions,” Galyan’s (formerly known as Galyan’s Trading Company) recruits mangers with radio ads, newspaper classifieds and by having its managers attend numerous job fairs in the community. Prospective managers also can call the job line at 1-888-COOLEST. Galyan’s management team of nine department managers and 17 assistant department managers is led by store Manager Scott Ivy.

“We don’t discriminate against anyone. We prefer a customer friendly sales force and great leaders who are passionate and experienced in their field of expertise. Merchandise specific, we’re looking for people who have been there and done that,” Ivy said. His store is also something of a “experience.”

“This is an outdoor and sporting goods adventure store. For instance, we have a 55-foot rock climbing wall and lots of trees (inside). Walk into our wilderness adventure store – this place has excitement written all over it. You will see timber formations, French chalets and an atmosphere that draws upon people’s love of nature,” Ivy said.

At Nordstrom’s, Store Manager Dan Alvarez has a full plate with 35 department managers and assistant store managers under his tutelage. He recognizes good talent when he sees it. And he knows where to find it, too. “We use job fairs, advertisements, flyers in trade magazines, radio spots and monster.com. We’ll send recruiters out to college campus’s where we happen to have an “Executive Training Program” set up at specific participating colleges. We use internships, too. But most importantly, we look for people with integrity. Friendly enthusiastic people from what ever walk of life. Obviously, college graduates have the fastest mobility where ever you go – the statistics bear that out. However, we do actively recruit from the general, non-degreed population. People who’ve gotten their feet wet and want to pursue careers with us – we’ll gladly take them, too,” Alvarez said.

PaperDoll, a specialty retail store owned by Lilie St. Germain, uses simple methods to hire managers. “We place signs in the windows. Based on prior experience, we get better responses this way. No internship and no top-notch training classes here. Nor are we in an expanding mode,” she said. PaperDoll has maintained its niche market by providing specialty products. St. Germain’s philosophy is “Trust and the universe will deliver.”