The retail recruitment crisis: what the fashion industry must rethink to attract talent

Whom to recruit, and how? How can the industry attract young workers? Are they really as lazy as they are said to be? These questions are preoccupying the fashion industry. They were addressed at the Assises académiques de la mode organised by the Fédération Française du Prêt-à-porter Féminin, held on November 6 at La Caserne in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.

It is, inevitably, a central issue. As Pierre-Jacques Brivet, a board member of the Union française des Industries de la mode et de l’habillement (UFIMH), noted in his introduction: the fashion sector is currently shedding jobs in France.

In an attempt to share solutions with recruiters and academic leaders through round-table discussions, speakers from a wide range of backgrounds came to share their insights. The army, fashion, construction, all voiced a need to guide young people, recruit them, and retain them.

Treating young people properly must become… second nature

The first key, according to General Arnaud Goujon, head of the French Army’s Youth Recruitment Unit, lies in showing up and embodying the message—in particular, by speaking to young people in the right way. “Marketers see them as mere brainless consumers; employers see them as lazy,” he asserts. “I see a generation whose ideals were dashed very early on. These are people who need a job that serves a purpose.” He points out that Gen Z, “extremely clear-eyed,” is bored, weary of consumerism—the only thing they are really offered.

While the army has the strongest employer brand in the country, according to the general, it must nevertheless go out and meet young people in person, by whatever means necessary. The territorial coverage it has established enables it to meet 365,000 young people a year nationwide.

The next challenge is to guide those interested, 90% of whom hope to join special units, whereas the army needs professionals with a wide range of skills, from construction to combat, and from communications to engineering.

To attract new recruits, a company or institution should lean into its distinctiveness, says Arnaud Goujon. If this is not possible, then the company must offer remuneration commensurate with the positions on offer and demonstrate flexibility, not least because new workers seem naturally inclined to leave an employer and later return.

For Florence Diesler, director of Skills and Training at the Confédération de l’artisanat et des petites entreprises du bâtiment (CAPEB), young people are looking for a job that pays well, is meaningful, and plays a role in their immediate communities. They also need an employer who genuinely takes them into consideration. “Craftspeople and young people are a winning duo when employers have no preconceptions about young people,” she stresses, adding that the reverse holds true as well.

The key: engaging with all pupils and students

Above all, young people need to be aware of the myriad professions that exist in the sectors that interest them. Without this, haphazard guidance rarely leads to a positive outcome, notes Florence Diesler. Hence, the need to reach out to schoolchildren and students. So says Jasmine Manet, founder and CEO of Youth Forever, an association working to promote intergenerational cohesion within organisations. Speaking at the Assises académiques de la mode, she points out that secondary school pupils, who are already being asked to choose their path, generally only know the professions in their immediate circle.

The role of career guidance organisations is therefore essential. Through their actions, they can enable young people to consider paths that were previously unknown to them. This knowledge is the first means of countering social determinism, which leads to a cruel lack of diversity in certain professional sectors. This is why Jasmine Manet is calling on industry professionals to engage with pupils and students — if only once a year — at a time when social inequalities continue to weigh heavily on young people’s access to employment.

“As many kinds of youth as there are young people”

Awareness that not everyone has access to the same resources and contacts is key to unravelling the recruitment crisis, where similar profiles stack up. These are the profiles that seem to make up Gen Z. Jasmine Manet is critical of this label: “The terms ‘Gen Z’ or ‘youth’ often refer to young urban graduates; but youth is not just that! There are as many types of youth as there are young people.” An emerging idea: it is partly because training and jobs are only accessible to one segment of the population that recruitment is so complicated in the fashion industry.

This view is shared by Anne Chutczer, Executive Director of the Atout Jeunes Universités association, which links young university students from outlying areas with companies. “Young people do not have the same access to the networks available to them,” she stresses. “And not all young people have the same aspirations, depending on their background.” A proponent of CV-free recruitment, like Flora Nioré, senior manager of Talent Acquisition, Diversity, and Inclusion at PVH Group, she explains: “The idea is not to [just] be content with the CVs of candidates who resemble you.”

Between constant commitment and shifting priorities

This work to combat inequalities will benefit companies. More young people could access a position that suits them — a fundamental factor in employee retention, according to Camille Devailly, Human Resources director at Jonak: “Jobs in retail should be a career choice, not a stopgap while waiting for something better. I don’t think the commitment of new generations is any less important than that of older generations.” For her, the quest for transparency and a “no-bullshit” approach is a decisive lever. An opinion shared by Arnaud Goujon: “Young people need to understand clearly who we are. Because the key point is managing disappointment.”

While the commitment of workers of all generations remains constant, it is accompanied by a clear shift in priorities among young people. Jérémie Pelletier, co-director of the Fondation Jean Jaurès, explains that sacrifice at work is not an option for a majority of young people: they shape their careers around their lives outside work, rather than the other way round. Jérémie Pelletier also notes that young people generally hope to reach a position of responsibility quickly, but insists that an organic career path remains important.

According to Jérémie Pelletier, one of the most important demands of the new wave of workers is the assurance of improved working conditions, as they feel there is a lack of respect and recognition. This concern now prevails over environmental or social issues such as the fight against discrimination, which has dominated in recent years.