Retail Sales Assistant - Keyholder Retail Store Roles · Colchester

We don’t just sell products. We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play. You could recommend the paint set that helps someone discover their inner artist, the book that inspires a future author, the game that brings a family together, or the puzzle book that reconnects someone with a treasured memory. You never know what future outcomes your customer interaction might spark, or who someone might become. With your passion and our products, you’ll help people discover new interests, explore their creativity, find a new hobby or reconnect with something they once loved. The unseen possibilities are limitless - and it all starts with you.

Our Perks Are 'The Works'

• 25% Colleague Discount! - Plus, exclusive Double Discount days!
• MyWorks - Access exclusive online discounts across hundreds of retailers, holidays, utilities deals, tech and more!
• Family Friendly Leave - Enjoy some time well spent with enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Holiday – 28 days including bank holidays, or 33 days including bank holidays for Deputy and Store Managers.
• Can-Do Academy - Grow your skills and career with instant access to further training and development in areas that interest you.
• Stream - Claim early access to 50% of your wages as you earn them – for when ‘life’ happens!
• Share Scheme - Unleash your inner Monopoly mogul and own a piece of The Works!
• 24/7 support for you and your family - Through our partnership with Retail Trust Charity, who provide an Employee Assistance Programme and so much more!
• Healthcare Cash Plan – To support your everyday healthcare costs.
• And loads more! – Long service awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work scheme and optional charity giving.

Become a Retail Sales Assistant

As a Sales Assistant, you’re the face of our brand on the shop floor - a true brand ambassador. Every day, you create moments that make our customers smile. They love visiting our stores, and you’re a big part of why. Your mission is to deliver exceptional service, spark brilliant conversations and help customers with their shopping missions - whether they’re discovering new products they’ll love or finding the perfect gift for someone else.

Proactively approaching and engaging with customers is an essential part of this role. You’ll be starting friendly conversations to understand what each customer is looking for and make helpful recommendations from our product ranges. You’ll also play a key role in keeping the store well-stocked, tidy, safe and welcoming. Alongside your teammates, you’ll help create an environment where everything runs smoothly and everyone feels supported and included.

In this role, every interaction, every conversation and every thoughtful recommendation helps bring our brand purpose, values and behaviours to life – and that impact… It all starts with you.

Being a Brand Ambassador

Being a brand ambassador at The Works isn’t your job title. It’s the way you bring our brand to life every day through the moments you create. It’s the smile that puts someone at ease, the warm welcome into the store, the way you support your colleagues with kindness and teamwork, the conversation that helps a child discover their new favourite toy, or the encouragement that inspires someone to reconnect with their creativity, or their love of reading. These small interactions - the ones that feel ordinary to you, often become extraordinary memories for the people who walk through our doors.

Whether you’re on the shop floor, in our distribution centre, or at our support centre, you’ll always be representing our products, services, values and behaviours in a positive and authentic way, whatever the environment, wherever you are. You help build trust, brand awareness and loyalty simply through how you show up. At The Works, we are all Brand Ambassadors.

Your Mission

• Proactively approach and engage with customers, start friendly conversations to understand what they’re looking for, and make helpful recommendations from our product range.
• Deliver a friendly, knowledgeable and consistently amazing customer experience.
• Stay informed about our products, promotions and services so you can help customers make informed choices.
• Maintain excellent store standards, including merchandising, cleanliness and stock replenishment.
• Operate tills accurately and handle transactions with care.
• Support with deliveries, stockroom organisation and product availability.
• Follow all operational procedures, including health and safety and loss prevention.
• Work collaboratively with your team to meet store targets and KPIs.
• Be a brilliant brand ambassador - positive, professional and passionate about what we do.

This is an active role that involves working across different areas of the store, using stairs, handling deliveries and moving stock.

Keyholder Responsibilities

If you’re aged 18 or over, you’ll be trained as a Keyholder, with all the support you need to take on additional responsibility and build valuable experience. Our store teams can be small, so there will be times when you’re trusted to hold the keys and take responsibility for the store when a manager isn’t present. It’s a great opportunity to grow your confidence, develop valuable skills and gain first‑hand experience of helping to run a store. Whenever you’re assigned Keyholder responsibilities, you’ll receive an enhanced rate of pay for the time you carry them out.

With the appropriate training and support, your Keyholder responsibilities will include:

• Opening and closing the store safely and securely.
• Completing cashing-up and other end‑of‑day procedures accurately.
• Taking responsibility for the smooth running of the store when a manager isn’t present.
• Supporting colleagues and responding to customer or operational issues.
• Following store security, health and safety, and loss‑prevention procedures.

If you join us before turning 18, you’ll be trained as a Keyholder once you become eligible, giving you access to further development and enhanced pay whenever you carry out these responsibilities.

Our Purpose

To inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

Our Values

• We are Crafty | Smart with what we've got.
• We are Caring | Heart in every action.
• We are Can-do | Energy that gets it done.

Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Reasonable Adjustments.

At The Works, we’re proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone can feel able to be themselves. Our roles are open to everyone, and we particularly welcome applications from people and communities that are under‑represented in our business. We’re open to conversations about working hours and flexible working and, where possible, we’ll try to support this. If you need any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process - or would like to discuss how you could carry out an essential part of the role - please let us know. We’ll be happy to explore what support may help.