At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to deliver exceptional customer service and manage store operations.
- Company: Join The Works, where we inspire creativity and learning every day.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25% discount, flexible hours, and access to exclusive perks.
- Other info: Be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by helping customers discover their passions and interests.
- Qualifications: Experience in retail leadership and a passion for great customer service.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 37300 £ per year.
18 hour contract
Why The Works? 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.
As a Deputy Manager, you play a vital role in supporting the Store Manager to lead the team and deliver an exceptional customer experience. You’ll help drive commercial performance, maintain high operational standards, and step up to lead the store in the Store Manager’s absence. You’ll be a role model for the team - motivating, coaching, and ensuring every shift runs smoothly. Your mission is to deliver exceptional service, spark brilliant conversations, and help customers with their shopping missions - whether it’s discovering new products they'll love, or finding the perfect gifts for someone else. By getting to know their interests or shopping mission, you’ll be ready to recommend things that surprise, delight, and inspire them. You’ll also play a key role in keeping the store well-stocked, tidy, safe, and welcoming. Alongside your teammates, you help create an environment where everything runs smoothly and everyone feels supported and included in the team.
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:
- Support the Store Manager in leading the team to deliver excellent customer service and achieve store targets.
- Take ownership of key operational areas such as stock management, merchandising, and compliance.
- Lead by example on the shop floor, setting high standards for service, presentation, and teamwork.
- Coach and develop team members, providing feedback and support to help them grow.
- Step up to manage the store in the absence of the Store Manager, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members.
- Monitor store performance and contribute ideas to improve sales and efficiency.
- Ensure health & safety, cash handling, and loss prevention procedures are followed.
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.
Skills / Behaviours that will set you apart:
- Experience in a supervisory or team leadership role within retail or customer service.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Confident in leading a team and making decisions.
- Organised and able to manage multiple priorities.
- Customer-focused with a passion for delivering great service.
- Flexible and reliable, with a hands-on approach.
- Experience in a high-volume or value retail environment.
- Familiarity with retail systems and reporting tools.
- Experience supporting recruitment, training, or performance management.
As a great leader with wonderful people skills, you'll create a team that's more than just co-workers — it's a team. Inspire and motivate your team in line with our employer brand, values, behaviours and purpose. Lead your team to reach their potential and steer your store to break records and get in the spotlight. Work collaboratively with support departments and peers. If something's not quite right, provide quality constructive feedback so we can work as a team to get it right! But let's not forget about the most important part… your team's well-being and aspirations. You'll be their biggest supporter, cheering them on. You'll have amazing everyday conversations with your team, discussing everything from performance to career aspirations and helping them get there.
Our PERKS really 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 – 33 days, including bank holidays. Plus, your holiday allowance increases with long service.
- 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.
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 Applying 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.
Retail Deputy Manager - Temporary Contract Retail Store Roles · Plymouth (New George Street), UK employer: The Works Stores Ltd
The Works is an exceptional employer, recognised as the 10th Best Big Company to Work For in 2024, offering a vibrant work culture that inspires creativity and learning. With generous benefits including a 25% colleague discount, enhanced family leave, and access to the Can-Do Academy for professional development, employees are empowered to grow and thrive. Located in Coleshill, Birmingham, the hybrid working model fosters flexibility while ensuring meaningful engagement across teams, making it a truly rewarding place to work.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Retail Deputy Manager - Temporary Contract Retail Store Roles · Plymouth (New George Street), UK
✨Get Your Foot in the Door Early
In retail, many temporary roles pop up during peak seasons, like Christmas or summer sales. Keep an eye on the calendars for these spikes and start scouting for opportunities a bit in advance. We can even help you stay sharp on your search!
✨Utilise Local Connections
Visit local shops in person and chat with managers about potential temporary openings. Many retail positions are filled by word-of-mouth, so don’t underestimate the power of a good conversation while you grab a coffee or do your weekly shopping!
✨Show Off Your Availability
Retail managers love flexibility! Make sure to highlight your availability in a casual chat or when you apply through our website. The more open you are to work varied shifts, the more likely they are to bring you on board—especially for temporary gigs!
✨Be Ready for On-the-Spot Interviews
When you walk into a shop, be prepared for the possibility of an on-the-spot interview. Dress comfortably but smartly, have a few key points about your experience ready, and be enthusiastic. Remember, it’s all about making that positive first impression!
We think you need these skills to ace Retail Deputy Manager - Temporary Contract Retail Store Roles · Plymouth (New George Street), UK
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any relevant experience you've got, whether it’s casual jobs or volunteer work. Employers want to see that you can interact well with customers, so think about any instances where you've gone the extra mile to help someone out.
Flexibility Is Your Best Friend:Since this is a temporary position, you should emphasise your flexibility in your application. Mention your availability clearly in your cover letter and CV—employers love knowing they can rely on you to work varied hours, especially during busy periods!
Keep It Short and Sweet:For temporary roles, we don’t need an essay! Keep your CV and cover letter concise, focusing on the most relevant experiences and skills. Highlight any specific retail achievements, like sales targets met or product knowledge that demonstrates your eagerness to dive straight in.
Tailor Your Application to The Works Stores Ltd:Don’t forget to personalise your application for The Works Stores Ltd! Take a look at their values and product range, and if you’ve had previous experience with similar brands, mention that. It shows you’re genuinely interested in the role and have a good understanding of what they do.
How to prepare for a job interview at The Works Stores Ltd
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
In retail, it's all about customer interaction, so be ready to share examples of how you've handled tough customer situations. We recommend thinking through a couple of scenarios before the interview where you went above and beyond to help a customer, as these can really make you stand out.
✨Brush Up on Product Knowledge
Temporary roles often have a steep learning curve because you'll need to pick up product knowledge fast. Take some time to familiarise yourself with the main products or services that The Works Stores Ltd offers, and if possible, try to understand their current promotions. It’ll give you the edge to engage customers effectively.
✨Flexibility is Key
Being in a temporary retail role means you may need to adapt quickly to different tasks or shifts. Be prepared to highlight your flexibility and willingness to take on varied responsibilities during the interview. Think of examples where you've had to juggle multiple tasks at once – that’ll show you're a great fit for the dynamic retail environment.
✨Demonstrate Team Spirit
Since retail roles often require collaboration, be ready to showcase your teamwork skills. Share experiences where you worked well with colleagues, especially in fast-paced situations. This will underline your ability to slot into the team at The Works Stores Ltd and contribute positively during your temporary stint.
