Personnel assessment in retail chains under transformational changes

Abstract

The retail industry in Ukraine is undergoing significant changes under the influence of digitalization, the transition to omnichannel formats, changing consumer priorities, as well as due to external shocks – martial law, logistical disruptions, inflationary pressure and instability in the labor market. In this context, the importance of effective personnel management is growing, which is the basis for the competitiveness and adaptability of retail chains. Personnel assessment as an element of the strategic HR management system is gaining new emphasis – from traditional indicators of productivity and discipline to indicators of flexibility, innovation, stress resistance, digital competence and the ability to interfunctional interaction. The development of the labor market requires updating approaches to assessment: there is a transition to competency models, integrated KPI systems, 360–degree feedback, as well as the implementation of HR analytics based on big data. Personnel assessment is of particular importance in the context of organizational culture transformations, business process restructuring, and the introduction of innovative technologies that change the content of work activities and requirements for employees. In this context, there is a growing need to form an effective assessment system that will allow not only to measure labor productivity, but also to identify the potential of employees, ensure their development and retention in conditions of personnel competition. The article considers a comprehensive system for assessing retail chain personnel in the context of transformational changes, which covers both methodological aspects of employee assessment and analytical research on the dynamics of employment and labor costs in the wholesale and retail trade sector. Emphasis is placed on the role of assessment as a key tool for strategic human resources management, which ensures increased labor efficiency, identification of employee potential, formation of a personnel reserve, and adaptation of enterprises to market challenges. The article analyzes modern methods of personnel assessment, the features of their application within different functional levels of retail chains, as well as changes in the employment structure in recent years under the influence of the pandemic, full–scale war, business digitalization and the growing role of remote employment. The paper presents statistical data on the number of employees, their employment by type of activity, sales volumes and labor costs in 2020–2024, which allows us to draw conclusions about trends in personnel management and prospects for the development of labor potential in the retail sector.