Our Hardware Innovators brought the heat in this month’s Masterminds, just in time for summer staffing season!
We were also excited to officially bring back our B2B Mastermind! While we ran into tech hiccups with the new meeting link (we’ve fixed that for next month), the discussion marked an energizing return for stores focused on relationship-based sales, outside reps, and revenue growth beyond the register.
From standout recruiting tactics and retention tips to employee engagement tools and B2B growth strategies, these meetings delivered serious value for every kind of retail leader. Let’s dive in!
B2B Mastermind Takeaways:
Takeaway #1: Show Up, Be Available, Answer the Dang Phone
When it comes to B2B loyalty, you don’t have to be the cheapest—you have to be the most reliable. Innovators agreed that being present, responsive, and helpful often makes the difference in winning repeat contractor business.
Here’s how innovators are making themselves available:
- Assigning someone who answers EVERY CALL and follows through on the same day
- Using in-store kiosks or signage to signal B2B support
- Taking the time to get those champions chosen, trained, AND inspired
- Training floor staff to handle urgent calls or product checks builds reliability from busy contractors
Takeaway #2: Don’t Go It Alone—Tap the Network
If you’re trying to level up your B2B program, you’re not starting from scratch. Other retailers are already seeing success, and they’re usually happy to share.
A simple outreach message can go a long way:
“Hey, I heard your store is doing great work with B2B. Would you be open to a quick call or letting me shadow your team?”
Lean on your peers. Innovators emphasized that building a B2B playbook doesn’t have to be lonely, and it’s faster when you learn from those doing it well.
Marketing Mastermind Takeaways:
Takeaway #1: Brag About Your Workplace—Even When You’re Not Hiring
Spotlighting your team isn’t just good recruiting, it’s great branding. Innovators shared that when they regularly highlight employee experience, they see higher engagement and increased customer trust.
Here are a few ways innovators are doing it:
- Using MVP-style awards to recognize team behavior by putting nomination cards in the break room and customized awards for those nominated
- Running biweekly social spotlights with fun, personal employee Q&As
- We love this employee spotlight posted on LinkedIn from our friends over at Berwick Ace Hardware
- Scroll down to check out the templated form one of our innovators has their employees fill out for easy content collection
- Pinning Workstream job links to the top of Facebook pages, even during hiring lulls, keeps the candidate pool full
- Creating short video ads featuring real staff talking about their work is captivating and introduces a more trusted voice than that of your normal social posts
As one innovator shared, “We hear customers say, ‘everyone must love working here,’ and that’s the goal.”
Pro tip: Let your team’s voice speak for your culture, but you have to prompt them to get this third-party testimonial
Takeaway #2: Repurpose Employee Content Across All Channels
Spotlights don’t have to stay on social. Bring them to your website, pin them to job pages, feature them in newsletters, and print them for in-store displays. Consistency across touchpoints builds trust.
Takeaway #3: Low-Budget, High-Impact Employee-Focused Video Ads Work
One innovator’s video interview ad (featuring a team member talking about what they love) generated:
- 288 clicks to the hiring page
- 9 shares
- 65 new page likes
- $0.08 cost per click
People respond to positivity, familiar faces, and want to hear the story (inside scoop) directly from the people and not the brand!
Takeaway #4: Stay Active in Your Community
One of the most low-cost, high-impact ways to grow your store’s reputation (and hiring pipeline) is by being visible and genuinely involved in your local community. Several innovators emphasized that participating in local groups, like Rotary clubs, has consistently brought in both loyal customers and job applicants who heard about your reputation.
If you’re highlighting a donation or community initiative, how you say it matters. Innovators discussed the power of using a third-party perspective to make posts feel more genuine and values-driven.
Instead of saying:
“We just donated $5,000 to this organization!”
Try:
“Help us support this amazing group doing great work in our community!”
This approach focuses on the cause, not the store, and resonates more with customers and potential hires.
Helpful Resources for Marketers
- Workstream Job Listing Example from Owenhouse Ace Hardware
- Rotary Club
- Example Employee Spotlight Post on LinkedIn
- Employee Spotlight Example Form from Proctor Ace:
General Managers Mastermind Takeaways:
Takeaway #1: Train with Intention, Not Overload
The busy season is not the time to train someone in every department. The most successful innovators abandon the traditional cross departmental training and set single focused expectations up front.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Assign each new hire to one core department
- Let them “own” an area (like birdseed, loadouts, or BBQ demos) to build confidence
- Use radios or buddy systems to support them in real-time
This focused approach makes new employees feel like contributors from day one, builds their confidence, gives them a sense of place, and sets the stage for long-term retention.
Takeaway #2: The First Two Weeks of the Busy Season = Boot Camp
Multiple GMs noted a seasonal rhythm: when summer kicks in, panic often follows. Sales double, team members scramble, and everything feels intense. Despite hearing from her team that they were busier this year, one GM looked at the year-over-year data, and it was identical. Sharing that information let them know that everything was going to be hectic, but after about two weeks, things settle, even though the customer volume stays high. It’s just an adjustment period that can be handled with excitement or fear, their choice.
Here’s what has helped our innovators during this “boot camp” window:
- Normalize the initial overwhelm—it’s temporary
- Communicate that stress is part of the season’s curve, how you handle it is up to you
- Celebrate small wins to boost team morale, every day
The volume doesn’t always drop, but your team will adapt faster than expected!
Takeaway #3: Use a 90-Day Probation to Assess Fit
Rather than rushing new hires into full-time roles, most innovators rely on a 90-day probationary period to evaluate team members before offering long-term commitments or benefits. This window allows managers to observe work ethic, reliability, and cultural fit, especially in seasonal or high-turnover environments.
Here’s how it typically works:
- All new hires are evaluated during a 90-day window
- Managers assess initiative, coachability, and team dynamics
- Decisions about full-time roles or benefit eligibility happen after the probation period
- When someone is chosen, the GMs then give more training resources to the employee who ‘made the team’
To strengthen these initial evaluations, some innovators are also using DISC assessments to better understand how each team member is wired to communicate, problem-solve, or lead. When used thoughtfully, DISC insights can guide how you onboard, assign responsibilities, or deliver feedback during the probation window. For more information on DISC from one of our favorite hardware retail coaches, click here.
Takeaway #4: Specialized Roles Reduce Stress
Rather than expecting new seasonal hires to know everything, many GMs are assigning niche roles to new team members, especially during peak months.
Here are a few examples shared during the Mastermind:
- Hire staff specifically for temporary needs like BBQ demos or weekend loadouts
- Assign one department for training (e.g. paint, garden, or even bird seed) and let them thrive there before moving to another department
- Set clear expectations about where they’ll focus during the season while communicating about their potential to master so much more
By reducing the training scope, you increase clarity. This leads to more confident, helpful employees.
Takeaway #5: High School Students = Potential Long-Term Team Member
Several innovators shared success stories about hiring high schoolers who now help run service desks or inventory. Local job fairs and school connections are proving to be strong pipelines, especially when combined with ongoing mentorship.
They need to know that there is potential for growth right away, including a career path in the interview and onboarding processes.
Helpful Resources for GMs
Join Us On June 18th for Our Next Mastermind
For June, we’ll have three groups that meet: B2B, Marketing, and GMs.
B2B leaders will explore all things customer appreciation. Expect tangible ideas for how to show your appreciation and nurture client relationships.
Marketers will dive into how to promote contractor events, what assets to request, and how to build social buzz leading up to the big day.
GMs will discuss staffing and store prep for events. Come ready to share and learn how to run a safe, well-organized day without stretching your team too thin.
Need help signing up? Join here!
Are You On Board?
Does the idea of a monthly meet-up with other retail hardware stores sound valuable? Would you like to share resources, ask questions, and participate with your peers on-demand through an exclusive Slack channel?
Email us at hello@hardwareinnovators.com to get access to the Slack Channel! The best part? It’s 100% free and puts you in touch with hardware store general managers and marketers to ask questions and get immediate feedback from what worked at other hardware stores!