Tools and resources to help you recruit, train, and retain employees to boost your c–store workforce.
When customers stop at their favorite convenience store for a hot cup of coffee, something to eat, or a lottery ticket, an influential part of their experience and their likelihood of coming back is the service they receive from the c-store employee. The c-store employees are the face of the store, providing friendly exchanges with a helpful attitude. Having a clean, well-stocked, and organized store is not enough—c-stores need a reliable workforce to facilitate success.
It’s no secret that c-store employee turnover is high and that the industry is struggling with recruiting and retaining labor. Since the shift of the workforce culture after the Covid-19 pandemic, expectations, and needs have changed—resulting in low staffing across all retail industry sectors. Despite these challenges, there are steps you can take to help recruit, train, and retain employees.
Recruiting
Recruitment is an important step in finding reliable, responsible, and trustworthy employees. Communicating your expectations AND the benefits of working within your c-store can filter out who is a good fit for the job. When getting ready to put out that “help wanted” sign, consider these recruitment tools:
- Referral Incentives. Implement an employee-referral incentive. The most common incentive is a gift in the form of a gift card for an employee that refers someone who stays on for a given amount of time. Other incentives include time off or preferred scheduling.
- Keep in Touch. The convenience store turnover rate is HIGH, and there are likely employees that were significant to your c-store team who have moved on. Keep in touch with these individuals and ask how they like their new position; if they are unhappy, this communication could pay off.
- Sell Yourself. When posting for job openings, be sure to brag. Explain what makes working within your store different than the rest. Whether that is a supportive team, career opportunities, comprehensive training, or flexibility—don’t be afraid to share how awesome working for your c-store can be!
- Get Involved with the Community. Take time to network and participate in community events happening around you. By making connections, you can meet potential employees and spread the word about recruitment needs.
- Go to School. Many high schools, community colleges, and universities have work-study programs that can assist with recruitment. Offering a paid internship can help recruit employees and provides them with an understanding of business-related processes.
Training
Once you have hired new employees, having a comprehensive training program sets them up for happiness and success. If new employees don’t receive proper training and are left feeling unsure of how to perform their job, they are not inclined to want to continue within that position. Orientation followed by on-the-job customized training eases anxiety and instills confidence among your new employees.
Some resources for training to get you started are:
Equally as important is continued education and training. As laws shift, processes change, and foodservice compliances are introduced, new training will be needed. With the ever-changing environment of a c-store, keeping your employees up to date on all changes will continue to produce accomplished and satisfied employees.
Retaining
In addition to training, there are many tools and guidelines to retain your c-store employees. This is where you want to focus on the employee. Making sure you are putting yourself in their shoes and understanding what they want out of their job. You can do this by:
- Listening. Understand what employees need in the current workforce environment, along with their personal situations, work-life balance, and compensation.
- Stay Interviews. Check-in with the employee to make sure that they are getting what they expect and need at various times during their employment.
- Keep Promises. Although we can’t always give people everything they want, it is important that when you do tell an employee one thing, staying true to it is important. For example, if an employee can never be scheduled on Thursdays and you agree, don’t expect them to be able to come in on a Thursday.
As we look at the job from the employee’s perspective, we can also tailor our job benefits and descriptions to provide incentives for employees to stick around. Being creative with perk programs and benefits makes employees want to stay and can help with recruiting. Some ideas include:
- Instant on-demand pay
- 4-day work week or scheduling flexibility
- Offer a career path for growth and create advancement opportunities
- Job security
- Trust between employees and management
- Incentive programs (offering time off or a gift card for a job well done)
- Employee recognition
- Opportunities to use their skills
Simplify Processes for the Employee
By practicing the employee retention tips outlined above, your workforce will be comprised of productive, competent employees. Clear job descriptions along with comprehensive training bring understanding and confidence, resulting in employees that feel valued. Simplifying processes for your employees is just another way to spur productivity and give them time to focus on customer service. Many c-stores use Quantum Services because they have learned that our exceptional inventory auditing services enable a c-store team to deliver. Our inventory auditors are trained to provide accurate counts with concise data, simplifying inventory management processes at your stores. Quantum Services is another tool that you can utilize to help retain your existing c-store stars. Contact us today!