By Tom Bandy, Bandy Work
C-store employee retention is a must-measure goal for any successful operation. A nice benefit of working to retain employees is that often the very work that helps keep them also makes them a better asset to the company. C-Store training programs are like the stone that gets two birds. It makes the employee work more efficiently and effectively and helps them to stay with the company. The retention benefit derives from their personal satisfaction of knowing how to do the job well AND by having the opportunity to be promoted as they developer new and better skills.
Low C-Store Turnover Provides Time for Important Work
If too many employees quit or have to be fired, managers must spend time hiring and providing basic training. While it’s inevitable to spend some time hiring, too much turnover requires too much time away from other store operational activities. Additionally, the training for new hires is typically fundamental just to allow the employee to operate at a minimal level. When the average employee tenure is longer, there is the option to spend time on more advanced training topics like upselling and store manager activities.
Ironically, the time that is required to train new hires can be provided to help avoid some of the turnover issues. Training will increase skills, and with a higher skill level there is better performance and more satisfaction – both from the employee and the manager. With better skills there often follows possible promotions and more job satisfaction. A positive cycle can build leading to improved retention. So training can become a positive tool to keep employees rather than simply be the lost time needed to get a new person up to speed to fill an empty slot.
C-Store Growth Needs Employee Retention
If you are a growing operation, then C-store employee retention is even more important. With new stores there must be additional managers and staff. The ability to have a manager that knows company procedures and culture at a new store simplifies the challenges of adding new capacity. Retraining and building culture with new staff is time-consuming and expensive. It is, however, a necessary part of building an operation that runs well – one that will achieve its goals. There are several key drivers that impact c-store retention.
Employee Compensation Needs Impact Turnover
Despite our best efforts to provide a great work environment, there is a need to earn enough money to meet life needs. Each person has different needs, desires and motivations. While nearly everyone wants more money, many are driven to achieve higher incomes. For these highly motivated individuals, higher pay is often a necessary part of staying with a company. With such motivation there is typically a motivation learning so as to be fully engaged with company opportunities. A driven person is a good candidate for training to take on new responsibilities. When there is a fit with motivation, capability and training employee development thrives. It is a win for both the company and the staff. It helps the company have candidates to fill open slots and provides the employee a chance to improve their careers and make more money.
Two Birds with One Stone
As part of a development process, the company gets employees that can work smarter and achieve more. The employee gains new skills and the company wins. During the training, it is easy to pick out staff that are quick learners. Further, their attitude and goals become clear. A good coach or mentor who understands people and the company culture can help ambitious employees go further and become a new manager. It is easy to see a good fit. Any work that helps to keep good staff and develops store managers is a double win—getting two birds with one stone. Using training that has a clear path to management positions makes it possible to both train new staff and find great candidates for promotion. Everybody wins.
Tom Bandy is CEO of Bandy Works, the creator of the product Quik Data – C-Store Performance Software. It is used to prioritize, track and verify operations. It is a training tool for best practices. Quik Data offers modules that address: scorecards, alert resolution, store maintenance, shift duties, store inspections, customer surveys, cigarette scan data, product sales management, and 3rd party data integration.
