Which message is more effective for recruiting great frontline employees that will be the face of your business in stores every day?

• "Help wanted. Wages start at (fill in a number).”
• “Imagine helping lead a team that oversees a $10 million enterprise, and that includes learning public relations, customer service, inventory management, supplier relations and creating a unique customer experience.”

That is the fundamental question that NACS Vice President of Research and Education Lori Buss Stillman posed to attendees during the 2024 NACS Human Resources Forum, which took place March 18-20 in Jacksonville, Florida.

The first message essentially asks for “mirror foggers” to apply; the second encourages potential employees to think much bigger about how the convenience store industry can provide career skills that go beyond a paycheck, which is particularly important in a tight labor market.

During the Forum, Stillman laid out an action plan for how the industry can be an employer of choice, using the extensive research and polling data that was the basis of the recent NACS Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council plan. Her presentation was one of many that covered a wide range of topics that companies are facing—or will soon face—befitting the theme of the Forum, “Preparing for What’s Next.”

So what’s next? How about what’s not next?

Lively group discussions during the breakout sessions generated both questions to consider and answers to some hot-button topics, including:

• HR Handbooks: Why do you have them and when do you cover what’s in them? Is it just at the time of hire or on a regular basis? More importantly, how often do you update them? Lawyers look for non-compliance in wrongful-dismissal lawsuits—and states may have different regulations and requirements with which to comply if you operate in multiple states.
• Increasing leave: Are you informed enough about business operations to see the implications of higher wages or benefits? For instance, a $1 million increase in expenses will require an extra $3 million in sales at a 30% margin. Make sure to do the overall calculations as you consider enhancements to salaries and benefits, especially where new laws require expanded leave.
• Return to office policies: Some people love working at home, others thrive with in-person environments, and some prefer a mix of both. But all employees hate when promises are broken or when treatment varies and feels inequitable across the organization. Meanwhile, remote work also expands the potential pool of applicants. Look at all these factors in determining what works best for your organization. And while many businesses focus on monitoring if those working from home are putting in adequate hours, also make sure that employees aren’t working off the clock—because there may be potential wage-per-hour implications if they do.
• Pay transparency: Those that have been in the workforce for decades likely can’t imagine sharing their wage information with others—yet that is becoming more common with younger workers. They often share salary information and think this transparency promotes pay equity and fairness. Pay transparency is becoming more common and can create some challenging dynamics in the workforce. Good news: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has great resources at eeoc.gov (look for the bulletins).

Promote Me Now

Seventy-two percent of Generation Z workers (born between 1996 and 2010) expect to be promoted within 7 to 18 months of hire. How do you manage these high expectations that are likely not realistic, asked NACS Research Manager Jayme Gough. Her answer: constant communication about what IS realistic and what is not, sharing the William Shakespeare quote, “Expectation is at the heart of all heartache.”

Pay Matters, But Be Smart

You don’t have to be the highest payer in your market—you just have to be competitive. Regularly check what the competition is paying (a great assignment for interns), said Steve Seymour, director of personnel and training and development for United Refining Company/Country Fair Inc. in Erie, Pennsylvania, and author of the book 100 Ideas to Improve the Workplace. “Your competition extends beyond just c-stores; also look at QSRs, dollar stores and even light manufacturing pay in your market,” he said. He noted that pay analysis should also include a review of benefits and time off.

Be Social on Social Media

Employees love being the focus of social media posts. “A social media post highlighting the price of eggs may get a few likes; an employee doing something cool gets thousands,” said Ana Castillo, people and culture manager/retail at Parkland USA in Houston, Texas.

Reimagine Training

Focused training has greatly enhanced Spicewood, Texas-based retailer TXB’s operations and reduced turnover. The week-long training covers different video and on-the-job training elements and gives clear expectations (reducing heartache!) of what jobs require, tying into the company’s overall mission of “Leave ’em Better,” said Abby Curlin, corporate recruiter and training developer at TXB. Specific days focus on the core elements of the business: TXB is friendly (an overview of hospitality), TXB is safe (the importance of food safety, ID verification and personal safety) and TXB is clean (the elements of cleaning the store).

Be Trustworthy

Fifty-eight percent of people say they trust strangers more than they trust their bosses. And given that a relationship with a direct supervisor is the top reason someone quits a job, that should be a huge concern, said Hannah Ubl, co-founder of Good Company Consulting, in the appropriately titled presentation “Creating a Workplace that Doesn’t Suck.” In the interactive session, Ubl also had the group focus on how the generations approach work and communications differently.

From HR to AR?

Finally, pets are an up-and-coming issue. Several companies now offer pet insurance discounts in their benefits packages. And with pets considered part of the family in many cases, so is providing time off to grieve when a pet dies. “Pet bereavement is coming,” said Rayma Alexandrer, director of corporate communications and diversity, equity and inclusion with the Wills Group in La Plata, Maryland. So how does that play out with goldfish and/or other pets beyond the traditional dogs or cats? And if you have 10 cats in your house…?

The three-day Forum hit upon a plethora of up-and-coming HR topics, with ideas flowing readily. “Strive to leave here with three ideas that you want to try at your company—making sure to build out a plan to demonstrate their value and return on investment,” said HR Forum moderator Julie Jackowski, retired chief legal officer and secretary for Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s.

With so much information and ideas flowing throughout the sessions, the HR professionals in attendance were encouraged to prioritize what works best for them. Great ideas and calls to action don’t all have to be done at once, though. “Better is a direction,” Jackowski noted.