CHICAGO -- C-stores can’t seem to shake the perception that the industry is great for a 16-year-old entering the workforce, but not so much for a job seeker looking for a career. Respondents said c-store positions were good for short-term or secondary employment, more than any other sector measured. Worse, only 40% of consumers said c-store retailers offer advancement opportunities.
“Our goal and objective is to give everyone the opportunity to grow and succeed,” says Mike Thornbrugh, QuikTrip’s manager of public and government affairs. “When people come in through the interviews, we talk about all the opportunities that are out there.”
One of the evaluation tools QT uses is an open dialogue among all store associates about their co-workers. “Everyone evaluates everyone else,” Thornbrugh says. “If you have an ego, you probably shouldn’t apply because you won’t last.”
Even the Tulsa, Okla.-based retailer’s top brass had to start somewhere. “Chet Cadieux started as a night assistant. Now he’s CEO,” Thornbrugh says.
Source: Technomic’s Winning the War for Talent Report, sponsored by DirecTV
More: 'Do My People Win?'
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