Chad Frazell has been with Casey’s since January 2020, following stints at several types of retailers, including Tractor Supply Co., Shopko, Target, Kohl’s and Walmart.
“During the pandemic, employees learned that they are essential, and that led to a host of challenges,” he says, calling out people opting out of the workforce and dealing with childcare issues. Casey’s employee base is 60% female, and women were disproportionally affected.
The company increased the pace of change, and now has a more diverse leadership team. In 2021, it was recognized for having a gender-balanced board by 50/50 Women on Boards, a global education and advocacy campaign.
“At Casey’s, we have focused on instilling our values at all levels of the organization and providing meaningful benefits to our team members by listening and providing our people what they want,” Frazell says. He cites the chain’s parental leave and Team Member Support Fund, which it rolled out last year, and the Earned Wage Access (Daily Pay) program to help reduce the stress of inflation.
“We’ve improved the hiring experience for the candidates, including reducing friction with our applicant tracking system,” he says. “We have implemented a Store Manager and Fuel Driver Advisory Board to improve front-line feedback and returned to in-person meetings on an annual and quarterly basis with field leaders. We also added to our development program with a leadership-focused offering, key operational leadership programs and grew our internship program to bring new talent to Casey’s.”