7-Eleven Inc. is deploying an artificial intelligence (AI) platform for store-level recruitment to improve the job-candidate experience, simplify store operations and to reduce the overall time for the onboarding process, David Massey, senior director of talent acquisition at 7-Eleven Inc., recently told CSP.
While he couldn’t share the details of the AI deployment yet, he outlined in this Q&A how Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven elevates the hiring game to attract the best people and offered tips on how other convenience-store retailers can do the same:
Q: How is hiring at your chain?
A: 7-Eleven Inc. accounts for 13,000 stores in the U.S. alone, so hiring and retaining talent is always top of mind for our organization—which, in addition to 7-Eleven stores, also includes our Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits banners. We are currently hiring both at the store level as well as at our Store Support Centers in Irving and Enon [Ohio], with openings in IT, maintenance, technology and other areas.
Q: Can you talk about the struggles that c-stores have been experiencing in recent years to attract and retain employees?
A: We believe that 7-Eleven Inc. is a best-in-class employer, and we’re proud to offer our employees a variety of career benefits and growth opportunities—both at our corporate-owned stores and Store Support Centers. We are excited about the strong growth and innovation we’re seeing across the enterprise and believe this will attract strong talent that can help us continue to give customers what they want, when and where they want it. We utilize a number of recruitment channels to attract talent to the organization, including but not limited to social media, job boards, radio and print media and localized on-the-ground approaches.
Q: Are you at full staff?
A: Summer is here, and we’re looking for new, customer-obsessed employees to help meet the surge in demand both in-store and through orders made online via 7NOW Delivery. Those who are interested in learning more about open positions can visit careers.7-eleven.com and speedway.com/careers.
Q: How does that compare to last year? Two years ago?
A: The addition of Speedway to our portfolio of brands in 2021 has allowed us to bring convenience to more customers than ever before and certainly reinforced our need for dedicated and passionate team members to serve our customers.
Q: What’s working now at your c-store chain to improve hiring?
A: 7-Eleven is an iconic, 96-year-old brand with a history of firsts—like coffee in to-go cups, 24/7 hours and self-serve soda fountains--and iconic products, like Slurpee and Big Gulp drinks, that have become a part of American culture. We find that the brand’s history and global presence have helped us attract and retain talent. Our annual National Hiring Day event provides an influx of store-level talent to support our summer surge in demand both in-store and through orders made online via 7NOW Delivery.
Q: Can you share any other tips or strategies to improve c-store hiring?
A: We know that career benefits are key to attracting talent that will best serve our customers—including flexible work schedules, competitive pay and other career advancement opportunities.
Q:How are you using technology to improve hiring, to reach more potential applicants?
A: We are currently deploying an artificial intelligence (AI) platform for our store-level recruitment to improve the candidate experience, simplify store operations and to significantly reduce the time of the overall hiring process. Initial results are proving to be outstanding.
Q:How are you using technology to minimize the number of employees you need in a store?
A: We’re always looking for ways to implement new technology and innovation that can help us build smart and efficient stores. We’re focused on automating and simplifying store and enterprise capabilities to drive productivity and operational efficiencies. Our award-winning 7Rewards app is one example of this—which includes key features like Mobile Checkout or the 7-Eleven Wallet that help improve the checkout process for both customers and associates.
- 7-Eleven is No. 1 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
7-Eleven Inc. operates, franchises or licenses more than 83,000 convenience stores in 19 countries and regions, including more than 13,000 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States and Canada. In addition, it operates and franchises Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits locations.