Rewarding employees and offering paths for growth can set a company apart from others.
In today’s competitive environment, finding and retaining high-quality employees is top of mind for most retailers, especially in the convenience store industry with its historically high turnover rates at the store level. Fostering a positive relationship with employees at all levels and creating a workplace where they know what is required of them, feel supported, and are rewarded and offered growth opportunities can set a company apart from others.
“We want our team members to feel really connected to the overall company culture and a larger purpose where they are part of a family beyond just the store they work in,” said Alison Lapointe, director of talent development and learning at La Plata, Md.-based Dash In Food Stores, which operates 60-plus locations. “For new team members in-store and at new store opening orientations, we let them know they have career opportunities and can grow beyond just the one store, and that we care about them and have a leadership team that will go to bat for them.”
Dash In, which has landed on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list multiple times, prioritizes its employees in a number of ways, including profit sharing, flexible time off, daily pay and growth programs. From day one, new store employees are told they could grow from a team member to a supervisor, assistant general manager and general manager.
“It’s important for people to feel like they are not just a number filling a shift and checking people in and out of the store,” said Lapointe. “It’s about connecting them to a larger culture.”
While incentives like a competitive wage, health benefits and the opportunity to work as many as hours as they like are important to employees, it’s also key to make sure they know what is expected of them and to reward them when they perform well, according to Jeff Keune, principal consultant at 4910 Consulting, a Boston-based brain trust that works with c-store retailers.
“There are a lot of great people who leave because they feel like they don’t know what they are supposed to do,” Keune said, noting that training and defining expectations are essential. “Make sure the culture, expectations and standards are clear. Knowing it’s a hard job, the more you can celebrate them and make sure they feel pride and importance in the brand, the better they will do every day.”
Rewards, Benefits & Growth
Offering upfront training along with training that allows for growth within a company is something top-performing employees value and look for in an employer. Whether they’re working the register, handling foodservice, greeting customers or stocking shelves, c-stores need to “set employees up for success,” which means clear directions and expectations from day one, coaching when needed, and rewarding a job well-done, Keune explained.
“Know your brand standards and create an operating playbook laying out systems, processes and expectations,” he said. “There should be coaching if an employee is not meeting standards, but also a culture of rewards when people do a good job.”
At Dash In, each employee receives onboarding training and, recently added, top-performing employees designated as certified trainers go into stores and train others.
“We are being more intentional about coaching and providing feedback — both negative and positive — because people in general want to do a good job,” Lapointe said.
Highlighting a job done well helps create a positive work environment and gives employees the desire to strive for more. For example, Wendy’s holds national conventions where they recognize team members, store managers and franchisees in a public way, Keune noted. This inspires those who are doing well to work harder, so they can be on that stage in the future.
“Thorntons has had general manager conferences and based on scorecards, the top 10 were brought on stage and recognized with video, and then the general manager of the year drove away with a new car,” he added.
Strong benefits are also something employees look for in a company, whether it’s health benefits, competitive pay, flexible scheduling or the option for daily pay. Dash In provides all of this and more to its team members.
“The baseline is competitive pay,” Lapointe shared. “We are very serious about making sure employees are well compensated and won’t leave to go to a competitor for 50 cents more an hour. We make sure we are competitive, and the benefits we give reflect that as well.”
Each year, the company surveys employees to make sure they understand the benefits package during open enrollment, and then another survey goes out six months later to see what additional benefits employees may be interested in. Both pet insurance and legal services have been added based on this survey, according to Lapointe.
“We added access to a legal plan, so team members can contact an attorney if they need something around child support, divorce, a car accident and more, and people have taken advantage of it,” she reported.
Additionally, the chain offers 100% tuition reimbursement for college and GED, as well as “a really generous 401K program” with all full-time employees automatically enrolled, Lapointe said, noting that this benefit is also extended to part-time employees who work 30 hours a week. “We automatically start putting 2% of their pay in and we match up to 7%. We do profit sharing as well each year.”
Another way Dash In focuses on fostering a positive work environment is participating in a number of community events to give back locally, and the retailer gives its employees the ability to participate with flexible time off. Employees can also participate in organizations of their choice. “People often cite on the Great Place to Work survey that they really value how we give back to the community and it makes them feel part of something bigger,” Lapointe shared.
However, while wages, benefits, training and rewards are all part of the recipe for a successful and thriving workplace, Keune emphasized that offering opportunities for growth can be the difference between retaining a high performer or losing them to another retailer.
“One of the true best practices I have learned from QSRs [quick-service restaurants] is you need avenues for people who want to advance their career,” he said.
Dash In, for one, offers training tracks for store-level team members to grow into a supervisor or assistant manager role. A team member can work with a leader in their store to go through the leadership tracks in the training program, so they can qualify, apply and get approved.
“We really try to grow our talent from within,” said Lapointe.
Communication & Support
Ensuring all employees feel supported and have an avenue for help is another key component for a thriving workplace. This is true for both small issues like changing a schedule or requesting time off, as well as larger issues that arise.
Giving employees open access to communicate with managers, as well as go above them to corporate when needed, is just as important as making sure they receive the communications flowing to them, according to Deb Muller, CEO of HR Acuity, a Florham Park, N.J.-based provider of HR management and employee relations software.
“How you manage things when they go wrong is what makes or breaks trust,” Muller said. “You build loyalty when things go wrong and you handle it well.”
Whether it is an issue like time and attendance isn’t working, a customer is rude, a manager or other employee violates a policy, or a personal crisis, there should be a way to communicate this not just to a manager, but above them as well, she explained.
And more than the ability to report an issue, the way a company responds and supports the employee makes all the difference. A recent way that Dash In supported its employees was with crisis grants during the government shutdown in 2025.
“We offered crisis grants up to $2,000 and people took advantage of that as spouses were laid off or furloughed. We saw a spike in crisis grant requests,” Lapointe said. “We want to help people through those times. We have a vested interest in them, and it sets us apart. We understand if our employees are taken care of, they will show up and be their best selves at work.”
Setting employees up for success includes listening and understanding when something goes wrong, whether it’s a store manager, store employee or someone at the corporate level doing the listening, Keune echoed.
“A team member should always feel like they have an avenue for help, whether in their personal life or an issue at work, and whether it’s a schedule change or working with someone they don’t feel comfortable with,” he said. “There is always a way to find a solution that is best for the brand, the business, the team member and other people involved.”
