Sponsored by Sprockets
High turnover is a common challenge in the convenience store industry. Many establishments struggle to retain qualified and experienced staff. The NACS State of the Industry Compensation Report found that The full-time employee turnover rate was 119%, and the part-time employee turnover rate was 182% in 2021.
Fast-food chains face similar issues with new hires and high turnover rates. Rhiannon Wilson, human resources manager for Lafontant Organization, LLC—a McDonald’s franchisee with three locations—took her current job during the pandemic when the organization was experiencing high turnover numbers. “I walked into this position in October of 2021 with a 90-day turnover of 69.3% and a trailing 12-month turnover rate (TTM) of 166%,” Wilson says. “Using sprockets, we now have a 90-day of 53% and a TTM of 143%.” That means Wilson and her organization have reduced 90-day turnover by 24% and TTM by 14% in just over a year—and Wilson adds that those numbers continue to trend in a positive direction for her team. This success story demonstrates the potential benefits Sprockets can bring to the convenience store industry.
Sprockets streamlines the hiring process by automatically identifying the best candidates. Instead of traditional interview questions, Sprockets sends applicants a simple, three-question survey to determine whether they would be a good fit for specific roles and locations. It predicts which applicants will be successful based on shared personality traits with current top employees.
Sprockets analyzes applicants’ behavior and ability to fit into the organizations’ culture, predicting their potential success.This McDonald’s franchisee recognized the importance of new hires getting along with the current team. Similarly, convenience stores can benefit from this approach by hiring candidates who align with their organizational values and show a genuine interest in the industry. This will help prevent conflict during work. A healthy, collaborative work environment will contribute to employee satisfaction and long-term engagement, improving productivity and customer service in convenience stores. “Our crew is staying with the organization longer. The average number of employees who stay at least one year has grown from 11 crew members to 28 since October 2021,” Wilson says.
Hiring managers often lack the necessary tools to evaluate candidates effectively. This can result in losing applicants and wasting time on interviews. Sprockets’ automated scoring system and instant alerts enable managers to streamline the hiring process. Managers can reach out to high-scoring applicants as soon as Sprockets notifies them. By utilizing Sprockets’ automated tools, convenience store managers can optimize their hiring practices, ensuring a more efficient and effective recruitment process.
The successful collaboration between Sprockets and this McDonald’s franchisee should serve as an inspiration for convenience stores in tackling comparable hiring and turnover issues. By applying the same approach as this McDonald’s group, convenience stores can minimize their turnover rates, ensure a more reliable and consistent workforce, improve cultural fit, and make data-driven hiring decisions. This enhances employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and sales growth.
To discover more about how Sprockets can transform your convenience store’s hiring process, check out the Sprockets website.
By Olivia Schuster