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In a recent interview with Harvard Business Review, Whole Foods’ CEO Jason Buechel said a primary employee retention tool for the organic grocer is creating opportunities for advancement.
At the store level, apprentice programs for butchers, certified cheese professionals, and bakery decorators help associates develop skills and trades they can not only employ at Whole Foods but elsewhere in life.
“It’s not only great for the team member, but it’s great for our customers,” stated Buechel. “Our customers are actually coming to Whole Foods Market for the great expertise and experience we can provide.”
Broader career development programs supported 11,000 promotions at Whole Foods over the prior 12 months, with store leadership programs available across multiple levels within the store. Buechel said, “Team members not only see their current next-step opportunities, but they see the growth and support they’re going to have at future levels as well.”
Also helping with retention is Whole Foods’ Cultivate mentoring program, which Buechel believes extends further than similar retail efforts. Buechel explained, “Most other retailers might offer this type of program for their store team leader or store leadership. We open up all this for our team members so they have opportunities to connect with other folks to get supporting, coaching, mentoring experiences.”
A 2022 survey from McKinsey found that the desire for more flexibility was the top reason frontline retail employees wanted to leave their jobs within the next three to six months. However, having inadequate career development opportunities was a close second.
Among other grocers, Giant Food has several programs that support the careers of front-line workers, including formal and informal mentoring processes and access to leadership and professional development courses, including public speaking and similar management training courses. Giant also conducts engagement surveys to ensure its associates are having conversations about their careers with managers and leaders outside of their direct supervisors to gain different perspectives on their potential career paths, according to SHRM.
Cristina Ciorna, director of learning, organization development, engagement, and internal communications at Giant Food, told SHRM, "We talk about career pathing from the first day—stories and constant communications around associates' upward movement.”