The retail career path has been unfairly maligned over the years as a dead end. I believe the historical and conventional rhetoric about retail has it all wrong. More than most career alternatives, retail opens doors all the way to the top. Many of the senior leaders at Dollar General, including Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO, Greg Sparks, EVP of store operations, and Todd Vasos, EVP, division president and chief merchandising officer, all started in junior roles and have remained in retail throughout their careers.
My retail career started after serving in the military, then working for PepsiCo for 11 years, before making the transition to retailing in footwear, Home Depot, Starbucks and now with DG. I would submit in all these cases, the difference between making retail an upwardly mobile career rests with individual drive, perseverance and attitude.
In my book, Up! The Difference Between Today and Tomorrow Is You, I make the case that there is much more within one's control than often realized. It's really up to you to determine how successful you become. Retail is no exception.
I have lived through the highest of highs and lowest of lows in this business. On the low side, I've lost a job and been passed over for promotion. In each instance, I had a choice between giving up or fighting on. My refusal to concede defeat has made all the difference in my career.
At Dollar General, we are creating a career mindset to help those willing to move up within the organization. We have invested significant resources in several key initiatives to help our employees develop their talents and advance their careers:
- Our robust individual growth and development plan process demonstrates our resolve to help employees maximize their career aspirations.
- Significant investments in training have resulted in internal placements into new roles that now exceed sixty percent. (Many companies don't even track internal movement.)
- Our Talent Development Centers have provided experiences and action plans for almost a thousand store operations employees.
- We've entered into a university alliance with 12 colleges that offer discounted degree programs for employees.
Being the chief people officer for a Fortune 200 company with almost 100,000 employees and with over 25 years of corporate experience working directly with people, I believe how far and fast one goes in life is really up to them. Retail is no different.
- Bob Ravener's Up! The Difference Between Today and Tomorrow Is You can be purchased on Amazon.com