TAMPA, Fla. – Succession planning, training and development, employee handbooks and retaining and recruiting talented team members were focal points of discussion at the just-concluded NACS HR Forum.

The industry’s largest HR-focused conference, facilitated by Terry McKenna, principal at Employee Performance Strategies Inc., provided an intense overview of today’s pressing human resources (HR) topics as well as lively discussions with peers. More than 70 attendees participated in the three-day Forum, representing both large convenience and fuel retail chains of more than 1,000 stores to companies that operate less than 10 locations.

Day 1: Employee Handbooks, Bullying
Day One began with a discussion of employee handbooks; it turns out that the definition of how companies define an employee handbook varied as much as the information that goes into it. Attendees also shared multiple objectives for employee handbooks, saying that they can be used as a communication tool for employee responsibilities, a roadmap for success, a one-stop shop for team members or a communication tool about the company’s culture, mission and guidelines.

Attendees agreed that above all, employee handbooks should include a company’s culture and mission statement. McKenna suggested that retailers also could use their handbooks to share their company’s history and story. “You have a great story to tell,” he said. Attendees were also in agreement that a handbook should not include information such as benefits details, financials and overly restrictive policies.

Bullying in the workplace elicited a lot of feedback from the group — mostly on how to define it. They also discussed how HR can protect team members who encounter a bullying situation. Bullying, said McKenna, has moved from the schoolhouse and into the workplace, and he noted that as it continues to evolve, HR professionals must stay ahead of the curve to protect their company and their employees.

Several health care and insurance experts talked extensively about Obamacare, wage and benefits and employment law, citing changes to laws and regulations. Overall, the message to HR is this: you must stay on top of labor laws and regulations, as well as health-care laws, because they change on a weekly basis. 

Day 2: Training & Development, Recruiting
Day Two of the NACS HR Forum began with a discussion of best practices for training and development, which range from partnering with local community colleges for grants that can help fulfill a training need — at a lost cost or for free — to in-store job fairs and mentoring. There was also discussion about aligning employee training with the company’s strategies.

“Are your training programs linked to your business strategies?” asked McKenna, noting that there’s often a disconnect between the two. He suggested that once a strategy is established, work backwards on how to achieve it, which will help determine the type of training a company needs.

For recruiting, McKenna asked the group to answer why a talented individual would want to work for their company, noting that jobs that instill a sense of purpose in a person’s life are an overwhelming differentiator in attracting and keeping top talent. He also outlined key retention strategies, suggesting that HR conduct a “stay” interview with long-tenured employees to take their pulse on management and the overall work environment.

Day 3: Succession Planning
Day Three wrapped up with a discussion of succession planning, which is an especially important issue for an industry with so many multi-generation businesses. Many attendees shared that their companies had some type of succession plan is in place, but it’s not often articulated. Also, many felt that while some up-and-coming team members could take the place of top-level executives, their current capabilities may be more tactical than strategic. The challenge for companies is to identify and develop team members who have the continuing vision and ability to take on the strategic plan.

For more on the NACS HR Forum, look for coverage in the April issue of NACS Magazine. Discover more HR resources in NACS Magazine related to employee handbooks and social media policies.