Creating a Culture for a Great Workplace

Bob Graczyk of New Jersey-based Quick Chek discussed at the NACS Show how to create an environment in which employees want to work hard and invest in the company’s success.

October 14, 2013

ATLANTA – The keys to maintaining a great working environment for employees are to encourage your employees to maintain your core values at all times, recognize valuable employees and promote from within the company and keep an open line of communication, said Bob Graczyk, Quick Chek vice president of human resources, during Sunday’s session, “Creating a Culture for a Great Workplace.”

Located throughout New Jersey and southern New York, Quick Chek consists of more than 135 fresh food convenience stores and gas stations. The chain has been recognized as the best place to work in New Jersey three years in a row and also in New York for the first time this year.

“Being a great place to work comes first in our mission statement, because when our employees want to show up and take care of each other and our customers, the rest will come together more easily,” Graczyk said.

Quick Chek leaders stress the importance of maintaining core values and behaviors to all current and potential employees. “Create the culture you want, and then clearly describe it to them,” he said.

An extensive “on-board” process was put into place to ensure every employee hired is aligned with those values, Graczyk noted. The multistep hiring process includes filling out an online application through the JobApp Network, which allows store leaders to screen applicants through a ranking system. Applicants then must complete a “behavioral interview” with two Quick Chek leaders. In these interviews, applicants are not asked about skills, but instead are reviewed for attitude.

“Talent and skills are important, but if you have that without the [great attitude], it doesn’t work,” he said. “If you have the fit, you can build the skills later.”

Following the interview, applicants go through background and drug screening and then attend “The Quick Chek Experience,” a daylong course taught by district leaders that discusses the company’s values and policies. Finally, the new employee meets the rest of the team, completes web-based training and finishes with on-the-job learning. In total, employees accomplish 35 hours of training and coaching, Graczyk said. After 30 days and 45 days of employment, team members check in with Quick Chek employees to discuss their job performances.

The company also tries to promote from within the company, and sends all assistant store leaders and store leaders through its “Quick Chek University,” a 10-part in-house leadership development program. Employee recognition also is part of the company culture, he said. Leaders are encouraged to write up “way-to-go notes” for employees applauding great work.

Quick Chek also sends birthday cards to all employees; recognizes its “team member of the month;” awards hard-working employees quarterly and annually; treats award-winners to the TCD Weekend, a yearly party that celebrates employees; and invites year-end winners to sit on the President’s Leadership Council, a group that provides advice to President and CEO Dean Durling.

Finally, open communication with all employees is a must. Quick Chek holds weekly and monthly town hall meetings, sends a “Quick Talk” newsletter to all employees, holds store meetings with leaders weekly and teams monthly, holds weekly district meetings and more.

“We can’t over-communicate,” Graczyk said. This focus on employee retention has helped the company see less turnover each year. It is boosting the bottom line, too. “Customers believe it’s a great place to shop, according to surveys we’ve done,” he noted. “The survey comments are all centered on our employees — they like our team member friendliness, our employees’ willingness to go the extra mile. It keeps customers coming back.”

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