How do you find the right talent for your company and, when you do, how do you make them want to stay? You do it by thinking about the long game, focusing on work/life balance, optimizing the onboarding process and streamlining the interview process, according to Rachel Allen, senior director of talent acquisition for 7-Eleven, Inc.

“We do over 110,000 hires a year (in the United States and Canada), so it’s a topic we care a lot about and we’ve got our eyes on the trends and how to attract and retain talent,” Allen said during Tuesday’s education session, “Navigating the Future of Retail Talent.”

In the past four years, the U.S. labor market has seen three different eras, beginning with the disruption in 2020 from COVID, which brought about massive layoffs, followed by a short recovery period in 2021/2022 and leading to the current era of protracted regression.

“(Currently) we’re seeing the lowest in hiring that we’ve seen in three years as well as the highest amount of layoffs that we’ve seen in three years coupled with inflation, which is driving up the costs of our candidates, who are feeling the costs of food, costs of housing. That’s driving them to want to go find that new job that’s going to pay them more,” Allen said.

Even though workers are looking for higher wages, they report that they would stay at a job for five years if they really loved it, and what they do love is a secure/stable work environment, flexibility and the ability to schedule their lives around a consistent work schedule—often prizing these things over even salary. They also like the option for overtime and holiday pay, she said.

“Over half of our hourly retail workers say the ability to earn any kind of overtime or holiday pay is the No. 1 best aspect of their job,” Allen said.

Go-to Market Checklist for High-Volume Retail Hiring

1. Create a diverse sourcing portfolio optimizing for reach across common platforms and depth on niche sites.
2. Build robust talent pipelines that supply talent on an ongoing basis, even during periods of low volume.
3. Develop an on-site value prop that highlights unique location features, particularly for out-of-market talent.
4. Establish a vetting process to access candidate fit by using pre-assessments to screen talent early on.
5. Craft a high-volume recruitment process that is scalable, with brief applications and few interviews.
6. Highlight monetary benefits in the form of competitive wages, signing bonuses and options for overtime.
7. Emphasize available flexibility in work format, shift schedules, work hours and available PTO.
8. Signal long-term stability by describing how raises are earned and spotlighting medical benefits.
9. Design a high-tech, high-touch onboarding that automates logistics and builds belonging with coworkers.
10. Describe pathways for long-term growth by outlining internal and external upskilling opportunities.