Why Mapco Express Is Rethinking Its Staff Training
By Alaina Lancaster on Jul. 12, 2017BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- Mapco Express has hit the reset button on employee education and communication processes.
“We have used a learning management system in the past to onboard all of our team members in the stores,” Alexandra Dalton, director of learning and development for the retailer, told CSP Daily News. “For most of our team members in stores, their job is not behind a computer. So why is their training behind a computer?”
Mapco's rethinking of its training procedures comes in the wake of the Brentwood, Tenn.-based chain being acquired in November by Chile’s COPEC from Delek U.S.
Here are a few ways the chain is updating the way the convenience-store chain teaches and talks to employees ...
Bite-sized training
In the past, Mapco Express workers would spend a chunk of time behind the computer, and then try to take that information from the learning management system onto the store floor. “That’s not really how people learn,” Dalton told CSP Daily News. Moving forward, the chain plans to create modules that are only a few minutes long at a time, a process known as microlearning. In the fast-paced convenience-retailing industry, it’s helpful for employees to get their hands on the training and get back to work, she said.
Dalton also recognizes she can't rely exclusively on microlearning. “[Employees] come from different geographical areas, different ages, different backgrounds; you have to differentiate your learning because every learner is different,” she said.
Communication models
To help associates once they are in the store, Mapco is exploring mobile applications or point-of-sale (POS) systems that can send reminder messages to employees.
“There’s not a single vendor where we don’t ask, 'What are your different communication models and applications,' ” Dalton said. “That is always a conversation.”
Explain why
For more effective communication, Mapco Express is emphasizing the need for a “why” at the base of any conversation.
“People will retain more when they have a rationale of why they’re doing it,” Dalton said. The chain has a special icon in each correspondence, where employees can find out why they need to know the information.
Break down silos
Dalton is partnering with other teams in the organization, such as the marketing department, to standardize voice and communication processes from staff to guests.
“We can utilize the marketing team’s strength of communication with [human resources] to communicate with external guests and internal team members,” she said. “When you’re taking care of your team members you’re taking care of your guests.”