Dollar General Beats the Labor Crunch
Dollar General says it has hired more than 50,000 new employees since mid-July, and it's not done with its latest hiring spree yet.
The retailer is looking to hire additional employees for opportunities currently available in stores, distribution centers, the DG Private Fleet and Store Support Center.
“At Dollar General, we continue to invest in our diverse teams through development, empowerment and inclusion, and we encourage candidates looking to join a purpose-driven company that provides unparalleled employee development to apply online,” said Kathy Reardon, Dollar General’s EVP and chief people officer. “Dollar General provides unrivaled opportunities for motivated individuals to start or advance their careers, and we look forward to welcoming new colleagues to the Dollar General employee family who share a passion for serving our customers and communities.”
Part of the reason why Dollar General has been successful in its hiring efforts is the company's innovative incentives.
The retailer is currently offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus to drivers with an active Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) hired now through Jan. 28 to be paid within the employees’ first six months of service. In addition to robust bonus opportunities, including referral, performance and retention bonuses, Dollar General recently announced a new initiative allowing drivers to bring one "co-pilot," a vaccinated dog or cat of eligible breeds, along with them on the road.
DG Fleet drivers can earn a competitive mileage-based pay, unload pay and annual bonus opportunities. Dollar General is also a GI Bill certified employer with an internal, company-paid Class A CDL training program available for warehouse and store employees.
Career opportunities at Dollar General’s 27 traditional (dry) and DG Fresh distribution centers are also currently available in general warehouse, human resources, inventory control, maintenance, training and administration areas. Additionally, current Dollar General supply chain employees may participate in an internal job referral program, earning unlimited bonuses for each successful candidate referred.
“Our distribution centers and private fleet network are the heartbeat of DG’s supply chain and demonstrate our mission of Serving Others by playing a critical role in ensuring customers find the products they need at their local Dollar General,” said Tony Zuazo, EVP of global supply chain. “As our supply chain team expands to serve additional DG stores and communities, we are proud to offer our new and current employees numerous opportunities to grow their careers with us.”
Earlier this week, Walmart announced it plans to hire 20,000 new associates at more than 250 Walmart and Sam’s Club distribution centers, fulfillment centers and transportation offices.
To that end, the company will hold special hiring events on Sept. 8-9 to identify candidates for the permanent full- and part-time roles, including order fillers, freight handlers, lift drivers, technicians and management positions. The average wage for supply chain associates is $20.37 per hour.
Dollar General’s store presence includes more than 17,600 stores in 46 states, providing career opportunities throughout rural, suburban and metropolitan communities across the country. Opportunities to support retail stores include roles as regional directors, district managers, store managers, assistant managers, part-time/full-time lead sales associates and part-time sales associates. The company offers eligible employees 401k savings and retirement plans and competitive health and wellness benefits including day-one telemedicine eligibility with no co-pay. Other benefits include tuition reimbursement, paid parental leave and adoption assistance to eligible employees, and the Employee Assistance Foundation.
The retailer recently completed the rollout of fresh and frozen food to most store assortments during the second quarter, a period that saw the company continuing to cycle its pandemic gains from last year.
For the quarter ended July 30, Dollar General's income was $637 million, or $2.69 per share, down from $787.6 million, or $3.12 per share in the prior year quarter. Sales were down 0.4% of $8.65 billion. Same-store sales fell 4.7% but increased 14.1% on a two-year stack basis.
“During the quarter, we made significant progress on many key initiatives, including the completion of our initial rollout of DG Fresh and the opening of our first pOpshelf store-within-a-store concept," CEO Todd Vasos said. "In addition, we executed more than 750 real estate projects, including new store openings in our pOpshelf concept and larger footprint Dollar General formats. We remain focused on delivering value and convenience for our customers, while driving long-term sustainable growth and value for our shareholders. We feel very good about the underlying strength of the business, and we are excited about our plans for the second half of fiscal 2021.”
Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based Dollar General operates more than 17,000 stores in 46 states, employing approximately 140,000 associates. The company is No. 15 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
