Here For What Matters During National Mentorship Month and Year-Round
Jan 09, 2024
How DG helps employees grow their careers with the Company through mentorship and educational opportunities
At Dollar General, we are committed to investing in our people which includes providing opportunities to aid employees’ growth and development. Our training and development programs begin with the onboarding process and continue throughout an employee’s career. In fact, as of FY ’22 more than 75% of our employees at or above the lead sales associate position have been promoted from within the Company.
“Through our culture driven mission of Serving Others, Dollar General aims to foster an environment where each individual feels valued and supported which can be exemplified by our robust development opportunities for employees to thrive at the Company,” shared Lori Bremer, Dollar General’s vice president of talent management. “Through inclusive programs using emerging technologies and broadening partnerships, DG employees can embark on curated development journeys at various points in their careers. We are to proud help our DG family enhance their skills and talents and achieve their goals.”
During January’s National Mentorship Month, Dollar General is spotlighting employees across the business who have not only grown their careers, but helped others grow, too.
INVESTING IN PEERS
Bryan B., a district manager in New Orleans, Louisiana, says his leadership style revolves around a passion for people and finding ways to develop others. With nearly 30 years of retail experience, Bryan joined DG in 2020 and since then, has recruited other district managers to the Company while helping a store manager grow into a district manager role.
“I look for people who are hungry for success, who are doing great things and are hard workers,” said Bryan. “For Bryant A., who joined DG as a store manager, I wanted to help him get his feet wet, learn DG and fine tune his skills. Today he is supporting his team as a successful district manager. Those I’ve recruited are constantly making things happen.”
Bryan credits his ability to get to know people with building a strong team. “I think about the people whose paths I’ve crossed. I observe their career path and what’s going on with their future, what their plans are. If they want to do bigger and better things, I offer them opportunities at Dollar General. The sky is the limit here and there is nothing at the company you can’t do. If you want to grow into, for example, human resources, maintenance or the Store Support Center, there’s no limit. You have access to development resources at DG.”
DEVELOPING UNDER-REPRESENTED TALENT
“I look for people who are hungry for success, who are doing great things and are hard workers,” said Bryan. “For Bryant A., who joined DG as a store manager, I wanted to help him get his feet wet, learn DG and fine tune his skills. Today he is supporting his team as a successful district manager. Those I’ve recruited are constantly making things happen.”
Bryan credits his ability to get to know people with building a strong team. “I think about the people whose paths I’ve crossed. I observe their career path and what’s going on with their future, what their plans are. If they want to do bigger and better things, I offer them opportunities at Dollar General. The sky is the limit here and there is nothing at the company you can’t do. If you want to grow into, for example, human resources, maintenance or the Store Support Center, there’s no limit. You have access to development resources at DG.”
DEVELOPING UNDER-REPRESENTED TALENT
Shareeka M. joined Dollar General in 2012 as a senior buyer and has held roles of increasing responsibility before her promotion to vice president, division merchandise manager in 2021. Through her career journey she has led by example while also investing in others. Within her merchandising team she strives to establish a great culture and to place importance on recognition, mentorship and development opportunities. As a sponsor of DG’s African American Employee Resource Group, she helps lead opportunities for networking and serving the community.
Shareeka recently completed the Company’s Develop 2 Lead mentorship program, which identifies, develops and prepares future leaders at DG through sponsorship and commitment to the employee’s career aspirations by a DG Officer.
“I had a sponsor who invested in my professional and personal growth, who was intentional about creating a safe environment for conversation and honest feedback,” said Shareeka. “I was provided exposure to many experiences and given the opportunity to strengthen relationships within the organization.”
Shareeka shared that as an exceptional leader and fearless advocate, her sponsor instilled confidence and encouraged her to think broader and aim higher. “I am truly honored to have his guidance and support as I navigate my career.’”
Shareeka recently completed the Company’s Develop 2 Lead mentorship program, which identifies, develops and prepares future leaders at DG through sponsorship and commitment to the employee’s career aspirations by a DG Officer.
“I had a sponsor who invested in my professional and personal growth, who was intentional about creating a safe environment for conversation and honest feedback,” said Shareeka. “I was provided exposure to many experiences and given the opportunity to strengthen relationships within the organization.”
Shareeka shared that as an exceptional leader and fearless advocate, her sponsor instilled confidence and encouraged her to think broader and aim higher. “I am truly honored to have his guidance and support as I navigate my career.’”
LEADERSHIP DEVELOP PROGRAMS
Tonya F. began her career at Dollar General’s Zanesville, Ohio distribution center as an hourly associate in 2001 and evolved over the past 23-years to pursue leadership growth. Throughout her career progression one thing was constant, gaining experience and preparing for the next level. As DG grew and added more facilities to its supply chain, Tonya’s cross-functional knowledge allowed her to help on-board new teams.
“I didn’t have a leadership title coming into DG but behind the scenes I got to see and hear what each team’s opportunities and silos were, and what stood in their way of being successful. All that knowledge helped me learn so I could later teach the leaders under me.”
During her assignment in Marion, Indiana, Tonya was taken under the wings of that DC’s director and HR manager. Tonya credits the duo with providing one-on-one mentorship, helping her evaluate opportunities and identify strengths. In 2021, Tonya was promoted to assistant director and the following year was invited to participate in the Company’s Emerging Leaders Program. In 2023, she was promoted to director of DG’s San Antonio Fresh DC.
“You have to build respect and a relationship with your team on every level. I have a lot of female hourly employees and leaders on my team. It can be intimidating to take that first step to become a leader. I am proud to support my team and have had a lot of females raise their hand and say they are ready for that next step in their careers.”
“I didn’t have a leadership title coming into DG but behind the scenes I got to see and hear what each team’s opportunities and silos were, and what stood in their way of being successful. All that knowledge helped me learn so I could later teach the leaders under me.”
During her assignment in Marion, Indiana, Tonya was taken under the wings of that DC’s director and HR manager. Tonya credits the duo with providing one-on-one mentorship, helping her evaluate opportunities and identify strengths. In 2021, Tonya was promoted to assistant director and the following year was invited to participate in the Company’s Emerging Leaders Program. In 2023, she was promoted to director of DG’s San Antonio Fresh DC.
“You have to build respect and a relationship with your team on every level. I have a lot of female hourly employees and leaders on my team. It can be intimidating to take that first step to become a leader. I am proud to support my team and have had a lot of females raise their hand and say they are ready for that next step in their careers.”
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As a key operating priority, Dollar General invests in employees as a competitive advantage. To learn more about career opportunities at DG visit https://careers.dollargeneral.com. To learn more about how DG is helping the communities it serves, visit hereforwhatmatters.com.