Personal is the big buzzword in retail, whether it's an in-store experience or a digital interaction, and finding and hiring employees able to deliver a personalized customer experience is a critical business element.

And that's where employee training comes in at Dollar General Corp. The goal is not only helping employees boost skillsets and advance, but also to support the all-important employee-customer relationship. To make that happen the retailer, which is based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, is partnering with Axonify, a training platform and content marketplace.

"While training is always critical, the competition for talent has never been greater. Finding ways to train and develop in a rapidly evolving marketplace is essential," Kathy Reardon, EVP and chief people officer, told Retail Customer Experience in an email interview. "We are proud of the work we have been able to do to not only sustain our world-class training during the pandemic, but even accelerate it!"

The small-box discount retailer, founded in 1939 and which operates 17,266 stores in 46 states, will deploy the Axonify technology to provide personalized business learning and development to its more than 157,000 frontline, supply chain and corporate employees.

It chose Axonify after evaluating several providers to find the right partner. Axonify will enable Dollar General to measure how training knowledge is being applied on the job, helping the retailer align employee learning with business objectives, it said. The platform is mobile-enabled and will allow Dollar General to employ a people-first device strategy through existing systems and mobile devices.

"Axonify brought an expertise in retail and a forward-thinking approach to training that we believe will help us meaningfully serve our employees' needs both today and into the future," said Reardon.

In addition to boosting current staff skills, the technology will help Dollar General recruit workers in what's fast-becoming a super-competitive retail hiring market.

"At Dollar General, providing our employees with opportunities to gain new skills and develop their talents in a friendly and respectful work environment is one of our values," she said. "When our employees are able to grow and learn, when they are able to experience the impact they can have on our customers lives, it certainly helps foster a culture that others want to be a part of."

The retailer's tagline is "come grow with us," Reardon noted, explaining it's much more than a branding message.

"We believe when it comes to both attracting and retaining great talent, that topnotch training and development is essential," she said.

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