Dive Brief:

• Sheetz’ Store Team Helper program, which gives people with intellectual and developmental disabilities opportunities to find meaningful jobs with the company, has seen early success since its 2019 launch, according to a post by nonprofit Penn-Mar Human Services, which works with Sheetz on the program.
• The program, which is still in its pilot phase, has helped 20 people find employment at Sheetz stores in Pennsylvania’s Blair and York counties. It has also resulted in two hires at Sheetz’s distribution center at its corporate campus in Claysburg, Pennsylvania. 
• The initiative is part of Sheetz’s company-wide, employee-focused policy of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA).

Dive Insight:

Just a few years in, Sheetz’s inclusive hiring program is already making an impact at the company. 

Sheetz conducted a survey last year and found that scores for friendliness and cleanliness were above the corporate average at stores with Store Team Helpers. Additionally, the program has seen turnover rates far below other hourly positions throughout the company.

Penn-Mar highlighted Brian Honeychuck, the first person hired when the program expanded from Blair to York county. Two years later, he’s still a member of the team at the Sheetz on Queen Street in York.

“Brian for example is in a work environment where he’s part of a work family and gets to know his coworkers and maybe gets invited to a graduation or birthday party,” said Stephen Martynuska, a human services and customized employment consultant who was brought on by Sheetz to help launch the program started, in the post. “[These team members] are forming friendships like everyone else.”

Sheetz’s ultimate goal for the program is to move beyond its two-county Pennsylvania area. While Penn-Mar’s post indicated that other states are interested in the program, the retailer will need to find partners to work with in those areas to make the expansion a reality.

“Stephen has been a wonderful resource for us in connecting with agencies in Pennsylvania, but it’s a little more difficult to connect with agencies in other states as we’re not familiar with them,” Stacy Alleman, Sheetz’s employee relations supervisor, said in the post. “Saying that, we do have district managers willing to help us look into similar agencies in their areas. I can foresee that it will be well received.”

Penn-Mar aims to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Pennsylvania and Maryland areas. It’s one of several employment provider agencies working with Sheetz on the Store Team Helper program. The nonprofit helps find applicants with the skill, ability and interest to fill positions with the retailer, then provides further support like job coaching, on-site reviews and regular check-ins with those people once they’ve been hired. 

“Sheetz views providers as the experts in helping support the person in their new jobs,” said Martynuska. “So, we look to them to be the key networker of the Sheetz employee.” 

Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz operates around 670 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.