Dive Brief:

• Dollar General will partner with Axonify to provide a training program to its 157,000 employees, including frontline and supply chain workers, the companies announced April 20.
• The training will be mobile-enabled through Axonify’s platform, featuring "bite-sized" learnings "right in the flow of work."
• "Whether onboarding a new sales associate, rolling out a new technology or product, or communicating company policies, a modern approach to training that evolves from a one-size-fits-all method is critical for today’s frontline employees," Carol Leaman, co-founder and CEO of Axonify, said in a statement.

Dive Insight:

Retailers are more seriously turning toward training as a talent strategy, even with the changes brought by the pandemic. For example, Walmart announced in September that it would cross-train associates to improve workforce flexibility, allow for more predictable scheduling and provide opportunities for employee advancement due to better access to manager feedback.

The pressure to hit revenue goals, especially in a pandemic, is one reason why employee retention has become so key to retailer strategy, experts previously told HR Dive. Robust training programs may also help employers stand out from the pack, particularly in industries with seasonality — retail included.

"Seasonal workers are applying to industries with high turnover and minimum wage," Keith Ryu, CEO and co-founder of Fountain, previously told HR Dive. "This means companies are competing for the same, qualified candidates and offering the same benefits over and over again."

To make training accessible, hourly employers are turning to mobile-enabled platforms to give deskless employees more opportunities for learning. Employees have said in surveys that they prefer employers who provide training opportunities, too; an EmployBridge study from 2019 found that employees said they remain in jobs for the culture, schedule and training.