Power to the People

Nugget Markets president Eric Stille is emphatic: "With the labor market as tight as it is, we can't afford to let good people go. Every resource needs to be thrown at acquiring and retaining the best people.

"I think we've been very fortunate. People look at our concept and want to be part of it. We were able to pull a store manager from another company who was willing to come in and be a wine steward with us because he saw what our program was about. I think people get very excited about the empowerment to run their own business."

In many ways, it begins with Nugget chairman Gene Stille, Eric's father. "He's walking the stores on a continual basis," says district manager Chris Carpenter. "The new associates who have come to us from other companies say, 'I can't believe that the owner comes in and knows your name and talks to you and jokes with you and even strategizes with you.' Gene's a very, very special guy."

These happy associates spread the word?and they're rewarded for it. "Good employees typically hang with good people," points out Eric Stille, "and we have a referral program for associates to receive $50 for referring an associate who gets hired, and after they make probation, they receive another $50. That's working out nicely."

But that's only the beginning. Nugget has a mentor program on which Stille cheerfully admits "we modeled and stole a little bit from everyone: In and Out Burgers, a little bit of Nordstrom, and a little bit of Andronico's."

The program is a two-way deal. The mentors appreciate being recognized as the best of the best, and the new hires know they're not going to be thrown into the pool before they can swim. Also, says Stille, "One of the first things that the new hire does is evaluate the mentor as they're coming out of the process and it gives instant self-worth and also lets the new hire know that they've got a say in this company. They immediately begin feeling like family. The program is constantly re-evaluated and tweaked by the feedback from the new hires as much as anything."

The University of Nugget Markets is for entry-level and senior management to continue their growth. "Eric, Gene, and Greg Stille [Eric's brother and vice president] have made the commitment to give us everything we need to have the tools to be successful," says Carpenter.

Nugget University is headed by 20-year veteran Mark Benton, who Eric Stille says "was one of our best store directors. It shows the importance we placed on that position that we took a key person and let him run with it."

Benton, known as "the Dean" within the company, was active in theater in college. "He's very animated and makes it fun and keeps it from being dry," says Carpenter, "plus he has 20 years of stories he can tie in."

Benton is in constant contact with the stores, and he tailors and structures his curriculum to address the realities of life in the retail trenches. One of the issues he is currently dealing with is conflict resolution. "People have a tough time confronting and evaluating and leveling," says Carpenter, "and sometimes you don't realize people aren't up to speed on that or don't know how to handle it."

The next people step for Nugget Markets is an employee-recognition program, which is currently in the works.