GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — As vice president of retail human resources, a role she has held since June 2021, Leslie Allen is responsible for overseeing HR efforts that support the teams at Dollar General’s more than 19,000 stores.

“At DG, we remain committed to listening to and learning from our employees,” says Allen, who serves as the conduit between field HR and the company’s corporate leadership, actively soliciting the feedback that can help drive Dollar General’s efforts of continuous improvement.

Allen, who received one of Dollar General’s highest honors, the Circle of Excellence award, in 2018, joined the company in March 2012 as a field HR recruiter. She went on to progress through numerous roles in HR, including organizational development, talent acquisition, corporate HR and her current retail HR role.

“I’m proud to work for an organization that invests in developing and growing our employees,” Allen says, noting that she has experienced that in her own career at Dollar General. And the focus on continuous improvement very much applies to the retail HR team as well. “We have worked to develop programs and tools to better serve our employees in the field, in turn helping us better serve the communities and customers,” she says.

Last year, working in response to feedback from employees, the company launched a new scheduling program, Store Manager Flex, that offers scheduling options to increase flexibility and efficiency for enhanced work-life balance and a more consistent work week, while accommodating employees’ schedules.

Allen notes that Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others is manifested not just through the actions of employees in support of their communities, customers and neighbors, but also in the way employees support each other.

Leslie Allen

“Our employees are the heart of Dollar General,” she says. “They are the drivers of our culture at DG, a culture which celebrates diversity, empowers the individual and fosters a true team spirit.”

For Allen, one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is the role she plays in helping Dollar General’s retail employees succeed and advance in their careers while strengthening its diverse pipeline of talent. For those entering the workforce, Dollar General stores provide an ideal foundation of retail skills upon which to build a long and prosperous career, she says, and then offering award-winning training and development programs that help them move up. One such example is the recent introduction of a talent ­development program called SM Ladder that guides store managers on a path to potentially becoming district managers.

The value of these programs is reflected in the company’s impressive rates of internal promotion and placement. On average, part-time sales associates have the opportunity to be promoted to full-time assistant store managers within 12 to 18 months, and to store managers within three years, without needing a college degree, Allen says. And more than 75% of employees in lead sales positions or above have been placed internally. This statistic speaks volumes about the company’s dedication to fostering a supportive environment where team members can flourish, Allen points out.

“It is inspiring to see all the growth from our employees, she says. “I am honored to play a role in ensuring our teams have an avenue for that growth.”