Submission Proposal
Shayne Roos
Senior VP, ACHIEVA Support
ACHIEVA
Jeremy Shapira
Special Projects, Inclusion and Diversity
Giant Eagle, Inc.
Melissa Hall
Inclusion Liaison
ACHIEVA/ Giant Eagle
Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle is one of the nation’s largest food, pharmacy, fuel and convenience retailers. 32,000 proud Team Members deliver great service every day to their customers in over 400 retail locations across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia and Indiana. For almost 40 years, Giant Eagle has known that people who are differently abled can make great Team Members. Hundreds of Team Members who are differently abled work in every kind of role in their stores. In addition to this being the right thing to do, Giant Eagle knows people who are differently abled are extremely productive members of the team and that customers love shopping with them.
In 2014 Giant Eagle partnered with ACHIEVA, a chapter of The Arc that provides comprehensive services and supports and serves thousands of individuals with disabilities and their families each year, to further promote the hiring of people with disabilities. Having a strategic, single point of contact relationship with a community provider like ACHIEVA is critical to Giant Eagle’s success in employing people who are differently abled. The job matching, recruiting, on-boarding, and ongoing support processes can sometimes be challenging, and ACHIEVA’s support of people who are differently abled helps ensure their employment success for the long run.
This session will inform audience members about how partnerships such as this one can result in mutual gain and create new and exciting opportunities for people with disabilities in search of meaningful employment. While the discussion will be broad in scope, there will be a particular focus on our GetGo initiative. GetGo is the fuel and convenience branch of Giant Eagle. These busy, high-paced locations operate around the clock and require a strong, dedicated workforce to meet the needs of its customers. Using a collaborative approach, carved positions are being created at various GetGo locations for people who have historically been working in sheltered environments. The initiative is designed from a 360-degree perspective that addresses the needs of the business as well as the needs of the candidate, ensuring success for all parties. Through pre-employment preparation, familiarization of policies and procedures, customized on-boarding practices, and a consistent and effective coaching team, success and independence is achieved.