Hanover Co-op Food Stores Case Study

Overview: The Vermont and New Hampshire Cooperative Food Stores are owned by more than 20,000 families, and is one of the oldest and most successful co-ops in the United States. They employ nearly 400 people across the two states. 

Their vision: A well nourished community cultivated through cooperation. 

The Challenge: The Co-op Food Stores wanted to measure their employees sense of connection, value, purpose and belonging to the organization. 

The Method: DMC got to work by conducting pre-survey listening sessions with the Co-op employees at four different locations across Vermont and New Hampshire. There was a combination of group and individual interviews and sessions, and included 110 employees talking about interactions unique to their experiences working at the co-op.

After the listening sessions were conducted, DMC created a survey made up of 47 questions using a combination of forced-choice and open-ended opportunities for response. 

The Results: Of the 148 employees that the survey was made available to, 92 responded from all four locations, making that a response rate of 62%. Out of those 92 respondents, there was no less than 88% participation in any given question. 

The Action: As part of the information collected from the survey, there are three categories that were identified to be focused on:

• Diversity

• Inclusion

• Equity

DMC provided the Co-op with recommendations and tools to adopt a DEI focused workplace. Overall, employees reflected positively on their workplace - with strong feelings of belonging and sufficient resources to complete their tasks.

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