The Next Generation – Jr. Board Member Interview

WISE: Nabiha, please give us some background on your experience prior to working at Topco.

NABIHA: Prior to working at Topco, I used to work as a tutor at a children’s learning center. I worked there part time for three years during college before landing an internship at Topco my senior year. In that role, I taught children aged 3-14 years how to use an abacus. Yes, the ancient Chinese calculator! I had never used one myself before and had to go through training to get certified to teach the class. The calculator is outdated, but it helps children visualize math which is super beneficial when they are first learning addition and subtraction. This role helped me learn a new skill and pushed me to teach it in different ways as every child learns differently.

WISE: Can you tell us a little more about both your previous roles and current role at Topco?

NABIHA:  I started off at Topco as a Recruiting Intern. In that role, I assisted the talent acquisition team and learned the recruiting lifecycle from start to finish. One of my favorite projects as an intern was focused on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. I helped establish what is now our formal DEI program. After interning for 6 months, I converted into a full-time role as an HR Specialist. In that role, I was responsible for recruiting for individual contributor-level roles, which included analysts, specialists, coordinators, and our internship program. I did not see myself in talent acquisition, but this role forced me to step outside of my comfort zone as an introvert. It also allowed me to develop a strong foundation on Topco as I really had to learn how to sell the business I was recruiting for. I am now transitioning into an HRIS Operations Analyst position where I will be working with our HRIS system, compensation, and reporting. I am eager to step outside my comfort zone once again and strengthen more of my technical skills.

WISE: What has your experience been like while working during COVID? How did that mold your experience?

NABIHA:  Oh my goodness! Where do I start? I started my internship at Topco in January of 2020. I had about 6 weeks of experience in-person before Topco went completely remote and my school went completely remote. I used to always consider myself good with time management, but juggling both full-time roles forced me to change the way that I was managing my time. I planned out my day every morning, blocked off my calendar at different times to get things done, and set countless reminders for myself. It’s strange to think that my entire career has been based out of my bedroom, but I cannot imagine a life where I would be in an office every day. I love the flexibility of remote work and being able to have more time back in the day.

WISE: What has been your most challenging part of your time working in this industry?

NABIHA: The most challenging part of working in this industry has been navigating through my own imposter syndrome. My parents immigrated to the United States from India in the early 90’s and I am the first in my immediate family to graduate college and work a white-collar job. I don’t see a lot of people that look like me in this industry, especially in leadership roles, and that’s one of the reasons why I chose to work with WISE. I love being able to learn and work with strong female leaders in the retail industry. I would love for the retail industry to continue to get more diverse with underrepresented groups and I think that starts with getting students excited about careers in the retail industry.

WISE: What has been the most rewarding part of your time working in this industry?

NABIHA: My roles in talent acquisition were the most rewarding. I loved the feeling I had after I delivered a verbal offer to a candidate and hearing the excitement in their voice. I also assist with the summer internship program which takes a lot of planning and execution, but it is so rewarding at the end of it. It is a full circle moment being able to provide students with the same opportunity and watching them find their place at Topco the same way that I did.

WISE: What got you interested in joining the WISE organization in the first place?

NABIHA: I learned about the organization through my manager, Emily Glass, who sits on the WISE Board of Directors. Topco is also a proud partner of WISE and offers a membership to all associates. Emily brought up the internship opportunity at WISE and I thought it would be a great resume builder and professional development opportunity for me. I was part of the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapter at DePaul and missed being part of a professional organization.

WISE: Tell us all about what you’ve done and what you plan on doing within the WISE organization.

NABIHA: I interned with WISE in the summer of 2020 and recommended creating a junior board at the end of my assignment. It has been amazing to see that not only come into fruition but seeing all that we have been able to accomplish in a short period of time. As a junior board, we have presented our ideas and recommendations to the WISE Board, and I was able to provide the closing remarks at the Annual Meeting with Kiana, a fellow WISE junior board member. I currently work with the recruiting committee and focus on recruiting new members into WISE. I am in the process of establishing a formal onboarding and offboarding process for members of the junior board. I am excited to see what else we accomplish as a junior board in the next year.

WISE:  How would you sum up your experience in this industry, and what advice would you give to those considering joining this industry?

NABIHA: I would encourage students and young professionals to explore careers in retail. There are so many different opportunities available that are not talked about enough. The pandemic has shown how essential grocery retail is and I would highly encourage everyone to consider an opportunity in retail. I would also advise students to work for a company whose mission aligns with theirs. I think we get so caught up with the name of an organization and don’t focus enough on a company’s values. One of the reasons why I love working for Topco is knowing that the work we are doing is directly helping regional grocery retailers and wholesalers compete in their respective markets against larger corporations.