TAIPEI — Taiwan’s convenience-store industry is increasingly looking beyond short-term staffing needs, with FamilyMart Taiwan saying more than 60 foreign employees have advanced to store manager positions after joining its workforce over the past four years.
The company has hired more than 700 foreign employees during that period and recently held its first Multinational Talent Stars Awards, recognizing 15 employees from countries including Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The development comes as Taiwan’s retailers face continuing workforce challenges and companies seek ways to recruit, train and retain employees from overseas.
From Store Employees to Managers
The top award went to Hsu Chao-kang, a Malaysian employee who manages FamilyMart’s Zhongli Qingyun store in Taoyuan.
Hsu joined FamilyMart after graduating and progressed from frontline store work to management. He now also helps train other foreign employees, according to reports from UDN and 1111 Job Bank.
Vietnamese employee Fan Shih-chin-chih, who works at FamilyMart’s Mengzi store in Kaohsiung, received the Popularity Award. She has balanced work with her studies through flexible scheduling and said her interactions with returning customers have encouraged her to consider pursuing a management position.
The company said the 15 award recipients were assessed on factors including service skills, customer communication, mystery-shopper evaluations and final interviews.
FamilyMart Says Foreign Talent Is More Than a Staffing Solution
FamilyMart General Manager Hsueh Tung-tu said foreign employees are helping address labor shortages while also contributing to the company’s development.
The company launched its foreign-talent development program in 2023, followed by dedicated training classes in 2024. Its program covers language learning, cultural adaptation and practical store operations, with the aim of creating a path from entry-level work to management.
FamilyMart says its foreign employees currently come from nine countries, with Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia among the main sources of workers.
The Program Goes Beyond the Store
One example shows how the career path can extend beyond frontline retail.
Vietnamese employee Li Chun-hui progressed from store-level work to store manager before moving to FamilyMart’s headquarters, where he now works on training materials, learning tools and development programs for foreign employees.
UDN reported that FamilyMart has built three major areas of support for foreign employees: improving workplace communication, making job procedures easier to understand and providing additional support through colleagues, supervisors and fellow foreign workers.
The company also says foreign employees receive the same training and promotion opportunities as other workers.
A Wider Shift in Taiwan’s Labor Market
The development reflects a broader change in how Taiwanese businesses are approaching overseas workers.
People News reported that foreign employees in Taiwan’s retail sector are increasingly being viewed not only as a way to fill staffing gaps but as a potential long-term talent pool. The report noted that other major convenience-store operators have also expanded recruitment of foreign students and workers.
TVBS similarly reported that FamilyMart’s foreign workforce has expanded across nine nationalities, with more than 60 employees progressing to store-manager roles.
For FamilyMart, the latest awards program puts a spotlight on that transition: employees who initially faced language and cultural barriers are now taking on management, training and corporate roles.
The company’s latest figures suggest that Taiwan’s convenience-store workforce is changing — not simply through the number of foreign employees entering stores, but through the number finding a pathway to stay, advance and take on greater responsibility.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
