Target looks to recruit, retain Black team members
Target has issued its 2019 Workforce Diversity Report, detailing the racial and gender breakdown of the company across the organization, and announced a plan to increase representation of Black team members across the company by 20% over the next three years.
Per the report, Target employs around 350,000 team members across the organization and half are people of color and 58% are women.
Within what Target constitutes its leadership, 24% are people of color and 42% are women. The retailer said it has doubled representation of its officers with people of color in the last five years. One example it gave, a third of the representatives of its board of directors are women and half are Latinx or Black.
As part of its diversity and inclusion goals over the years, Target has set goals to increase representation and advancement opportunities with Black team members, as well as reduce the amount of turnover among Black employees. Some changes it is looking to further enforce:
- Leveraging its stores, supply chain and HQ experiences to provide broader leadership pathways for Black team members to develop and advance;
- Developing programs to hire and retain Black team members in career areas with low levels of representation, including technology, data sciences, merchandising and marketing;
- Increasing Target's network of mentors and sponsors to help Black team members accelerate and advance their careers;
- Ensuring Target's benefits and partnerships drive wellness and safety for Black team members; and
- Conducting anti-racist training for leaders and team members that educate, build inclusion acumen, and foster a sense of belonging.
“Additional leadership development, training programs and mentorship for our Black team members, along with a focus in areas of the business where our Black representation is not as strong, will offer new career development opportunities for our team for years to come, said Kiera Fernandez, vice president, human resources and chief diversity and inclusion officer, Target. “And we know the support we have for our team helps extend our reach outside our walls, creating a ripple effect that impacts our guests and communities."