Walmart Shares Mid-Year Updates on DEI, Culture

Retailer counts more women, people of color among its senior ranks

10/20/2022

Walmart's mid-year DEI and culture report covers its progress toward hiring more women and people of color.

Walmart Inc. is making strides in hiring more women and people of color into its talent pool, according to the retailer’s mid-year Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report.

The report found that the number of women in senior leadership roles in the United States is at the highest level since 2020, though the number of women in the global workforce declined 0.32% compared to Jan. 31 of this year. As of July 29, women made up 36.38% of U.S. officers, and 36.32% of global officers are women – up nearly 31% from two years ago.

The number of people of color in senior leadership roles in the U.S. is also at its highest point since 2020, and 49% of Walmart’s total U.S. workforce is composed of people of color. The retailer says its new hire population is becoming increasingly diverse.

“We continue to build on the momentum while addressing focus areas with an intentional approach,” wrote Chief People Officer Donna Morris in a company blog post. “It is visible in our recruitment practices that include investing in diverse sourcing channels and partnerships to broaden the top of the recruiting funnel. We require diverse hiring teams and candidate slates, as well as drive accountability across teams to track progress and obstacles in our recruitment process, both internally and externally.”

Continued Morris: “We are also making meaningful strides toward advancing racial equity across education, finance, health and criminal justice systems.”

Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.