Feeding a hunger for inclusion and belonging
Kroger moves beyond compliance to proactively build an inclusive culture
I personally found the leader training to be especially powerful at not only calling attention to the biases we all hold but also opening a dialogue with my team to better understand their backgrounds and experiences..
- Tim Massa, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
On May 25, 2020, the death of George Floyd fueled a movement across the U.S. against racial injustice and police brutality. The subsequent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others magnified the calls for justice. As the details of these horrific events emerged, The Kroger Company, America’s largest grocery retailer, decided to take action.
The company’s first step was to speak out. Its second step was to listen to its associates deeply to identify and understand any systemic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues that existed within the company and its communities. The third step was to put in place both short-term solutions and long-term practices to enhance DEI and promote positive change in the workplace and the communities in which the company serves.
A plan to uplift associates, customers, and the communities that Kroger serves
In an effort to reflect the communities it serves and foster a culture that empowers everyone to be their true self, Kroger implemented the Framework for Action: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan to Uplift Associates, Customers and Communities. The plan outlines transformational objectives for combatting bias and advancing long-term DEI with Kroger’s advisory council, leaders, associates, customers, communities, and partners.
To address unconscious bias and DEI with its more than 6,700 leaders, Kroger collaborated with long-time training partner Advantage Performance Group to implement a learning program called The Inclusive Leader: Maximizing the Mix. Designed by the thought leaders at Ten Thousand Feet, the program raises awareness of, empathy for, and solutions to alleviate DEI challenges being experienced by associates. The ultimate outcome of the program is to establish a mindset of inclusiveness throughout the organization.
Kroger worked with Advantage Performance Group and Ten Thousand Feet to customize the program to meet Kroger’s objectives and reflect the organization’s culture, history, and population. The 3.5-hour, team-based workshop (which primarily has been delivered virtually but can also be delivered in person) includes four engaging and interactive activities that build upon each other. In the first activity, participants discuss and identify key facts regarding diversity, cultures, and traditions throughout the globe in order to set context around DEI.
The second activity requires teams to review and rate challenging and sometimes ingrained behaviors that might have been considered acceptable in the past but that actually impede inclusion. Customized leadership scenarios comprise the third and core component of the program. The scenarios challenge teams to discuss how they, as leaders, would handle complex situations that cover all areas of diversity including gender, disability, race, age, and social style. Participants learn a model that helps them process through all types of DEI situations.
Finally, participants log into an app that helps them identify and commit to the personal actions they will take to promote and positively contribute to the Kroger values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Award-winning, life-changing results
As a result of their proactive efforts to build DEI, Kroger has been named a “Best Place to work for Disability and Inclusion” and “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign, receiving a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index. In addition, The Inclusive Leader program received a 2022 Brandon Hall Group Bronze Award for Best Learning Program that Supports and Promotes Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion.
As part of Kroger’s Framework for Action, The Inclusive Leader program has helped the organization make changes that support a more equitable workplace. This program is transforming the organization to reflect a culture of respect, belonging, and inclusion among not only its employees but in every interaction with customers and within the communities it serves.
Practice Area: Helping Leaders Lead
Tagged with: DEI • Kroger • The Inclusive Leader
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