CINCINNATI, Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR), America's largest grocery retailer, today announced its
Framework for Action: Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion plan, featuring both immediate and longer-term
steps developed in collaboration with associates and leaders to
accelerate and promote greater change in the workplace and in the
communities the organization serves.
"As America's grocer, Kroger is driven to bring Americans
together as an employer, grocery provider and community partner,
representing Our Purpose to Feed the Human Spirit," said
Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman
and CEO. "Over the last several months, we've listened closely to
our half a million associates and countless communities across the
nation. It's never been clearer that our collective energy is
necessary to achieve true and lasting equality.
"We have taken a very thoughtful and purposeful approach to
develop what we believe are the right actions to substantially and
positively impact our culture and our country, creating real change
now and into the future. We are approaching this effort with
humility, knowing we can't do it alone and don't and won't have all
the answers. Our new Framework for Action: Diversity, Equity
& Inclusion plan reflects our desire to redefine,
deepen, and advance our commitment, mobilizing our people, passion,
scale and resources."
Kroger's plan features five focus areas: Create More Inclusive
Culture, Develop Diverse Talent, Advance Diverse Partnerships,
Advance Equitable Communities, and Deeply Listen and Report
Progress.
"Kroger welcomes associates from every race, culture, and
ability, and we remain deeply focused on creating a more equitable
workplace where every associate is empowered and supported and
feels valued and a sense of belonging," said Tim Massa, Kroger's senior vice president and
chief people officer. "And while diversity and inclusion have been
longstanding Kroger values, this year has certainly served as an
awakening. As an organization driven by purpose, we know we
not only must continue to listen to our associates, but we must
act. When we see our associates, customers and neighbors
affected by systemic racism, discrimination and injustice, we are
called to speak out and act in accordance with Our Values: Honesty
& Integrity, Diversity & Inclusion, and Safety &
Respect."
Kroger's 10 Immediate Actions through its Framework for
Action: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan
Create More Inclusive Culture
1. Create a DE&I Advisory
Council to advance our long-term DE&I commitments, reporting to
senior leadership.
Kroger is establishing a DE&I Advisory Council, featuring
associates from across its family of companies and headed by
Monica Garnes, retail division
president. The Council aligns with the organization's
transformation and innovation focus, and it will partner with
senior leaders and longstanding associate resource and advocacy
groups, representing Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ, and physically
and intellectually disabled associates as well as veterans, women,
parents, and millennials to drive organizational change.
"I'm greatly inspired by Kroger's renewed focus on diversity and
inclusion," said Monica Garnes,
retail division president. "Our Framework for Action:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion plan will guide us
to be better tomorrow than we are today, and I am committed to
using my position and platform to accelerate change across our
business and culture."
2. Provide Unconscious Bias training
to every leader in 2020 and DE&I training for every associate
by May 2021.
Kroger is committed to continuing to provide foundational and
advanced DE&I training to every leader, using custom curriculum
developed by DE&I experts. Kroger is currently preparing a more
comprehensive DE&I training program for the nearly 500,000
associates across its organization. Kroger will complete the
introduction of this program in spring 2021.
Earlier this year, the Kroger African American Associate
Resource Group developed the educational From Awareness to
Advocacy allyship guide to spur reflective thoughts,
hard conversations and bold actions. The guide features recommended
books, podcasts, movies, documentaries and advocacy groups and has
been shared widely and read by Kroger leaders and associates as
well as published for customers and other external partners and
stakeholders to view.
Develop Diverse Talent
3. Improve diverse talent recruiting
by partnering with Historically Black Colleges & Universities,
Hispanic Association Colleges & Universities, and community
colleges.
Recruitment, development and advancement of diverse talent, at
every level of the business, including leadership, remains a focus
for Kroger. The company strives to help all associates achieve
success at work and in life through its suite of Feed Your
Future programs, including a tuition reimbursement benefit of
up to $3,500 annually – $21,000 over the course of employment – toward
continuing education. These funds can be applied to education
programs like certifications, associate degrees or graduate
degrees.
Through the Framework for Action: Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion plan, Kroger is enhancing and expanding its
recruitment partnerships with more diverse higher education
institutions such as Historically Black Colleges & Universities
(HBCUs), including Clark Atlanta
University, Florida A&M
University, Howard University,
Kentucky State University, Morehouse College, North
Carolina A&T State University, Spelman College and Tennessee
State University, as well as Hispanic Association of
Colleges & Universities (HACU), including Dalton State College and the University of Texas A&M System. Through the
program, Kroger is focusing on campus immersion activities and
providing resources to help students transition from collegiate
life to the workplace. Kroger is also uplifting HBCU students
by supporting on-campus food pantries at several schools across the
country.
To join Kroger's family of companies, candidates can apply at
jobs.kroger.com. Kroger is currently recruiting for corporate,
retail, pharmacy, technology, e-commerce, manufacturing and supply
chain roles.
4. Establish two-way mentorship and
advocacy program between high-potential diverse talent and senior
leaders.
As part of Kroger's commitment to developing talent, it is
redesigning its mentorship program to create additional
opportunities and channels for more associates to have access to
leaders across the organization, supporting the professional
development of diverse talent and increasing collaboration,
visibility and advancement. Equally, the redesigned two-way
mentorship program will provide leaders with more opportunities to
listen, learn and act, further accelerating organizational
change.
Advance Diverse Partnerships
5. Increase spend with diverse
suppliers from $3.4 billion to
$10 billion by 2030.
Kroger has a longstanding supplier inclusion program, reflecting
partnerships with Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC)
entrepreneurs, women- and veteran-owned brands and services, and
businesses operated by the LGBTQ community as well as business
operators with disabilities. The award-winning program
supports, promotes and grows diverse-owned enterprises within
Kroger's sizeable operation.
"Kroger is committed to growing partnerships with diverse
businesses, suppliers, owners and founders," said Angel Colón,
Kroger's senior director of corporate and supplier diversity. "We
currently work with more than 1,000 minority suppliers, ranging
from food and beverages to health and beauty and product
distributors to service providers. In 2019, we invested
$3.4 billion in minority suppliers,
reflecting an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. We're
eager to continue building our portfolio of diverse suppliers to
reach a $10 billion spend by 2030,
and we welcome minority business enterprises to engage us at
supplierdiversity@kroger.com."
As a member of the Billon Dollar Roundtable, Kroger will
continue to partner with diverse businesses in innovative ways,
including by investing in incubators and accelerators, expanding
relationships with existing partners, hosting and participating in
supplier summits, and through partnerships with leading
organizations such as the National Minority Supplier Diversity
Council and Women's Business Enterprise National Council.
To become a Kroger supplier, visit here.
6. Ensure our media partners align
with Our Values and that we reach diverse customers through our
marketing spend, partners and strategy.
In November 2019, Kroger launched
its Fresh for Everyone brand transformation campaign to
underscore its commitment and belief that everyone should have
access to fresh, affordable and delicious food. As part of this
marketing and engagement strategy, Kroger is redefining how it
approaches advertising creative and campaigns as well as partners,
including media and influencers, to better reflect its associates
and customers.
Kroger is committed to reviewing its current portfolio of
partners, expanding existing relationships and developing new
partnerships with groups such as Blavity, Inc. and Hispanicize.
Kroger will also continue to expand its network of BIPOC social
influencers, focusing on content creators who write about food,
recipes, and health and wellness. Kroger encourages social
influencers to share their contact information for partnership
consideration here.
Advance Equitable Communities
7. Deploy funds to support impactful
approaches to advance racial equity with community
partners.
In the aftermath of George
Floyd's murder and continued racial unrest across the
country, Kroger established The Kroger Co. Foundation's Racial
Equity Fund with a mission to lift up communities of color by
building sustainable partnerships that create more equitable,
inclusive and stronger communities through an investment of
$5 million.
Earlier this month, The Kroger Co. Foundation's Racial Equity
Fund launched its Build It Together grant challenge. Through
the challenge, The Kroger Co. Foundation has invited 14
organizations to apply for a $1
million grant. Organizations must submit a proposal for
consideration that focuses on strategic actions and initiatives
helping advance racial equality. The Kroger Co. Foundation will
then review the proposals with input from additional partners and
select up to three organizations that will each receive a
$1 million grant, with plans to name
the recipients and award funding later this year.
8. Encourage associates to vote and
provide voter registration and ballot applications in
stores.
Kroger is creating a culture of civic engagement by inspiring
the nearly 500,000 associates across its organization to vote in
the upcoming elections and providing non-partisan resources and
agreed-to flexible work schedules so that every associate can
prioritize voting. Kroger also engaged Secretary of State offices
and election officials where it operates stores to offer its
partnership in serving as a destination for vote-by-mail ballot
applications. Currently, Kroger is providing vote-by-mail ballot
applications in store locations in Ohio and Michigan.
Deeply Listen and Report Progress
9. Engage external stakeholders to
seek perspective and co-create more just and equitable
communities.
Over the last several months, Kroger leaders have engaged in
one-to-one conversations with both local and national community
influencers and game-changers as well as organizers, policymakers,
trade associations, small business owners and chambers of
commerce.
Kroger will continue to work together with individuals and
organizations – and seek insights and guidance – to transform its
culture and communities across America.
10. Provide associates with platforms to continue
sharing their stories and feedback with our leaders.
Since June, Kroger has hosted 30 virtual listening sessions,
presenting a new interactive platform for associates and leaders to
express both their personal and professional perspectives on
current – and past – events and how the Kroger family of companies
as an employer can create a more inclusive and equitable workplace.
These insights were instrumental in shaping the Framework for
Action: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion plan.
"It's very important for associates to have the license to
openly share and be their authentic self in the workplace as it
creates community and safety," said Kim
Yates, Kroger's retail labor forecaster and co-chair of the
Kroger African American Resource Group. "The listening sessions
with executives have been instrumental in providing associates,
including myself, with an opportunity to be real, honest and
vulnerable, addressing challenges – and bright spots – inside and
outside of the workplace that affect each of our lives in unique
yet unifying ways."
Kroger will continue to create and provide opportunities for
associates to share their ideas and feedback with the organization
through various channels, including town halls, listening sessions
and surveys as well as focus groups hosted by the
organization's research and development and merchandising teams
that will respectively continue to help develop new products and
perfect flavor profiles and identify potential gaps in brand and
product representation on shelves for purchase.
To learn more about Kroger's Framework for Action:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion plan visit,
TheKrogerCo.com/StandingTogether.
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About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™
and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human
Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly
half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily
through a seamless shopping experience under a variety
of banner names. We are committed to creating
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us,
visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.