With about 1,700 stores spread across 49 states, the talent-acquisition team at Target might say it’s difficult to recruit underrepresented groups in regions where whites are the majority—especially at its headquarters in Minneapolis.
They don’t. In fact, women, Blacks, Latinos and associates from other underrepresented groups made up 22 percent of Target’s nearly 28,000 salaried positions in the United States last year. That’s because Alicia Petross, senior group manager of diversity at Target, and her staff take a methodical approach to talent acquisition that ensures the company attracts the best and brightest.
“We know where to find diverse talent. But if there’s a limited resource of diverse talent in your area, be extremely realistic and have a plan,” advised Petross to the roomful of attendees at DiversityInc’s learning event.
Beyond setting clear goals and responsibilities, here are other fundamental steps to Target’s recruitment approach:
Create a Plan: Key questions to consider, said Petross: What are the hiring goals? How do they further the company’s mission? What’s the industry representation? What’s the sourcing strategy? Is it inclusive? How are business partners playing a role in the recruitment process?
Gain Commitment: Target’s Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel is actively involved in talent planning at all levels, from incoming interns to senior executives. “Once we have top leadership buy-in,” she said, “everyone else understands that [diversity recruitment] is a business imperative.”
Leverage the Right Sources: This includes external talent-pipeline initiatives such as on-campus recruiting, job-board postings on DiversityInc Careers and partnership building (National Black MBA Association, National Society of Hispanic MBAs and INROADS, for example). Its sourcing strategy also includes a robust internal referral program. For each new candidate that ends up getting hired at Target, that team member becomes eligible to win a $1,000 company gift card. “I know referrals work because that’s how I started at Target 10 years ago,” said Petross.
In addition, the company’s employee-resources groups play a huge role in recruiting and on-boarding and “are visible and present at all our hallmark events,” she explained, adding that ERGs are also involved in Target’s social-media recruitment.
Communicate the Brand: And deliver on that promise. “When you’re working with diverse talent, it’s extremely important to cement them to the corporate culture and values,” Petross said. So Target, which donates $3 million each week to the communities where it does business, has found that philanthropy “helps us connect with guests and future leaders … and a lot of that [money] goes to closing the educational gaps.”
Measure Results: This includes a recruiting scorecard “to help make diversity an integrated part of our process,” noted Petross. The scorecard measures directional goals, current headcount, expected open positions, applicants in the queuing process and days to hire.
