Walmart says it has worked harder in recent years to increase diversity at its highest ranks. Company President and CEO Doug McMillon addressed the issue of racial inequalities at one of Walmart’s virtual employee meetings following the murder of George Floyd over a year ago .
âThe murder of George Floyd is tragic, painful and unacceptable,â McMillon told the worldwide population of Walmart employees in June 2020. âWords and feelings matter, but they’re not enough. More action is needed. We will find new ways to accelerate the desired changes within our business and we will also find ways in which our business can influence real change in our country. “
About 9% of Walmart executives are African American, the latest company demographics confirm, but Walmart says this is an increase of about 2.3% from the same time period. last year.
âWhile we are encouraged by the growth of our Black and African American representation within our leadership team, we recognize that we are on the way and have more work to do,â CNN Business told CNN on Saturday. Walmart spokesperson Jami Lamontagne.
Latinos make up nearly 18% of Walmart’s employee population, but only 5.5% of company executives, according to the report. Asians, who represent more than 4% of the brand’s employees, represent more than 10% of its managers and 9% of its directors. In August, Anshu Bhardwaj was promoted to senior vice president of technology strategy and marketing within Walmart’s global technology team.
Whites make up over 53% of Walmart’s workforce, and they make up over 63% of its directors and 74% of its executives.
The DCI report also says people of color make up over 46% of Walmart’s workforce, but the company’s website shows black and brown Americans only make up about 16.7% of Walmart’s workforce. 12 members of the Walmart Board of Directors.
Retired AT&T President and CEO Randall Stevenson, who is white, joined Walmart’s board of directors in March. He is the only director of Walmart’s board of directors appointed since the police murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, which motivated Walmart executives to create a $ 100 million center on the racial equity agenda. less than two weeks later.
AT&T is the parent company of WarnerMedia, owner of CNN.
In its most recent DCI report, Walmart highlighted the marginal gains women have made at the agent level, as well as the May launch of its Accessibility Center of Excellence, designed to advance equity and inclusion. people with disabilities.
Walmart was also one of 24 companies that commissioned global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. to study the challenges black Americans face in the private sector.
“This further reinforces the importance of addressing these complex systemic issues through our internal human resource management processes,” Walmart executive vice president and chief human resources officer Donna Morris said in the report.
âWhile we’ve made progress, we still have work to do,â the company told CNN Business on Friday via email.