As the largest private employer in America, with 1.3 million associates, Walmart has a big responsibility to the people who work hard to serve our customers. That’s why earlier this year, our CEO, Doug McMillon, announced a series of changes for associates in the U.S. that will not only provide higher pay but also the ability to advance in their careers.
We’re raising wages for our associates
To be exact, over this year and next, Walmart is investing $2.7 billion in higher wages, training, and education. This means more opportunity for our associates and even better service for our customers.
We’re providing more
scheduling flexibility for our associates
But wages are only one portion of the equation – the number
of hours worked is just as important. So another element of our commitment is a
new approach to scheduling that allows associates more options for when they
work. It’s a program
called Scheduling Choice – which is currently in pilot and should roll out
next year – and it’s already been successful in reducing turnover by 15% in
stores that are participating.
We’re launching new
training to give our associates clearer pathways to advance
We’re also helping our associates gain skills that will help
them advance in their careers. Our Pathways program, which we’re also piloting
and plan to roll out across the company next year, will provide associates with
training on three things: the retail business model, the basic skills needed to
do their jobs, and the soft skills that are critical to success. We know that
we’re a first job for a lot of people, and we want to make sure that the skills
our associates gain with us will help their next jobs be those of greater
responsibility and pay.
Did you know that more than 75% of our current store management teams started as hourly associates? Clearly Walmart has a rich history of creating opportunity for advancement, and our current investment shows that we’re determined to build on that.