Our Commitment to our Team
We pride ourselves not only on the shopping experience we offer our guests, but on the inclusive, collaborative and development-focused experience we offer our team members.
Development
We’re committed to hiring great talent at every level—and we’re equally committed to coaching, rewarding and retaining our team. When talking with team members about their development, we focus on more than their achievements. We focus on how they achieve them.
Here’s a snapshot of the many ways we promote this type of development:
Teaching and Mentoring
Every moment at Target is a teaching moment. That’s why Target leaders, including our CEO and the executive committee, make mentoring part of their daily routines. They consistently assess talent, offer constructive and candid feedback, recommend mentors and truly invest in team members.
Global and Responsible Leadership
At Target, we focus on developing leaders who can lead in the global marketplace—individuals who are agile enough to adapt quickly yet stay true to Target values. Target leaders also play a key role in our corporate social responsibility efforts through our community efforts.
Talent Planning Review
The talent review process at Target starts with each team member completing a self-review. Leaders then assess their accomplishments—both what they accomplished and how they accomplished it—as well as strengths and opportunities. Our executive committee and CEO talk openly about talent development, take an intensive look at key people, backups for key positions and diverse talent.
Leadership Upward Feedback
As part of Target’s team member engagement survey, team members have the opportunity to provide feedback about their leaders. The Leadership Upward Feedback process helps leaders understand and leverage their strengths, and create action plans to address their opportunities. The combination of team member feedback, holding leaders accountable for improvement, and support from HR and the managers of these leaders, ensures everyone has a role to play in leadership development at Target.
Samir Shah
Group Director, Stores
Born and raised in India, Samir came to America with $20 in his pocket, dreaming of getting an education. He was initially hired as a cashier, and because of his lack of knowledge of U.S. currency, he found the job challenging. “But I was always on time. I was there with a smile,” says Samir. “They loved my attitude, so they decided to move me out of that job and make me a cart attendant. And I never looked back.”
While getting his associate’s degree and learning English, Samir held many different jobs at Target, ranging from the sales floor to the back room.
“My dream was just to get an education,” he says. “But people at Target said, ‘You can do bigger and better things. Start thinking about careers.’ Target is not a corporation that only knows how to make a profit. Target really knows how to make a life. And they did that for me.”
Inclusive Culture
At Target, fostering an inclusive culture is a core value that’s integrated into every aspect of our business – from our broad array of vendor partners to the composition of our teams and business councils to the shopping experience we offer our guests. We understand and recognize that each of us is unique and that our differences are our greatest strength.
When our teams are truly inclusive, we are all able to be our true selves. And when our team members reflect the diversity of our communities, we can give our guests a better shopping experience.
Here are a few ways Target creates a diverse and inclusive team:
- We hire locally so that our stores reflect their diverse communities. In-store employment kiosks encourage our guests to become team members.
- We recruit team members at conferences and job fairs and also play a sponsorship role at diverse job fairs, including those hosted by the National Black MBA Association, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, Reaching Out MBA and the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management.
- We seek partnerships with agencies, school programs and government incentive programs that help us hire qualified people with disabilities.
For more information on our team members, community and vendor partnerships, visit Target.com/diversity.
Meet Our Team Members
Lucy Salazar
District Team Leader, Stores
As a student at the University of Texas in Brownsville 16 years ago, Lucy began her career as an hourly team member at her local Target store. Now she leads a district that includes all Target stores in cities along the Texas-Mexico border. “I feel fortunate to lead a diverse team in the community where I grew up,” Lucy says.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to truly connect with and provide my guests with the products they need for everyday life.”
Brad Wagner
Diversity Consultant, Human Resources
Brad joined our Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Business Council when he came to Target 13 years ago. “Getting involved helped me understand that this is a workplace where you can truly be yourself,” he says. Today he oversees our five Diversity & Inclusion Business Councils (GLBT, Asian, African-American, Hispanic and Women’s)—a job Brad says is the perfect fit.
“Following my values and my passion led me to this unique job where I get to help connect team members to each other, to our guests and to our business initiatives. We build stronger teams when we’re all willing to open up the dialogue about who we are—and strong teams are what drive bottom-line business results.”
Francisco Peschard
Group Director, Distribution
Target’s team-focused culture was a big reason why Francisco joined and has stayed at Target. “I can tell you firsthand that Target is not just a place to earn a paycheck, but a place to grow, learn, be challenged, have a blast and make a difference. We seek differences because having a diverse, multifaceted team allows us to put the best brains and the right talent to work on our business. Target is committed to fostering an inclusive culture where team members feel welcome, valued and respected regardless of their background or life experiences.”
“Target is not just a place to earn a paycheck, but a place to grow, learn, be challenged, have a blast and make a difference.”
Want to hear from the people who know us best?
Meet more team members who embody our inclusive spirit
Collaboration
In 1989, Target laid the groundwork for our collaborative, dynamic culture when we began calling our employees "team members" and coined our culture "Fast, Fun and Friendly." Of course, developing a challenging and rewarding workplace takes more than words. Target has also instilled a common expectation that every team member—no matter what their job—is responsible for making "Fast, Fun and Friendly" part of their day-to-day attitude. We entrust each team member with owning and living our culture.
So how does Fast, Fun and Friendly translate into great collaboration? Being Fast is getting the job done right in the most efficient possible way. It’s also respecting other people’s time. Being Fun is being enthusiastic, quick to laugh and making even daily routines enjoyable for other people. Being Friendly is lending a hand, talking through a problem and offering to listen. It’s helping people out, whether the other person is a fellow team member or a guest.
Team members have many opportunities to work in collaboration with others from various parts of the company. Here’s one example of how our team members came together to support an important community initiative.
Target School Library Makeovers:
Collaboration at its Best
Revitalizing elementary-school libraries across the country through our signature Target School Library Makeover program is just one way we support our commitment to education, and to helping more children learn to read proficiently by the end of third grade. By the end of 2011, Target and our partner The Heart of America Foundation will have redesigned, renovated and restocked 118 school libraries with eco-friendly furnishings, fresh carpet and paint, new technology, and 2,000 new books – a feat that wouldn’t be possible without the combined expertise and dedication of team members across our organization.
Led by Target’s community relations team, the Target School Library Makeover program leverages the talent and expertise of teams across the company. Our property development team leads design and construction planning and management for each project, while our sourcing and art teams secure the furnishings, materials and even custom artwork that transform these libraries into inspiring, well-resourced learning environments. When major construction wraps up, team member volunteers from nearby stores and distribution centers help sort and shelve the new books, paint walls, assemble furniture and put the finishing touches on the new space. And when the redesigned library is ready to unveil, team members from events, government affairs and community relations ensure students and their families, school staff, and community leaders and officials come together to share in a lively celebration of reading.