Target’s latest workforce data show advances in diversity

Target Corp. said new data illustrate the retailer’s strides in creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

Minneapolis-based Target on Tuesday released its 2020 Workforce Diversity Report, which spotlights the gender and racial/ethnic composition of executive and manager positions and a range of job types companywide.

Among the report’s highlights, Target said it’s on track to increase Black representation by 20% across the company by 2023. Progress to date spans all salaried levels, including a nearly 25% uptick among company officers, the retailer noted, adding that it will continue focusing on systemic changes to advance and retain Black employees over the next three years.

Racial/ethnic diversity has remained steady at the company compared with 2019 data, the Target 2020 Workforce Diversity Report indicates. Now, 50% employees and 25% of the leadership team are people of color, the retailer said. On the gender side, 58% of employees and 50% of the leadership team are women.

By gender, 42% of Target’s workforce is male and 58% is female, with the split at 50-50 in the company’s leadership team.

Target also said it’s upholding “industry-leading representation” on its board of directors, as a third of members are women and almost half are Latino or Black.

The progress on diversity and inclusion (D&I), in part, reflects such efforts as the Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) committee formed last summer, aimed at mobilizing Target’s reach and resources to promote change and foster racial equity in the communities it serves, as well as goals set in Target Forward, a new enterprise sustainability strategy announced last month includes new goals for creating a more equitable and inclusive workforce by 2030.

Related:Target eyes new era of sustainability with ‘Target Forward’

Target released its first Workforce Diversity Report last year, which included disaggregated 2019 data race, ethnicity and gender data across all levels of the organization.

“It’s always been important to us that we build and develop a diverse Target team that reflects our guests and the communities we serve,” Kiera Fernandez, senior vice president of talent and change and chief D&I officer at Target, said in a statement. “Part of that commitment is setting data-driven goals and transparently holding ourselves accountable every day for making progress across the organization.”

Other findings in the Target 2020 Workforce Diversity Report include the following:

• By gender, 42% of Target’s workforce is male and 58% are female, with the split at 50-50 in the company’s leadership team. Fifty-nine percent of company officers are male, and 69% of board directors are male. Also, 56% of managerial employees and 58% of non-manager workers are female.

Related:Target to spend more than $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025

• Overall, 49% of Target employees are white, compared with 26% Hispanic/Latino, 15% Black/African-American and 5% Asian. Forty-seven percent of non-manager workers are Hispanic/Latino, Black/African-American or Asian, and 48% are white. Among managers, 59% are white, while 37% are Hispanic/Latino, Black/African-American or Asian.

• Higher up in the organization 29% of company officers are Hispanic/Latino, Black/African-American or Asian, and 68% are white. Seventy-five percent of the leadership team is white, and 24% are Hispanic/Latino, Black/African-American or Asian. On the board, 46% of directors are Hispanic/Latino, Black/African-American or Asian and 54% are white.

Target noted that the 2020 report data will help the company enhance the employee experience, including creating new opportunities for career advancement and addressing gaps in equity.

“We’re working toward ambitious goals, but we know they’re achievable with support from our leaders and teams, who recognize how important this work is in creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive team,” Kiera added. “By working together, we’ll continue to make Target a place where all team members can thrive.”