diversity & inclusion

At Target, our team rallies around a single purpose: to help all families discover the joy of everyday life.

That purpose and our inclusion of “all” directly connects to our inclusivity value as a company. We champion a more inclusive society through creating an inclusive guest experience, having an inclusive work environment, ensuring we have a diverse workforce and leveraging our influence to drive positive impact on society.

How we do that starts with staying open:

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Stay Open - Target Diversity & Inclusion play

 

stay open

It means getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and giving everyone access to the same opportunities.

It means being bold, accountable, and curious. Together.

Let’s ask more questions. Let’s listen courageously.

There is only one you. And you, your stories and your experiences, are exactly what we need.

We invite you to stay open with us.

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Diversity & inclusion are at the heart of what we do at Target. 75% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Target store—and in order to win in retail, we need to reflect that population in our team to ensure we deliver the product, services, experiences and messages our guests want and need.

Brian Cornell
chairman and chief executive officer

group of team members take a selfie with ceo Brian Cornell

Brian Cornell (pictured third from the right) with a group of team members at a store on Black Friday

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Now more than ever, people expect institutions and companies to play a role in creating a more inclusive and equitable society for everyone, and the influence Target can have on the U.S. and our culture is significant. We are committed to creating equity, and ensuring our intentions have a meaningful impact for our teams, guests and communities.

Kiera Fernandez
senior vice president of Talent and Change and chief diversity and inclusion officer

Kiera and 10 Target team members dressed in red and khaki stand together smiling at an event

Kiera Fernandez (pictured top row, right) with her teammates at an event

d&i goals and results

Every Team Member plays a role in supporting how we champion an inclusive society. 

Diversity & Inclusion Goals 2021 play

2019-2021 commitments

We still have work to do.

We are currently tracking our progress as a company in three key areas:

  • Representation: Ensure our team equitably reflects the national qualified applicant pools within the communities we serve; Equitably retain and advance our talented team
  • Inclusive Experience: Deliver an equitable experience for all Team Members; Drive inclusive leadership and individual behavior
  • Business: Ongoing investment in diverse suppliers; Continued reach to multicultural audiences with relevant marketing messages; Relevant assortments that meet the needs of the multicultural guest

 

what we stand for

Across Target, we embrace diversity and strive to give everyone access to the same opportunities. We do this through inclusive guest experiences, inclusive work environments, workforce diversity and societal impact.

Target and GLSEN – 10 Years of Partnering to Create a Better World for LGBTQIA+ Students 

We’re proud of our decade of support of GLSEN, working to ensure all students have a safe place to learn. As part of Target’s Pride merchandise assortment this year – available in all stores for the first time – Target will be making a $100,000 donation to GLSEN.  Over the years, we’ve provided nearly $2 million in funding as part of our partnership, helping GLSEN:

  • Ensure students figure out who they are and be more comfortable in their skin
  • Empower students at the K-12 level to create change by supporting student-led efforts to positively impact their own schools and communities 
  • Train educational professionals in LGBTQ-affirming content
  • Partner with decision makers to ensure that comprehensive and inclusive safe school policies are considered, passed, and implemented
  • Grow to 43 volunteer chapters across the country, working with 10,000 Gender & Sexuality Alliances 

In addition, Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief food and beverage officer, proudly serves as Vice Chair of GLSEN’s Board of Directors.

inclusive guest experiences

An inclusive guest experience where all dimensions of difference are valued and represented and guests feel a sense of belonging at Target.

For example, the following stories showcase how we’re providing inclusive experiences:


inclusive work environments

Safe and inclusive work environments where all dimensions of difference are valued and represented, while all team members feel welcome and able to bring their authenticity to deliver results.

We do all this through across many areas of our business including:

  • Accountabilities, reporting and incentives (for example, D&I goals and results reported above). This work is dependent on an enterprise ecosystem composed of merchandising, marketing, communications, human resources, supplier diversity, corporate responsibility and many other teams whose performance is tied to their diversity and inclusion goals.
  • Developing inclusion acumen among our teams—the knowledge, skills and ability to create an inclusive environment where those around you feel safe, welcome, valued and empowered to do their best work without compromising who they are. At Target we prioritize:
    • Personal curiosity: whether listening to a podcast, watching a video or reading an article, there's always something new to learn.
    • Immersive experiences: when it comes to building empathy, experience is our greatest teacher. Teams might engage in theatrical learning experiences, "Meet the Guest" simulations and visit museum exhibits together.
    • Topical training: Whether in the classroom or in a virtual setting, we strive to meet our learners where they are and present important topics like bias training and peer learning.
  • Hiring and retaining a diverse team. careers
  • Our employee resource groups:
    • Target Business Councils:
      • African American Business Council
      • Asian Business Council
      • Hispanic Business Council
      • Military Business Council
      • PRIDE+ Business Council
      • Women's Business Council
    • Target Networks, such as:
      • Ability Awareness Network
      • Christian Network
      • Cycling Network
      • Jewish Network
      • Muslim Network
      • RedGamers Network
      • Spots A Cappella
      • Parent and Family Network

 

workforce diversity

A diverse workforce where there is equity available in hiring, development and advancement regardless of team members' dimensions of difference. read our workforce diversity report

To help advance this work we parther with groups such as:

thirty team members in colorful Target shirts pose in front of graffiti wall

The Target Team at the 2019  Hispanic Association On Corporate Responsibility Annual Symposium

 

societal impact

To leverage our influence to reduce disparities and champion societal impact in order to help communities thrive.

Examples include our partnerships with:

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feeling the love

DiversityInc. Magazine has recognized Target on their Top 50 Companies for Diversity for 12 years in a row

see the lists

proud moment

Savoy Magazine's 2019 list of the Most Influential Women in Corporate America includes Target leaders Laysha Ward and Caroline Wanga

read all about it

high marks

The Human Rights Campaign gave Target a score of 100 on its 2020 Corporate Equality Index

read the report

Equal Employment Opportunity

Target is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination, and will make employment decisions without regard to the following characteristics: race, color, national origin, religious beliefs, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, military status, marital status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local fair employment practice laws.